Building a game development program

Game development is an interdisciplinary field requiring some appreciation for both the technical and creative, with a deep passion in at least one area. Two new game development majors are built upon a four-way partnership between computer science, digital media studies, electronic media arts design, and studio art. In 2004, the University of Denver began offering majors in game development, with research and scholarship directed toward "humane gaming," a term that includes medical and educational game applications and socially conscious gaming. As academics participating in the birth of a new discipline that has significant social impact, we have a stewardship responsibility and an opportunity to explore benevolent game applications as well as to make game development more inclusive of women and under-represented populations.