What children and felines teach us about play can be applied to game design

by Jenny Lim and Erica McCay

How do you make something fun? As interactive designers, we know that winning – while rewarding – is not enough to make a game engaging. Nor are points, nor timers, nor any of the other shorthand tricks that designers use to amp up a game. A game must have a fun activity at its core. If it does not, no amount of points and “gamification” will get players hooked.

Our source of inspiration starts at home…

Valtech Themed Entertainment Studio: analytics and backends for creative design

by Erica McCay, curated by Joe Kleiman

Step into a fantastical world that feels real. Beyond the physical textures and iconic architecture, the land is alive – reacting, transforming, remembering. Guests have a role and a goal within this world, and their presence and actions alter their next encounter. It matters that they are here.

It could be a game – collecting achievements, earning points – or it could be an adventure – accepting tasks, meeting characters, and mastering quests. Either way, it is powered by a game engine.

Enter the story with an award-winning theme park designer

by Erica McCay

Whether you are a professional in the industry, aspire to join it, or love seeing how Themed Entertainment experiences come to be, I invite you to join me on a tour through the main principles that guide me as a designer who connects people and place…

Live Recorded Discussions

Dan Pelson, Deana Taylor, & Erica McCay

Erica McCay, creative director at Valtech, hosts discussions with Deana Taylor, general manager of Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi and Dan Pelson, chief operating officer of @AREA15. They look at what makes a good immersive attraction, from the staff members to the attraction itself. They all talk about how the story has to be the heart of the attraction, whether that’s a personalised story for the visitor or someone else’s story that the visitor follows.

Live Presentation

Erica McCay

Join Erica as she shares the story of her former boss and current mentor, Bill Whitcomb, who once played Doc Brown in the opening ceremony for Universal Studios Florida. With a wealth of knowledge from three decades at Universal Creative, Bill inspired his teams to be their best. Woven into the story, Erica presents 10 valuable leadership lessons distilled from their time working together.

Live Presentation with Audience Participation

Lisa Lowe & Erica McCay

Our industry is about storytelling, and one of the most well known forms of story is the Hero’s Journey. What if that applies to more than what we create, but our own career journeys? Become the hero of your networking adventure as we act out redos, pivots, and repairs to transform awkward moments into masterful connections.

Live Presentation with Audience Participation

Jenny Lim & Erica McCay

Who shapes the people who shape our industry? Our families (human and animal) influence us through the joy of play. Explore the wisdom of our younger and/or furrier muses, and what we can learn from their pure appreciation of fun.

Live “Table Read” Presentation

Jesse Cannady, Wendy Heimann-Nunes, Sina Bahram, Corey Timpson, Nicola Rossini, Cynthia Sharpe, & Erica McCay

A staged reading of “From Zero to Hero”, a darkly comedic one-act play about how themed experience can better embed IDEA in the project pipeline, and how some simple but radical changes in approach can pay huge financial, emotional, and experiential dividends.

Live Presentation

Erica McCay

Performance of two original short stories written by Erica at the “Hot Florida" MFA of the Americas Alumni Reading event.

Live Presentation

Erica McCay

Presented at the WICT conference in Oak Brook, Illinois as a representative of Comcast NBCUniversal.

Featured Judge

by Blooloop

“Our industry is a kaleidoscope of talented people—combining, shifting, and adapting to create amazing experiences. The Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List is a chance to celebrate the people who keep our kaleidoscope in motion. We at Valtech are excited to help highlight the inspirational people who shape our industry with poise, purpose, and passion.” — Erica McCay, Creative Director, Themed Entertainment

Live Virtual Interview

Eric Soto, Stash Noga, & Erica McCay

TETV hosts, Kelly Bailey and Kathy Dixon, chat with three experts from Valtech Themed Entertainment Studio, a company leading the industry in connected, physical interactive experiences. Join us as we deep dive into fascinating projects, career journeys, and more!

Biography & 2015 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff broadcast video

by Comcast

[Erica] can’t imagine working in any other field. "I get to help people become a part of the stories they love. When you watch people go through Hogwarts in Orlando, and strangers finding common ground no matter where they’re from ... it’s awesome."

Presenting the 2014 Media & technology Innovation Award, with Carson Daly

by Comcast

“For me, creating theme parks is about connecting people through a story and bringing them together.” — Erica McCay

Technology Leaders of Tomorrow Shine at 2014 FIRST Robotics Championships

by Sherita Ceasar, Comcast

Erica describes the trophy design this way: "We wanted something kinetic, that used the FIRST symbols of circle, square, triangle -- so we thought about planetary gears, where everything meshes together. FIRST is all about meshing knowledge, and relationships, and teamwork."