UCF gamers win MTV's HIV challenge

DECEMBER 05, 2007

A group of students from UCF's video game graduate program have won an MTV gaming contest centered around the 19th annual World AIDS DAY.

MTVU, MTV's 24-hour college network, and the Kaiser Family Foundation sponsored the competition, which asked college students to propose a Web-based video game concept to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among 15-24 year olds.

Created at UCF's Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) as a fourth-semester project in March 2007, “The Face of AIDS” game was developed within one month by a team of five FIEA students (designers Brendan McLeod and Matthew Laurence, programmers Chris Camilleri and Gabriel Montagne, and artist Chip Lundell).

The game is a fast-paced puzzle game designed to raise AIDS awareness while remaining fun and engaging. In it, players must help communities of ever-increasing size stop the spread of AIDS as well as quell the fear and ignorance that rises with it.

The students get a $5,000 first place prize, and the game will be released in early 2008.

Posted by Ron Matus at 10:34:19 am on December 05, 2007 in

Higher Education

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