4 minute read
In a jam
DID YOU KNOW?
A games jam is a contest where people compete to create a video game from scratch. The world’s biggest games jam, Global Game Jam, last year attracted 48.753 participants from 118 countries in 934 locations around the world.
Staffordshire University helped to stage an event that’s believed to be a world first and could launch a young games designer’s career. Horizon magazine spoke to Dr Bobbie Fletcher, Head of Department, Games and Visual Effects to find out more.
They may sound like something that happens if you drop a piece of toast while playing Monopoly - but games jams have become a hugely popular global phenomenon. Now Staffordshire University helped to stage what is believed to be the world’s first city centre games jam.
Staffordshire University’s Games Department, headed up by Dr Bobbie Fletcher, joined forces with Stoke-on-Trent City Centre Business Improvement District to stage Stoke on Trend Games Jam.
It saw people right across the globe offered the chance to design a game based on the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Members of the public were then able to access and play the games by visiting specific places in the city centre.
A potentially life-changing prize will see the overall winner or winners work with Staffordshire University to refine their game then launch it commercially.
“It all came about as part of a plan to build on Stokeon-Trent’s national reputation as a centre for games and esports,” says Bobbie.
“We’ve had really successful games courses in Staffordshire University since 2004, when we started with 55 students. We have nearly 2,000 students on games courses now, considerably more than any other university in the UK.
“We’ve been doing games jams for years at the University and have had some of the biggest games jams in Europe, but what we haven’t done before is take it into the city centre.”
Bobbie believes that this was the first games jam in the world to be based around heritage locations within a city centre, with the aim of encouraging people to explore key sites while making and playing video games.
Stoke on Trend Games Jam officially started on May 29 where a list of eight diversifiers - locations or objects on which the games must be based - were announced.
Individuals or teams of up to four then had a week to put their games together. Participants had to be over the age of 16 and in full time education, leaving the contest open for people at schools, colleges and universities all around the world.
People had to head into the city to play the games once they were publicly released on June 19, by using QR codes at each of the game locations. However there was nothing to stop people based anywhere around the globe from entering by creating a game based on Stoke-on-Trent.
People who played the games were able to vote for their favourites and then a panel of expert judges will choose an overall winner.
The money-can’t-buy prize will see the winning team or individual work with experts to hothouse their game for six weeks before it is launched on a commercial games licence. The prize will even include financial help towards accommodation costs if needed.
“This could launch someone’s career or equally it could inspire them to go on to college or university,” says Bobbie. “It would also be really lovely if it inspired people to visit Stoke-on-Trent while making their game to get inspiration.”
Laura Morris, general manager of the city’s Cineworld Cinema, project managed the games jam on behalf of the BID.
She says: “This will attract a younger demographic to the city centre and engage with students at universities and colleges. It’ll engage with people outside of the city who are into games.”
Jonathan Bellamy, Chairman of Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, hopes the game jam will be just the start of a series of collaborations between the University and the city centre.
He says: “Engaging the next generation is vital for the future of our city centres. So we’re looking to use games to converge their world with the attractions, heritage and businesses of our city centre. Something we believe may be a first in the country.
“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than Staffordshire University – the best provider of games and digital courses in the country, by far.
“I’m really excited about seeing the winning game launched as a commercial app later this year – bringing together youth, digital technology, heritage and tourism in a unique and compelling way.”
