collaborative work

game jam

What is a game jam?

A game jam is an event where participants try to make a video game as quickly as possible. Most game jams take place over a single weekend, where everyone has 48 hours to try to make a game often based on a secret theme that is either voted upon or chosen by the organisers. The theme is used as a limitation that encourages creative thinking.

The primary reason to join a game jam is to have fun, above all others. It is also a great way to practise your programming and artistic skills.

Who joins game jams?

Many of these jammers are first timers. Some join a game jam as a "trial by fire" to try cramming their first game project into a single weekend. Others are seasoned veterans with long professional careers in game development who enjoy honing their craft on smaller "throwaway" projects as a way of taking a break from long projects.

In addition to this: in a very similar instance to our case at confetti it is very common for student game jammers. As it brings a sense of community, hence why there are several universities that have societies made up for this across the country.

The structure of a game jam?

The sad truth of game jams is that the majority of participants "fail" to finish their game by the deadline. Many more end up giving up near the beginning, when the enthusiasm-crushing realization of just how much work it will truly require sets in. Game jams are supposed to be fun. Though they can require significant effort and stress, much like playing sports with friends the goal to is to be exhausted but smiling at the end.

The structure of a jam is usually that everyone gathers on Friday late afternoon, watches a short video keynote with advice from leading game developers, and then a secret theme is announced. All sites worldwide are then challenged to make games based on that same theme, with games to be completed by Sunday afternoon.

. The jam is known for helping foster new friendships, increase confidence and opportunities within the community. The jam is always an intellectual challenge. People are invited to explore new technology tools, trying on new roles in development and testing their skills to do something that requires them to design, develop create, test and make a new game in the time span of 48 hours.

(GGJ Online is scheduled for 27-31 January 2021)

The technical Roles and Responsibilities of running the event online.

Communication with all teams – some kind of register at the beginning to make sure everyone is there.
Some way of recording if people drop out halfway through and who is left in the running. Monitoring attendance on teams for example?
Pick a theme or topic.
Decide on Teams? Groups? Independently?
Assign roles within the teams.
Decide on Timing.

My own preferred role:

Communication and Planning
Registers and monitoring participants
Checking in on participants to see if it’s going well.

I am not a games kind of person so I think my role would be more suited in the interpersonal skills and pre-production phases. I like the idea of being a supervisor in VFX one day so this would-be good experience.

Event Organiser/ communications manager

my involvement in the game jam

Communications:

Logging progress

Sending info between people that need it i.e. people making the game jam to the participants.

Logo making:

starting material for our trailer. contribute by creating a 3D screenshot environment,

website:

packaging design FOR NTU

Packaging and Product Design for Nottingham Trent University Business student. This project was completed in Februrary 2021. This was a freelance project that i carried out for a third year student for their entrepeunership module. For their project they had to create their own business and for this they needed packaging and branding, i was comissioned to create the pieces on this page.