- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

‘To The Rescue’ game designers break fundraising goal in just two days

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 17:00:16 +0000

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students are in awe over all the support shown for their dog rescue shelter simulation game. Their $16,000 fundraising campaign on was reached in just over 48 hours. “We have been totally blown away by the amount of support that we’ve received for this project,” said Olivia Dunlap, one of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students who created “To The Rescue.” “Locally and around the world, people have flocked to us because they believe in what we are trying to do, and it’s an extraordinary feeling to see that reflected in our Kickstarter’s success. We are so thankful to everyone that has supported us so far, and are really excited to see how far we can reach with To The Rescue!” Dunlap and her partner, Tanner Marshall, a fellow ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate student, have been designing “To The Rescue” as a pet project for nearly three years. They launched their Kickstarter campaign on Aug. 6 to raise enough money to complete the development of the game. They reached their fundraising. By Aug. 14, the campaign had raised about $25,000 from around 800 donors. In “To The Rescue,” a player is the sole volunteer who is responsible for running the shelter, taking care of the dogs, and making sure they are adopted into their forever homes. The game was created with Joseph Williams, associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, who worked on sound design, and Byron Buslig, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus who served as the game’s artist. Donors can give as little as $1 with various levels of donations. Those who pledge $15 will receive a copy of the game when it is released in 2020, while donations of $30 will receive the game, a sticker pack, and the opportunity to add a dog name to the game. Those who pledge $50, $100, or even $500 can receive even more rewards, including an enamel pin; copy of a special magazine with behind-the-scenes information about the game and the shelters that inspired it; the ability to customize the traits, name, and appearance of a super dog or potential pet parent that will appear in the game; and an in-game donor plague.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students Olivia Dunlap and Tanner Marshall are developing a dog rescue video game, “To The Rescue.” Photo by Ben Krain.

“Even though we’ve met our goal, the fundraising campaign isn’t over,” Dunlap said. “It’s going to continue until Sept. 3 so that we can increase our budget to make an even bigger, better game. We have a ton of stretch goals planned for these other milestones, including things like more characters, more things to do with the dogs, and more platforms on which people can play the game.” The campaign has already reached three stretch goals that include adding two new characters, a town map, and an outdoor play space to the shelter. Additional stretch goals include adding more characters, new dog breeds, and new animations to the game. While the game designers are thrilled with the continuing success of the campaign, they hope the game will raise awareness about animal shelters and encourage more people to adopt pets from shelters. “I feel like we’ve gotten extremely lucky with the amount of traction it’s received, but the concept of a dog shelter simulator – particularly one that is working to have a real-world impact – is really resonating with a lot of people,” Dunlap said. “Upon release of the game, 20% of all profits will be donated to real animal shelters,” Marshall said. “It just wouldn’t feel right to make a game promoting the needs of shelters and not put a substantial amount of our profits towards the cause.” The Kickstarter campaign ends 9:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3. If you would like to support “To The Rescue,” visit the.

To The Rescue: ��Vlog��ý Little Rock gamers create simulation about saving dogs at rescue shelters

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 13:57:56 +0000

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students are raising awareness of animal rescue shelters while creating a fun, interactive game that will melt your heart.�� is a dog shelter simulation game that allows players to understand the ins and out of running a dog rescue shelter. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students and best friends Olivia Dunlap and Tanner Marshall have been working on the game as a pet project for the past 2 ½ years. Dunlap and Marshall are roommates and the proud pet parents of a dog jovially named Keanu Reeves. “We were walking to class one day, and Olivia pointed out that there are a lot of interesting emotional decisions to make if you create a game about running a dog shelter,” Marshall said. “You have limited resources, limited time, and you have to help as many animals as you can while making some hard decisions.” In the game, a player is the sole volunteer who is responsible for running the shelter, taking care of the dogs, and making sure they are adopted into their forever homes.�� “The goal is to keep the shelter open for as long as possible and to get as many dogs adopted as possible,” Dunlap said. “You rely on donations to keep the shelter open. Some dogs have certain health or behavioral issues that make it more expensive to take care of them. People come in looking for specific things that will affect how likely they are to adopt.” The player also has to make tough decisions that Marshall and Dunlap admit can be heart-wrenching. “One of the game’s unexpected challenges is disease outbreaks,” Marshall said. “Your shelter can be running along fine and suddenly you get a heartworm outbreak that is very expensive to treat. You suddenly have to make a decision about if you have enough money to treat all the dogs, or if you might have to euthanize the dogs if you don’t have enough money to keep the shelter open while treating all the dogs. That’s a good example of the kind of emotional decisions you have to make. It’s sad and it’s part of why we wanted to make the game. Someone out there has to make these decisions and help as many animals as they can. It’s good for a potential pet adopter to think about these things.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students Tanner Marshall (left) and Olivia Dunlap (right) are developing a dog rescue video game, “To The Rescue.” Photo by Ben Krain.

