Game-based Learning for Malaysia: AURA 2012 for Diploma in Game Design & Development Programme

Two weeks ago, I was entrusted by colleagues in Creative Multimedia Department to chair the organising committee of AURA (Akademik Unggul Raih Anugerah) 2012 for students of Dip in Game Design & Development programme. We had a meeting last Tuesday to plan and distribute tasks to each committee member.

Today, we ran the programme and herewith my quick reflection:

A banner had been designed for the event, but since it contains intellectual property of Nintendo Co., a request for using the IP in the banner was made by sending an email to Nintendo US. Disappointingly, herewith the reply received from Nintendo:

Thanks for writing. I appreciate your interest in Nintendo and all our video game products for your talk session. To us, it represents a great sign of success and recognition of the Nintendo brand.
We are grateful for all the requests we receive for permission to use Nintendo properties; however, we receive thousands of requests and do not have adequate staffing to review them all. Therefore, our general policy is to decline all such requests, no exceptions. I realize this isn’t what you wanted to hear and thank you for understanding.
Although we are unable to grant permission, use of Nintendo properties without our formal permission may still be allowed depending on the circumstances. You are encouraged to seek your own legal counsel if you have any questions about whether your particular proposed use is permitted without Nintendo's authorization. This is not a comment on whether we believe your particular proposed use is permissible—Nintendo cannot provide legal advice.

So the first lesson learnt, we won't be given formal permission to use IPs that belong to established game publishers. Eventually, we could only circulate the banner within UPSI. Nonetheless, the attendance of academics from other faculties showed that the banner actually attracted people to join the talk, so it served its function well anyway.

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Lunch were actually not allowed to be served in AURA 2012. However, donation and offerings made by lecturers of Creative Multimedia Department had turned impossible into possible--where there's a will, there's a way.
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Students were really supportive and enjoying the AURA. I personally felt this before the event when my students from Game Design Principles course eagerly submitted their puzzles to me--wishing to make participants entertained. The MCs, the facilitator of PNGS calculation and the volunteered performers had charmed the event. Other helpers, particularly those who handled food and drinks during tea breaks and lunch time had done an excellent job. Bravo!

So I strongly believe that the students are ready to take over my role as the chair of organising committee in the next AURA.

“Fancy yourself as a Sudoku whizz? Can you complete the tasks faster than all your friends? Well, now comes the ultimate test - the world's most difficult puzzle.” Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ (Designed by Arto Inkala)

You may check the answer here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9360022/Worlds-hardest-sudoku-the-answer.html

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