This section of my portfolio outlines the academic topics I have written about as an undergraduate student, as an MBA student, and as a Computer Game Design graduate student.
Interested in reading something a little lighter? Check out my blog posts.
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Academic Writing related to Game Design and Development
Comparison of VR Toolkits for Unity VR Game Development (2022)
While our team at Starlight Vintage Studios worked on Give the People What They Want, we tried out 3 different VR toolkits that worked with Steam. We swapped toolkits because we found flaws in one toolkit, only to discover the new toolkit had its own tradeoffs we failed to consider. This research demystifies the VR toolkit selection process for Unity developers so they can hit the ground running on VR design without worrying as much about basic technical setups. Does your VR development team have a good foundation they can build from to create an amazing VR experience?
Give the People What They Want: A VR Game Development Journey Retrospective (2022)
While working on Give the People What They Want, our team learned a lot about the VR development process. We made a lot of mistakes when it came to our programming architecture and design choices. This paper tells the story of our VR game development journey in the hope that we can provide advice to developers looking to create a VR game. We hope they can avoid some of the pitfalls we encountered to create the next great VR game. Does your team have the knowledge to avoid some of the mistakes we made?
Identifying Requirements for a Virtual Reality Virtual World Serious Game Toolkit (2021)
In order to create VR serious games, educators and trainers need to team up with experienced VR developers to navigate the engines, SDKs, and frameworks required for the VR development process. VR virtual world platforms try to make content development easy for their users, so is there a possibility to create a toolkit to make the VR serious game development process easier for educators and trainers without programming expertise?
Potential of VR 3D Modeling in the Classroom (2020)
Introducing students to 3D modeling in the classroom can be challenging. Instructors want to encourage students to find creative solutions to problems, but the complexity of 3D modeling tools means students can make errors and not know how to fix them. Can the ease-of-use provided by 3D modeling tools improve the way students are taught 3D modeling?
Automated Game Testing and the Tester: A Search for Meaning (2020)
Game testing is often viewed as an entry point into the game design industry. Does automated testing pose a threat to the entry-level jobs provided by participation in game development through the QA process? How will the role of game testers change in a world with increasing levels of automation?
Indie Game Development Funding Decision Analysis (2017)
Funding indie game development projects can be difficult, since game development projects need to consider a lot of factors. For an indie game with a cultural and historical focus, which funding models would be the most effective without taking too much time away from core development activities?
Infinite Free Plays – The Rise of the Freemium Game Development Model from a Global Perspective (2013)
Looking at China, South Korea, and the United States, are there specific common governmental or private industry factors that enabled the rise of popularity of the Freemium game design model in these three countries?
Other Academic Writing
Mortgage Finance Reform and Likely Stakeholder Impact (2018)
The complicated nature of the U.S. Mortgage Finance Industry after the 2008 real estate crisis centralized the industry under governmental authority. Voices have been calling for better private industry involvement, but how similar are policy proposals from 3 separate sources? Are there commonalities that illuminate how stakeholders in the mortgage finance industry will be impacted by likely changes?
New Heights: What Reston’s Development Means for Rent Prices (2017)
Anyone who has taken a drive around Reston recently will notice all the new apartment complexes under construction, as a response to increased demand. Is supply going to outstrip demand and drive Reston apartment rental prices down in the future?
Chinese Christian Ministries: A Cultural Perspective of Business Prospects for Christian Ministry Publications in the People’s Republic of China (2017)
Christianity is a fast-growing religion in China, but the specter of the centralized communist government keeps a watchful eye over all religious activities. Are there opportunities for Christian publishing companies to succeed inside this complicated regulatory environment?
Washington Metro Transit Authority – A Big Data Solution (2017)
The WMTA has been plagued by scandals involving poor track maintenance, train derailments, and line closures. Can new technology and big data solutions restore the public’s confidence in public transit operations?
Nathan Hahn's Game Portfolio 