Game Development Becomes Lecture Topic

The GamecityLab of the Hamburg University of Applied Science and the Hamburg@work Initiative have recently acquired a CryEngine"® 2 license from Crytek for both teaching and research purposes. This game engine technology, which was originally used to develop the hit PC game Crysis, will be used for interdisciplinary student projects and both Bachelor and Master degree studies in "Computer Media", as well as related studies in audio/video technology and production. The CryEngine"® 2 is a software  engine and toolkit used by game developers that allows creation of  high definition 3D environments which can be generated and experienced in real-time on personal computer systems. Computer games that use this software show realistic virtual worlds with impressive real time effects. The licensing of this high end software application for students provides them with the opportunity to use current state of the art tools for game development, and gain valuable practical experience. The examination of this innovative technology should also result in the creation of totally new products. The main purpose is to instruct students in the use of this new future-proof technology, which includes learning the subjects of game programming and game design, and creating new products such as virtual reality based movies (machinima) or developing events with new content. "The possibility of using the engine for research purposes allows the students to have a look at the production process of game development and analyzing and evaluating this from a scientific based point of view, and also looking forward to creating new prototypes. This cooperation between companies and educational institutions contributes to advancing Germany as a leader in game development technology, and also opens up new areas for educational research." (Prof. Gunther Rehfeld, Professor for Digital editing, Graphics and Animation at the  HAW Hamburg).
About GamecityLab:
The GamecityLab Hamburg at the HAW in Hamburg is a joint project of the Technical and Informatics Department of the HAW and of the of the Gamecity Hamburg@work initiative. Regional companies in the computer based gaming industry have the opportunity to get deeply involved with the research & development activities and the apprenticeship program of the school. GamecityLab offers on site current information on innovative game based technologies, and contact to other students who are involved in the development and/or evaluation of new concepts and joint-projects with the laboratory;  the opportunity to network and develop relationships with other companies in the vicinity of  Hamburg, and events and workshops in cooperation with Gamecity Hamburg.
About Crytek Crytek GmbH ("Crytek") creators of the multi-award winning first person shooter Far Cry^"®, and the recent blockbuster hit Crysis^"®, awarded best PC Game of both E3 2007 and the 2007 Leipzig Games Convention, and awarded Best Technology at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards, is an interactive entertainment development company with its headquarters located in Frankfurt Main, Germany and additional studios in Kiev, Ukraine and Budapest, Hungary. Crytek is dedicated to creating exceptionally high quality video games for the PC and next-generation consoles, powered by their proprietary cutting edge 3D-Game-Technology CryENGINE^"®2. Development teams who are interested in obtaining a commercial license for the CryENGINE^"® 2 middleware should mail their inquiries to cryengine@crytek.com.