300 attend the OpenTalent by David Crane, creator of Pitfall!, framed as part of the presentation of projects from the Masters in Videogame Design and Creation

October 5, 2012

In the framework of the event to present the final projects of the Masters in Videogame Design and Creation, the UPC School invited one of the most prominent videogame developer of all times, David Crane, ranking 12th in IGN Top Game Creators, who presented the Open Talent: Learning from the History of Video Games.

The videogame industry in Spain is called to become one of the key areas in the current context: Spain is the fourth European market and the sixth in the world regarding videogame consumption, with an approximate turnover of 2,000,000 Euros in 2011. This industry covers a range of different professional profiles, which must adapt to the continuous challenges in the sector, one of the most dynamic ones in the world’s productive economy. The UPC, for the past 10 editions, has been training future professionals in the industry: videogame, animation and digital arts designers and programmers, who presented the final projects of the programme with an exceptional guest: David Crane, one of the most successful videogame developers of all times.

In the conference “Learning from the History of Video Games”, Crane gave some advice, practical lessons and a privileged contextual insight from having been one of the most prominent persons in the field of video game development and its business model: he created the legendary game Pitfall!, the second most sold game developed for the Atari 2600 console, with over 4 million copies sold, only surpassed by Pac-Man. Chosen the video game of the year in 1982, it remained at the top of the Billboard for 64 weeks in a row. The company he established, Activision, accounted for one third of the turnover in the video game industry back in the 80s. Throughout his career, he has been awarded dozens of prizes, such as the Designer of the Year Award, the Parents’ Choice or, in 2003, the prestigious Game Developers Choice Award, for his contribution to the industry.

Presentation of the 2011-12 Masters in Videogames projects

At this event, the final projects of the students who took the Masters in Videogame Design and Creation at the UPC School in its last edition, during the 2011-2012 academic year.

These were the projects presented:

• Trapped in Time
• Brave, the last turtle
• Ghandi Project
• Calignie
• Silcharde
• Glugos
• Fishtros Defense