"The games aren't going to be perfect, but they're at least going to be entertaining," he said. A typical professional-quality video game takes on average three to five years to create. After that, developers continue to build on the original premise, making it better all the while.

With the state garnering increasing popularity among game development companies, such as Avalanche and EA Sports in Bountiful, Anderson said it will be tough to fill all the jobs. Although its only in its first year, the gaming camp will continue to be offered as long as there are interested students.

"We see ourselves as the go-between for the industry and the student," Anderson said. "If we can't effectively help a student be prepared to get a job and make a difference in the industry, then we failed as academics."

Participants, which included some faculty members, were required to pay a $10 fee for the weeklong camp. Following Friday's introduction of their games, they'll take home prizes in addition to all the tricks of the trade they picked up throughout the week.

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E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com