Baylor University’s Department of Computer Science Gaming Capstone Teams Demonstrate New Video Games to Public

April 26, 2017

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Media contact: Eric M. Eckert, (254) 710-1964

WACO, Texas (April 26, 2017) – Seniors in Baylor University's department of computer science will debut video games they developed in the computer science program's gaming capstone course during an open house from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 28, in Room 201 of the Cashion Academic Center, 1401 S. Fourth St.

According to a recent report by the Entertainment Software Association, 63 percent of U.S. households are home to at least one person who plays video games regularly, and the average age of a game player is 35, more than 40 percent of whom are women.

"The industry has evolved from games for adolescents and children to games that appeal to anyone at any stage of life," said Matthew Fendt, Ph.D., lecturer in computer science. "With consumers spending a total of $23.5 billion in the gaming industry each year, this is a career path that appeals to more and more of our computer science students."

Baylor's department of computer science in the School of Engineering and Computer Science offers a video game development specialization within the computer science degree program. This specialization is designed to provide an understanding of the development and application of interactive digital media technologies. The specialization is offered in cooperation with the film and digital media department in the College of Arts & Sciences and combines media course offerings with technical content in order to produce a graduate with skills that go beyond design and implementation.

Graduates of the computer science program who choose the game development specialization are awarded a fully accredited computer science degree with all the associated career and graduate education opportunities.

"The gaming capstone offers computer science students, who are concentrating in gaming, an opportunity to work together as a team on a single project throughout the course of the semester," Fendt said. "In the capstone class, students use industrial development tools, talk to experts in the field and develop a complete game."

This year, a single team of five students will present Dank Dungeoneering, a game in which players conquer countless dungeons, build their own dungeons filled with traps and monsters and post the dungeons created online for others to play. As players gain experience in completing these dungeons, they unlock levels that are more challenging.

The game will be available for demonstration to the public with a light lunch provided to those who attend the event.

For more information, contact Jill Anderson, director of marketing and communications for Baylor's School of Engineering and Computer Science, at 254-710-6826, or Jill_Anderson@baylor.edu.

by Kalli Damschen, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
With more than 10 percent of Baylor University's freshman class pursuing major courses of study in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), the focus remains on preparing graduates for professional practice and responsible leadership with a Christian world view. ECS majors include bioinformatics, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, general engineering, and mechanical engineering. Among ECS graduate programs are Master of Science degrees in all disciplines, a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering, and several dual degree programs. The Teal Residential College for Engineering and Computer Science, in which students and faculty live, fosters the pursuit of wisdom, academic excellence, and meaningful relationships for the development of diverse, innovative leaders.