The UC Santa Cruz Games and Playable Media MS program hosted a festive alumni event at the 2023 Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. Over 100 alumni, students, and industry supporters gathered near the Stone Stage at Yerba Buena Gardens to meet with old friends and make new acquaintances. This is the first GPM alumni event in three years, in what hopes to become an annual tradition at GDC.
MJ speaking with recent alums, with teaching faculty Adam Sporka looking on.
The GPM program was thrilled with the diverse turnout, which included alumni and students of the Baskin School of Engineering’s Games and Playable Media MS program, Serious Games MS program, and Computer Science Game Development BS program, as well as the Art & Design: Games and Playable Media BA program. GPM faculty were also in attendance, including GPM Vice Chair, and perennial student favorite, Michael John, aka “MJ”.
The GPM program graduated its tenth class of students earlier this week, aligning with the 25th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz’s Baskin School of Engineering. GPM’s alumni base now totals well over 200 graduates, resulting in a strong alumni network throughout the global game developer industry, as well as adjacent industries, such as electric vehicles and audio technology. The program continues to rise in popularity, receiving a record number of applicants for the program’s incoming class for Fall 2023, and continues to rise in Game Design MS program rankings such as The Princeton Review and Career Animation Review.
Top Hat demo at alt.ctrl GDC demo featuring recent grad Ben Rowland and GPM student Adam Carter.
The GPM program was delighted to offer an alumni event outside of GDC, where ticket prices run anywhere from $300 to $2000, which can be prohibitively expensive to many budding game designers. For those fortunate enough to enter the conference, the technology and entertainment offerings were endless, from dynamic game engine demos to novel AI developments to the ever-delightful alt.ctrl showcase.
Looking forward to hosting the GPM GDC alumni event next year – see you there!