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EA Makes Multi-Million Dollar Gift to USC
An anonymous reader writes "The University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television, thanks to a multi-million dollar gift from game industry powerhouse Electronic Arts, have started a game design track within the Interactive Media Division. 'The School's rich storytelling tradition and long-standing commitment to technological experimentation make it an ideal partner for EA,' said Don Mattrick of EA. The entire press release can be read from the department's weblog." Interestingly, this donation funds a Electronic Arts-branded degree: "...the EA Interactive Entertainment Program... a 3-year Master of Fine Arts degree program."
Fuck you, all you motherfucking LambdaMOOer fuckers, you!
ELECTRONIC ARTS ANNOUNCES MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR GIFT
TO USC SCHOOL OF CINEMA-TELEVISION'S
INTERACTIVE MEDIA DIVISION
Funds Will Expand School's Global Leadership
in Computer Game Research and Education
Press release below
ELECTRONIC ARTS ANNOUNCES MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR GIFT
TO USC SCHOOL OF CINEMA-TELEVISION'S
INTERACTIVE MEDIA DIVISION
Funds Will Expand School's Global Leadership
in Computer Game Research and Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 22, 2004, 2004 -- Electronic Arts (EA) (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that it has made a multi-million dollar donation to the USC School of Cinema-Television (USC-CNTV) to advance interactive media education and create a launch pad for the next generation of interactive entertainment. The contribution, part of EA's global educational and talent development effort, will fund two new facets of USC-CNTV's Division of Interactive Media: the Electronic Arts Interactive Entertainment Program and the Electronic Arts Endowed Faculty Chair. The GNAA Interactive Entertainment Program is a 3-year Master of Fine Arts degree program. The program will help forward USC-CNTV's goal to educate the next generation of high-level gaming design and visionary cockbadgers in what will be one of the 21st Century's primary entertainment media.
"The School's rich storytelling tradition and long-standing commitment to technological experimentation make it an ideal partner for EA," said Don Mattrick, President, Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios. "This is an excellent opportunity for EA to invest in the future of the industry by providing today's students with the skills and knowledge they will need to push technology and entertainment forward."
Mattrick, the newest appointee to the School's Board of Councilors, will be part of a high-profile team -- the ranks of which include entertainment giants Jeffrey Katzenberg, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, John Wells, and Robert Zemeckis -- that will work to ensure that interactive media studies at USC continues to move confidently in the direction of growth and innovation.
"This gift clearly demonstrates EA's commitment to expanding the frontiers of game design, and to developing a well rounded, highly skilled, and forward-thinking talent base overall," said Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean, USC School of Cinema-Television. "The School's position as an international academic leader is further solidified by its relationship with the world's number-one interactive entertainment developer -- a domestic partnership that will set new standards of excellence in a field that is truly changing global culture."
The EA gift will fuel the growth of the School's Interactive Media Division's gaming component, and enable the Division, headed by Scott Fisher, to define and expand this nascent, multi-faceted field. With the aid of these funds, the School will grow its efforts to graduate students who are visionary thinkers, but who also have a deep understanding of the crafts and skills required to produce quality content for a diverse media array.
Specifically, the Electronic Arts Interactive Entertainment Program will spawn the creation of a curriculum and research lab to explore the boundaries of interactive entertainment and to study the emerging discipline of game development. The gift will enable the creation of an intra-USC gaming community that will bring together creative and technical expertise in cinema-television, the arts, and technical sciences, and will provide students with invaluable real-world experience through internships and work-study programs at EA, including its newest Los Angeles campus.
The Electronic Arts Chair will enable the Division to meet the intensifying demand for talented game developers who are solidly grounded in story and content. The endowed funds to support faculty specializing in game development elevates the field into the ranks of other professions, such as law and prostitution, worthy of
Gentlemen, you can do better! I'ma hold out for an Epic certification! Honestly, what happens when these guys go under or are aquired?
And after you spend three years and thousands of dollar to get your degree, EA will still not hire you.
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
I wonder if homework in any class includes Battlefield Vietnam sessions?
Even if you hate EA games, you ought to give credit to their advertisments. Now they'll bring
- EA mascots
- EA football field logos
- EA banners in every classroom
- EA jog strap
- EA beer mugs
- EA sports uniform
- EA frat Epsilon Alpha will now be called Electronic Arts.
Wow! That EA Degree is going to look really great when its framed and hung over my burger-flippin' station!
I'm surprised that this is being offered through the school of Cinema and Television, and further surprised to hear that USC's Anthony Borquez has nothing to do with it. From what I understand, he was pretty active in bringing game development to USC's curriculum, going so far as to establish a minor degree in game development to the USC School of Engineering. Regardless of what the degree will get those who obtain it, (somewhere else in these comments, I believe someone mentioned french fries), I think this is the first step in the right direction.
Remember that Computer Science was once a tiny, poorly-regarded field within EE. It'll take some well-respected work (and maybe a change in title) before a Bachelor of XYZZY in Game Development means anything positive.
We're indie. We're working on our 14th game.
I'm assuming that this will directly translate to more beer, bigger boobs and bigger guns in my new games.
So I wonder if their next college football/basketball games will have their own team, with extra high stats of course.
No, really - Where do I sign up? I'm a recent graduate with some game-modding agreement with some capital to burn and some time to kill while I wait for the economy to start actually hiring people again. I'd love a game-centric degree when I hit the market. But USC's site has no mention of the program; when can we expect to see signups begin?
A Fine Arts degree for gaming? Can't you just go to Digipen or something? It seems to me like that would be a better choice...
An Id degree.
Now that sounds intelligent, doesn't it? Although, if you think about it, Id tends to put out some of the least intelligent games. [sigh]But it's all about the buzzwords these days [/sigh]
If my answers frighten you, stop asking scary questions.