While checking out the latest edition of “Madden” or fighting to the death in “Mortal Kombat” can be a great way to unwind after work or school, for many studying in DePaul’s College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) it’s a path towards a future career.

This is what led the campus library to expand their video game console lending program to the Richardson Library at the Lincoln Park campus.

James LeFager, library liaison to the College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM), said the decision to incorporate the leasing program into the Richardson Library was made to “create consistency across all of the campuses.”

“The problem was how the consoles work and all the materials included – we couldn’t transfer them between campuses,” he said. “The console would be out of circulation while it was being transferred back and forth, so it would be out for an undetermined amount of time.”

While DePaul’s Loop Library has been leasing out video games since 2011 and consoles since 2013, the Lincoln Park campus will now have access to more updated gaming devices.

LeFager said the consoles will likely be replaced every year, alternating between the two libraries.

“This will be a program that will always update,” he said.

Alex Devine, 23, vice president of DeFRAG (DePaul Fundamental Research in Academic Gaming) and predictive analytics graduate student, said the new program is almost vital to students studying in the CDM department.

“These classes will often have assignments or projects that will require a specific game to be played, and a small reflection paper afterwards,” Devine said. “Having access to the means to play such games in Lincoln Park will greatly assist students and professors in these classes.”

Nina Commarata, 22, animation major and president of DeFRAG, said the main benefit of this program is the cost saving for students.

“Not everyone has the funds to play every game that they are interested in, especially on a wide variety of consoles,” she said. “It helps everyone play and research to the best of their ability.”

Will Meyers, CDM instructor, said having this access allows students to study their own work.

“To be able to program our computers and immediately write it so we can push it to the console and test it out is really rewarding,” he said. “It makes the students really happy.”

While the benefit to the CDM department is apparent, LeFager said the library wanted to make sure students outside of that department could also learn what video games have to offer.

“Video games are a form of entertainment but also have scholarly value as they are comprised of technological, historical and artistic content,” he said.

Commarata said this program is just as important to those not in the CDM department.

“You do not have to be a ‘hardcore gamer’ to enjoy playing games,” she said. “Games are for everyone and there is a niche for everyone. This game leasing program allows everyone to give different games a try without breaking the bank.”

Unlike previous years, students are now able to check out the consoles for two weeks. Since the program’s implementation in 2013, the checkout period has only been one week.

“Once you started getting used to it, you had to take it back,” LeFager said.

The library purchases these game consoles, as well as individual games, as part of its budget for acquiring technology to support the academic and recreational needs of the student body. However, that budget changes every year.

“Because these needs may differ in any given year, there is no set budget for supporting this program, but needs are evaluated each year as part of our year-end budget planning process,” he said.

Devine said this new library program is a reflection of how gaming is growing across DePaul.

“There was a time when DeFRAG and the game development program in CDM were very localized to the downtown campus, but the word is starting to spread to Lincoln Park as well,” Devine said. “Video gaming as a whole is starting to become a mainstream hobby, and that translates to the DePaul student population.”

Commarata said she has high hopes for the new program.

“I hope that the library’s program continues to grow with each new generation of console that is released,” she said.

To check out one of these consoles, you can visit either of the campus libraries or visit the Technology Lending Page to view availability.

If a console is unavailable, there is a gameplay research lab located in Room 536 of the CDM Building and is open to all students with a valid student ID.

The newest gaming consoles available at Richardson Library:

• Playstation 4

• Xbox One

• Nintendo Wii U

• Playstation Portable Vita

• Nintendo 3DS

With the exception of the Nintendo 3DS, the newest consoles are only available at the Richardson Library. The Loop Library will have access to the previous generation of gaming systems.

Consoles Available at Loop Library:

• Playstation 3

• Xbox 360

• Nintendo Wii

• Playstation Portable

• Nintendo 3DS