Although there is a child-friendly mode for younger players, the game makers feel it’s important to raise awareness about the issues faced at rescue shelters. “It’s a fun game, but we didn’t want to shy away from some of the issues that people might be unaware of,” Dunlap said. “We want to raise awareness for animal shelters. That’s why we will donate 20 percent of the profits to animal shelters.” The game was created with Joseph Williams, associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, who worked on sound design, and Byron Buslig, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus who served as the game’s artist.�� “Part of our journey was seeking out like-minded people, and Joseph Williams was the most influential person in that regard,” Marshall said. “We have done several independent studies with him. That is how we met Byron, working on a small independent game prototype. That is how we were able to get a game-oriented education. Having access to the CRUX lab in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing has been invaluable. We are happy that it is here on campus since the workspace really helps us to develop our games.” The game creators will launch a Kickstarter campaign for “To The Rescue” on Aug. 6, where they hope to raise enough money to complete the game and manufacture the first orders. “To The Rescue” is expected to be available on PC and Mac OS computers in early 2020. The game is available to add to your .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host Global Game Jam Jan. 25-27

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 20:59:02 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a Jan. 25-27 for those who are interested in creating a game in 48 hours.�� is the world’s largest game jam event taking place around the world at different locations. The event is similar to a hackathon but is focused on game development. �� Nearly 43,000 people participated in Global Game Jam 2018, resulting in 8,597 games developed at 803 sites in 108 countries. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, 10 people participated in the university’s first Global Game Jam last year, resulting in the creation of five games based on the theme of transmission. While design and coding skills are important in game development, the event’s organizers encourage anyone interested in games to participate. “The great thing about games is how interdisciplinary they are,” said Olivia Dunlap, a graduate student in computer science who is organizing the event with alumnus Robbie Hunt. ��“Most games require programming and art skills, but writers, musicians, actors, and more can all contribute to a great game. For independent game production, marketing, social media management, team management, and other production-related skills are also necessary. But what that means for an event like the Global Game Jam is that you can enter with little-to-no art or programming experience and still make a game that is fun, or that tells a great story.” Dunlap noted that there are several programs that the Global Game Jam organizers will demonstrate to participants that will easily help them break into the world of game development. “There are really accessible tools such as or or that make it really easy to get started, and there will be people like me around who will be happy to mentor for those tools,” she said. “For example, we had an attendee at last year’s jam who had never touched the Unity game engine before, but by the end of the 48 hours, he and his team had made . If you’re a programmer, an artist, a writer, a designer, a mathematician, or are just plain bored and want to try and make something cool, you should definitely try out the Global Game Jam!” Participants will gather at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on Friday, Jan. 25, be divided into teams, watch a short video keynote with advice from leading game developers, and then a secret theme will be announced. Teams have 48 hours to design, develop, create, test, and make a new game based on the theme. The game jam will be held in the CRUX Lab in Stabler Hall Room 603 from 3 p.m. Jan. 25, until 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, when participants’ games will be revealed. Snacks, a sound booth, green screen, and a limited number of computers with game development tools will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own computers. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s event is hosted by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing and Little Rock Game Designers. Dr. Joe Williams, associate professor or rhetoric and writing, is the faculty advisor. Register for the event by signing up at the . For more information, email Dunlap at playlittlerockgames@gmail.com. In the upper right photo, these 10 gamers participated in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s first Global Game Jam in 2018, creating five games in 48 hours.��Back row (L to R): Zack Bolt, Tanner Marshall, Geoffrey Townsley, Alex Barton, Joe Williams, and Kyle Hooks. Front row: Olivia Dunlap, Robbie Hunt, and Loren Snow.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock game creators raise more than $27K to manufacture game

