by Annie | Jan 20, 2012 | Game Design
Check out the latest issue of the VFS In Focus magazine, featuring some insights on the game design industry and the future of games, courtesy of some VFS grads (including yours truly!). The issue also includes stats from the latest games industry/alumni survey, as well as a story about the team behind Forerunner, an iOS game released by recent grads. Also, a heads up for anyone in the Vancouver area who might be interested in the VFS game design program – don’t forget to drop by the Open House this Sunday, 10:30am-5pm. See you...
by Annie | Jan 11, 2012 | Logoland
I’ve always been entranced by logos. There’s something about the simple complexity of communicating a big message with a small image that’s always fascinated me. Good logos communicate layers of meaning, both boldly and subtly. Take a look at these 50 startup logos from...
by Annie | Jan 9, 2012 | Game Design
Learning to program through books and tutorials is hardly an exciting endeavor. The first few exercises might maintain your interest by capitalizing on your staunch commitment to reach your goal of becoming an avid programmer, but interest often wanes as the exercises become more difficult and seem to drift further from real world applications. Enter Codecademy, an interactive game that teaches programming, right in the comfort of your own browser. Codecademy holds your hand through each step of the programming basics, including declaring your first variable and executing your first function. Explanations are concise and easy to understand, even for the absolute novice. You can follow the exercises at your own pace, and you can even experiment using the scratch pad, an in-browser Javascript editor that lets you play around with what you’ve learned. Best of all, Codecademy is built around basic game mechanics, including missions and achievements. Track and share your progress, and you’ll soon be on your way to programming your own website or game. Right now, Codecademy only offers Javascript courses, but it looks like they’re working hard to add more programming languages as soon as possible. So if you’ve always wanted learn how to code, give Codecademy a...
by Annie | Jan 6, 2012 | Game Design
If you’re at all interested in the VFS Game Design program, come on out for the Game Design Expo Open House on Sunday, January 22nd. You can take sample classes, learn more about the program, and talk to current teachers. I will be giving a short presentation about my experience at VFS, so stop by if you get a chance. Hope to see you...
by Annie | Dec 23, 2011 | Game Design
2011 has gone by in a flash. This year, I pushed my art, programming, and game design skills further than ever before, worked with three terrific teams, and contributed to six new games. January Veggiesaurus proves that a vegetarian T-rex makes for an awesome Flash game. February Chip is born. March Production on Blokhead officially begins. April I struggle with learn to program. May Blokhead gets its final touches. June Blokhead is presented to industry professionals, and GD18 graduates. July Hello, I’m Annie Dickerson, lead designer at Digido Interactive. August Blokhead is named a 2011 Unity Award Finalist. September Digido’s first game, MotionMaze, hits the App Store. October MotionMaze Trick or Treat offers players Halloween themed mazes. November Pop & Dodge brings penguin dodgeball to the masses. December MotionMaze Holiday Adventure uses physical activity to spread holiday cheer. To my teammates, teachers, friends, and family, I cannot thank you enough for your support this year and every year. Here’s to even bigger and better things in...
