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Global Game Jam 2009

University of Wales at Newport playing its part.

29 January 2009

Newport will be the only Welsh venue for a worldwide computer game creation marathon that will challenge students, lecturers and professional game developers to come up with the most innovative new games in just 48 hours. The University of Wales, Newport is staging the Global Game Jam (GGJ), in which participants in timezones around the world work in teams to make a complete video game in the same limited time period.

“We are proud to be the only Welsh venue in this first ever global event - a game Jam that takes place in the same 48 hours all over the world,” said Dr. Mike Reddy, Programme Leader for the BSc Games Development and Artificial intelligence course at Newport Business School. “This event, which is open to our students and those studying the BA Computer Games Design at Newport School of Art Media and Design, is a wonderful collaboration between artists and programmers from all years on both courses at Newport.

“Visitors to the University’s Open Day on Saturday will be able to come along and see the games being created and tested. This is another landmark event for computer games development at Newport’s University which has seen graduates set up their own company in the city and last year hosted the prestigious Women In Games Conference,” he added.

In a Game Jam, small teams of participants come together to make video games over the course of a limited time period, usually over a weekend. With such a small time frame, the games tend to be innovative and experimental. GGJ is the first of its kind and will start at 5pm on Friday 30th January 30 and finish at 5pm on Sunday 1st February. So far, nearly 2000 game developers working in several time zones have registered to take part.

Participants will be given the details of the game design theme, constraints, and mechanics allowed, at exactly 5pm local time in each region, with the first time zone being New Zealand, and the last being Hawaii. As the start time arrives in each time zone, the constraints will be changed to remove any possible advantage that location might give one team over another.

Notes for Editors

Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the brainchild of Susan Gold, director of Game Program Review and chair of the Education Special Interest Group of the International Game Developers Association. GGJ brings together talented individuals and teams from around the globe and rallies them around a central theme, for which they have 48 hours to create their game. With more than 1,750 participants at 53 locations in 23 countries, GGJ is a showcase of the creativity and talent of the international game development community. GGJ is sponsored by leading companies including Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., Mekensleep Studios, and Unity Technologies.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

ProfMikeReddy_01p.jpg

“We are proud to be the only Welsh venue in this first ever global event - a game Jam that takes place in the same 48 hours all over the world,” said Dr. Mike Reddy,

Dark Rock Games_06p.jpg

Dark Rock Games was set up by graduates of the Games Development and Artificial intelligence course at Newport Business School to put Wales on the map in the £multi-million games industry

ends

PR009/01/09

Further information from:

Phil Mansell, Press and Communications Officer

Tel: 01633 432822 Mob: 07821 028668 Email: press@newport.ac.uk

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