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:38:52 +0000

A group of University of Arkansas at Little Rock employees, students, and alumni who created a space-western storytelling card game – dubbed Galactic Scoundrels – have reached their online fundraising goal to raise enough money to have the game manufactured, breaking their fundraising goal by more than $10,000.�� The creators of Galactic Scoundrels include Joseph Williams, associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, Tanner Marshall and Olivia Dunlap, graduate students in the Department of Computer Science; Brad Sims, instructional designer and media specialist for the College of Education and Health Professions; and Robbie Hunt, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus. Kevin Cates, associate professor of graphic design, joined the team and created all of the art for the game. Williams and crew, who co-founded the Little Rock Game Designers group in 2014 and last year formed a company called Little Rock Games, started a to raise enough money to have the game manufactured. The game creators set a goal of $17,000. By the end of the campaign on July 25, a total of 666 backers donated $27,430 to turn the game into a reality. “The campaign went really well, and we were blown away. In the last 48 hours of the campaign, we raised almost $4,000, and everyone was feeling a lot of joy,” Williams said. “We were so thrilled. At the beginning of the process, I was worried we wouldn’t even get funded. This is the first time any of us have tried anything like this. To have it this successful the first time around is really amazing for all of us.” Galactic Scoundrels is inspired by beloved fictional scoundrels like Han Solo from “Star Wars” and Malcolm Reynolds from “Firefly.” Players gamble and bluff each other to win a job and then tell the shared story of that job by playing cards. Each job is a mini-adventure lasting 15-20 minutes with spaceships, crew, cargo, strange and wonderful characters, and exciting twists. The game has simple rules, which can be learned in about 10 minutes. This allows players to emphasize storytelling, negotiation, and social interaction.

Galactic Scoundrels

Their Kickstarter backers reached two stretch goals – a funding target set by the project creator beyond the original Kickstarter goal – meaning that gamers will receive a thank-you gift from the Galactic Scoundrels creators in the form of 10 additional game cards that will create extra twists and turns in the game. Williams said they are planning an initial run of about 800 games that should be delivered to their Kickstarter backers in January 2019. Meanwhile, the developers are already working on their next game. Dunlap and Marshall came up with the idea for a video game called To The Rescue, where players learn how to run an animal shelter and help real-world shelters by supporting the game. “People can make it a charity experience for themselves,” Williams said. “We believe that games can be more than entertainment, that they can used to do something meaningful in the world. This is a game that definitely fits that category.” In the upper right photo,��the creators of Galactic Scoundrels include: (L to R) Tanner Marshall, Brad Sims, Olivia Dunlap, Joe Williams, and Robbie Hunt. Photo by Ben Krain/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications and Marketing.��

Learn how to design a game in two-week summer course at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 17:35:09 +0000

Students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock can learn how to design a game during a two-week summer course.�� “This crash course in game design is structured to give students the maximum exposure to key concepts in a short period of time,” said Joe Williams, associate professor in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Rhetoric and Writing. The course, RHET 4346/5346, will run from 10-11:50 a.m. for class and 12:30-3 p.m. for lab Monday through Friday May 29 to June 8. During the two-week course, students will learn how game design impacts the brain and behavior and the seven basic game mechanics. Students will draft a game design brief using the MAST (Mechanics, Aesthetics, Story, and Technology) model, as well as complete a prototype through paper prototyping and using Unity game design software. The course is perfect for artists, programmers, writers, and web developers interested in creating well-designed games or game-like experiences, Williams said. No experience in game design or programming is required. Williams has been teaching at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock since 2004. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and theater from Lehigh University, a master’s degree in English from West Chester University, and a doctorate in composition and cultural rhetoric from Syracuse University. Along with Brad Sims, an instructional technology specialist for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Counseling, Adult and Rehabilitation Education, Williams is a co-founder of the group. The organization meets twice a month to discuss game design for tabletop and digital games. For more information about the course and requirements, email Dr. Williams at jjwilliams@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to host Global Game Jam Jan. 26-28

