YUCS Hosts Game Developer

On Monday, April 19, the Computer Science Societies of YC and SCW hosted an evening with Eric Goldberg, CEO of Crossover Technologies, in the Ivry Center on the Midtown campus. Goldberg is the founder and driving force behind Crossover, the only pure developer of computer games in New York City.

A highly respected figure in the game development community, Goldberg acknowledged that he did not know much about college - he never went. Goldberg then discussed how to enter the games industry which is unique in the computer world. Unlike many other technical areas, there are many more people who would like to develop games than there are positions available. He also discussed the process of designing and developing games, including the layout of the boards, the approach of the characters, and the story behind the game.

The latter part of the talk was focused on the newest trend in computer games, Internet-based games. The games cannot support the heavy graphics that traditional games support, but they have the advantage of involving and connecting many people. Goldberg commented that a recent game, which involved negotiation between players, may even encourage game players to develop otherwise-lacking social skills.

The event attracted approximately 50 programmers and game enthusiasts, the vast majority of whom came from Yeshiva's male-dominated Uptown Campus. Several students involved in game development asked detailed questions both during and after the lecture.