Westwood College’s Fourth Gathering of Video Game Legends Prepares Students for Employment in Gaming

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westwood College helped students prepare for finding employment in the gaming industry at its fourth annual Gathering of Video Game Legends. The event, held at Westwood’s Anaheim campus, provided opportunities for students from around the area to get advice and personalized feedback from some of the interactive entertainment industry’s top professionals, learning what it takes to succeed in this competitive market.

“Students today have more opportunities than they did even four years ago, and the benefit of a program like Westwood’s is it really gets students together across multiple disciplines working on projects together, and that kind of experience is invaluable”

Students from several local colleges attended the event, which consisted of a panel discussion and breakout sessions led by top gaming pros, such as Voldi Way, founder of Way Forward, Dave “Fargo” Kosak, game designer, and Justin Lloyd of Infinite Monkey Factory. Workshop and panel discussion topics included:

Top skills an employer looks for in an ideal candidate
The Dos and Don’ts of a good a pitch
Most important aspects of a game

Attendees had the opportunity to play and discuss video games, and were also invited to participate in a pitch contest, where they had one minute to pitch their game idea to the “Legends” for feedback and advice. Thirteen students participated, and had the opportunity to get individual, one-on-one coaching from Westwood gaming alumni and the industry pros before formally pitching their idea to the panel for feedback and judging.

The winners of the pitch contest and their respective game ideas were:

First place: Jesse Snyder, “Killswitch”
Second place: William Demps, “Emerald Decade”
Third place: Tri Duong, “The Secret War”
Honorable mention: Jacob Coffin, “The Plot”

“Talking to people in the industry and participating in these kinds of game competitions really gives students the ability to see first-hand what it takes to get into the industry, and what it takes to be something special,” said Justin Lloyd, of Infinite Monkey Factory.

Westwood College offers two different degrees in the gaming field: Software Development: Major in Game Software Development, which is offered online and at campuses in California, Colorado and Illinois; and Graphic Design: Major in Game Art, offered at 14 campuses in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Virginia.

“Students today have more opportunities than they did even four years ago, and the benefit of a program like Westwood’s is it really gets students together across multiple disciplines working on projects together, and that kind of experience is invaluable,” said Dave “Fargo” Kosak.

To learn more and view a brief video about the event, visit http://www.westwood.edu/gaming.

About Westwood College

Westwood College is an institution of higher learning with 14 campuses located in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Virginia. Westwood offers a hands-on, career-focused curriculum in fields such as healthcare, technology and business. Westwood is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). A 2012 survey conducted by Noel-Levitz showed Westwood students are significantly more satisfied than the comparison group of approximately 125 public and private colleges, particularly in the areas of course content, quality of instruction and the school meeting their career goals. For more information, visit http://www.westwood.edu.