[game_edu] Request for Technical Assistance

[George D. Phillies]

I sent this yesterday, but I think from the email responders the message 
went off to the great bit bucket in the sky.  If any of you have ehard 
this before, I apologize.

I have written with Tom Vasel two books on game design.  I would like to 
turn them into a series of lectures that would be internet -accessible to 
anyone, the way youtube is internet-accessible.

The viewer would see a series of slides, either text or photographic 
images, and hear my voice making remarks.  A single lecture would run 
about 50 minutes but could be broken into parts.  Your sugegstions on 
software and display locations would be appreciated.  The slides should 
have enough resolution to handle complex equations, say the equivalent of 
a book page.

To give some background, I teach at the WOrcester Polytechnic Institute. 
My nominal core department is Physics.  However, we also have a program in 
Interactive Media and Game Development, with tech and art tracks, that 
requires all students to take at least some software courses and at least 
some art courses; these courses are largely taught by computer science and 
humanities faculty members, though IMGD does have faculty.  My attachment 
to the program is that I have the world's largest collection of board war 
games (4100 titles, 16 four-drawer filing cabinets), so I teach a course 
on how to execute the design process for a board game.

While I do do computer work, it is very large molecular dynamics 
calculations in Fortran, which is of no help here.

Your suggestions on the 'which software' and 'where to place files' would 
be appreciated. My current kibitzers are suggesting MP4 or AVI files, 
which they tell me can be produced with an Adobe program whose name I am 
not clear on. I teach witha chalkboard, so you should assume that whatever 
software you are proposing I will have to learn, in whcih case I might as 
well learn something good.  I usually use windows, but am considering 
adding a machine that would also run unix via dual-boot.  I am not averse 
to spending money for software.

Many thanks!