We are proposing a new program: Games And Interactive Media (GAIM) at UWW. We have submitted proposals to the UW System as part of the Growth Agenda and the Baccalaureate Expansion Program. The College of Arts and Communication is launching this proposal with the goal of creating a cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional environment in which content providers, interaction designers, usability testers and programmers can come together to create compelling interactive media.

The Game industry is currently larger than the film and television industries combined and is thriving despite a tough economy. We already have an impressive group of corporate sponsors and are looking for more. If you would like to be part of this program as a student, sponsor, faculty member or employer, contact Elena Bertozzi for more information.

Interactive media is different from traditional media because the audience must act and engage with the environment. Our job is to make them want to. Our job is to make environments that communicate, pique curiosity, stimulate the imagination and that are fun. Take a look at the projects page to see the kinds of interactive environments students have built to date.

Fortunately we don't have to start from scratch. We have been trained since birth to play.

On April 5, 2008 UWW hosted the inaugural PlayExpo, a juried show of interactive media and games. Check out the site and get ready for next year. Come and see the show, submit your work and meet industry professionals.