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 18:13:49 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host aJan. 26-28 for adults who are interested in creating a game in 48 hours. is the world’s largest game jam event taking placing around the world at different locations. The event is similar to a hackathon but is focused on game development. In January 2017, more than 700 locations in 95 countries participated in Global Game Jam, which resulted in the creation of more than 7,000 games in a single weekend. Participants will gather at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on Friday afternoon and be divided into teams, watch a short video keynote with advice from leading game developers, and then a secret theme will be announced. Teams will then have 48 hours to complete a game based on the theme. Pre-event check-in for Global Game Jam will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, in Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter B. The game jam will be held in the CRUX Lab in Stabler Hall Room 603 from 3 p.m. Jan. 26 until 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, when participants’ games will be revealed. A sound booth, green screen, and a limited number of computers with game development tools will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own computers. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s event is hosted by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, Little Rock Game Designers, and Little Rock Games. Register for the event by signing up at the. For more information, email Olivia Dunlap at playlittlerockgames@gmail.com.

��Vlog��ýLR to offer video game writing this fall

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 14:09:31 +0000

In 1983, 12-year-old Joe Williams loved to write codes for computer games on his friend’s TRS-80, one of the earliest mass-produced personal computers on the market. “Back in the old days, you could go to the local library and check out magazines that would give you the full programming code for games,” said Williams, an associate professor in the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Rhetoric and Writing. “I remember trying to hack the codes and make the games different.” And so began a long-term love affair with not only computer game programming, but also a desire to learn what makes games fun, interesting, and meaningful. Williams will explore these topics and more this fall in his Writing Video Games course, held 10-10:50 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This will be the third time the course has been offered since Williams started it in 2012. The class usually attracts students from the computer science, information science, rhetoric and writing, and art departments, but it is open to all majors. The students usually create games for entertainment and educational purposes. One student created a game called “Dwarf Toss,” where players launched dwarfs from catapults as ammunition. Another student designed a game to help novice gardeners plant personal and community gardens. In the course, students will learn about the principles of game design, so they can understand what it takes to design a good game. Next, students will create three paper prototypes of games that will be evaluated by fellow students. Last, students will learn how to use, a free game design program, so they can begin the process of creating a digital game out of one of their prototypes. From an academic perspective, Williams thinks it is important for students to understand games the same way people study film and literature. “Making games has become a popular form of entertainment and communication,” Williams said. “Like movies in the 20th century and novels in the 19th century, games are becoming the 21st century medium. Students need to have a critical understanding of what is the most important media form of the 21st ��Գٳܰ��.” Williams has been teaching at ��Vlog��ýLR since 2004. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and theater from Lehigh University, a master’s degree in English from West Chester University, and a doctorate in composition and cultural rhetoric from Syracuse University. Along with Brad Sims, an instructional technology specialist for the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Counseling, Adult and Rehabilitation Education, Williams is a co-founder of the. The organization meets twice a month to discuss game design for tabletop and digital games. For more information about the course, email Dr. Williams at jjwilliams@ualr.edu.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

‘To The Rescue’ game designers break fundraising goal in just two days

To The Rescue: ����Vlog��ý Little Rock gamers create simulation about saving dogs at rescue shelters

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to host Global Game Jam Jan. 25-27

����Vlog��ý Little Rock game creators raise more than $27K to manufacture game

Learn how to design a game in two-week summer course at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to host Global Game Jam Jan. 26-28