A new game engine technology designed to teach children in the United Kingdom the basics of game design was built using the UNITY game engine. The design makes it easy for young people to learn some fundamentals about game design while at the same time removing the technical barriers - such as programming - that might keep beginners away. The technology is endorsed by BAFTA, EA, NESTA and Abertay University.
The Games Unpacked technology is a drag-and-drop game editor that allows students to manipulate a pre-made world by adding "grassy platforms, glowing power-ups and dangerous traps onto a pre-built game world," according to Develop. No knowledge of programming is needed because the goal of the program is to encourage creativity.
BAFTA has released the tech along with Abertay University, while funding council NESTA and publisher Electronic Arts are also backing the editor. Earlier this year, NESTA worked closely with industry veterans Alex Hope and Ian Livingstone to publish Next Gen a white paper on how to build the next generation of game designers in the United Kingdom. One of the key elements in that paper was finding new ways to get young people excited about building games.
"Every young person I know absolutely loves playing games, and Games Unpacked is a fun and easy way to take the next step into making their own games," said Paul Durrant, director of business development at Abertay University. "By creating a simple ‘digital toolbox’ of all the elements of a game level, children of any age can build a brand new game and start learning about the fascinating process of games development."
The game engine can be found here.
Source: Develop
