Square Enix kicks off college lecture tour at SMU with Yusuke Naora
In partnership with Southern Methodist University SMU-in-Plano campus and the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, gaming giant Square Enix® has announced special college lectures for students to learn directly from the company’s experienced Tokyo development team members.
LOS ANGELES – In partnership with Southern Methodist University SMU-in-Plano campus and the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, gaming giant Square Enix® has announced special college lectures for students to learn directly from the company’s experienced Tokyo development team members.
The lectures feature Yusuke Naora and Kazuyuki Ikumori, who will meet with students and guests to share their personal experiences in the digital entertainment and video game industries. Two seminars will take place this spring and will be based on their work in FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0™ HD as well as other prominent Square Enix projects.
Naora, art director of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, will be on hand to discuss the visuals of the Final Fantasy® series at The Guildhall at SMU at SMU-in-Plano February 26, 2015. Ikumori, general manager of Visual Works (Square Enix’s own CG movie production studio), will speak on the creative process behind the CG movies of Square Enix at the USC campus on March 12, 2015.
“We're excited to take the opportunity to speak to students in game development programs that will shape the future of our industry,” said Hajime Tabata, director of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and Final Fantasy XV. “We believe that it will be stimulating for us to learn from the students’ experience as well.”
Fans and aspiring students can view the lecture in its entirety on Twitch® at http://www.twitch.tv/squareenixpresents/. More information is available at the Square Enix Blog (http://na.square-enix.com/us/blog) and the FINAL FANTASY Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyType0).
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will be available on March 17, 2015 in North America.
About The Guildhall at SMU
The Guildhall at SMU is one of the premier graduate video game education programs in the United States. The program has graduated more than 600 students, and alumni are working at more than 200 video game studios around the world. The Guildhall offers a Master of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development degree and Professional Certificate in Digital Game Development program. Students also select an area of specialization — Art Creation, Level Design, Production, or Software Development. Classes are taught by industry veterans, who work as mentors to develop skill and talent in the next generation of game creators.
About the FINAL FANTASY Series
Since the release of FINAL FANTASY in 1987, this unique RPG series continues to showcase the spectacular visuals, highly imaginative worlds and rich stories leading the industry and earning the highest accolades from users around the world. Titles of the series have so far achieved a cumulative shipment of over 110 million units worldwide.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 64 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 42 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.na.square-enix.com/.