While many people enjoy playing games like “Mario Kart" or “Super Smash Bros” online, college students who have a passion for gaming find immense appreciation in being able to make new friends and compete with each other in the same setting. Valparaiso University made it a point of emphasis to provide this luxury to use on campus. Students, staff, and alumni gathered together for the grand opening of the new Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment on Tuesday, February 12.
Martin Buinicki is an English professor and director of the Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment at Valparaiso University. He views this grand opening as an opportunity for people to check out what this space has to offer.
“This is a chance for the campus community and different supporters who have helped see this through and bring it to life,” Buinicki said. “We have a streaming studio in the back for Twitch. We have the Virtual Reality Arena, a ‘Couch Co-op’ room, and many other components here for people to enjoy themselves.”
It’s been a long time coming to bring this development into Valparaiso University. According to Buinicki, the process took more than four years and has finally come into fruition.
“We had summer meetings with a group of faculty to decide where we should do a program in game design or have a center,” Buinicki said. “We decided to go for both. We have a minor in game narrative and design, along with a grant to get the equipment for this room. The next summer, we invited retailers and game designers to see who might be interested in this development.”
A crucial step to complete this project was figuring out the best location for the center. Students can find it in the Center for the Arts building in room 1412.
One student who plans to spend a lot of time in the Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment is Lamarr Williams, a sophomore at Valparaiso University. While video games are a preferred form of entertainment for Williams, he considers some games to be an educational tool for students that can have long-term benefits.
“Video games serve as a great lesson,” Williams said. “I would always read articles in elementary school about how ‘Minecraft’ has an educational mode for people in European countries such as Sweden. You might not think of how video games will help you at the moment, but there are benefits to learning about some of these games.”
Joseph Goodman, president of Goodman Games, played an instrumental role in the creation of this gaming center. As someone who has played games his entire life, Goodman is thrilled that the students of Valparaiso University will have the chance to maximize their passion for gaming.
“I was once a college student pursuing game design and playing every game possible,” Goodman said. “It’s pretty cool that students now can have a curriculum that is based on game design as part of some courses. The students are going to value this space and be encouraged to come back as much as they can.”
The Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment is more than just a one-size-fits-all development. If a student ever decides they want to pursue a different form of gaming, there’s plenty of variation between the games that can be played in the gaming center.
“This space will make it easy to find other people who share the same interests as these students,” Goodman said. “I’ve played video games, miniature games, sports games, role-playing games, and board games. The best part about gaming is that there’s a variety of different forms to try out.”
This multi-room center for entertainment is going to be a hot commodity for many years to come at Valparaiso University. While it took a few years to get traction on the development, the ultimate goal is that the center will be able to entertain future generations for a long time.
“The collaboration that went into this game center cannot be understated,” Buinicki said. “We want to thank the community and everyone on campus for coming together to talk about what the center could do for Valparaiso, both the university and the community. We’re excited to get it off the ground.”
For more information on Valparaiso University, you can visit its website.
