Around 60 students from all years of the University’s BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming (CGP) and BA (Hons) Computer Games Modelling and Animation (CGMA) degree courses will compete in teams to design a game from start to finish, starting at 5pm February 1st and finishing at 5pm on February 3rd.
Competitors won’t even be able to choose the name and subject of their game, as they’ll have to work to titles randomly generated by clicking on the website ‘The Video Game Name Generator’ (at http://videogamena.me). Examples of the bizarre suggestions this site comes up with include ‘Invisible Bongo Smuggler’ and ‘Urban Spelling Gladiator’.
All student teams taking part will play and rate each other’s prototype games and vote which ones should have a stand at the University’s free public event, Games@Derby. It will be held next week from 1pm to 5pm on Friday February 8, in the Atrium at the University’s Kedleston Road site in Derby, and is being sponsored by global software giant Microsoft.
The Games@Derby event will feature around 15 exhibitors in total. Stands will include playable games for the public by first to final year students, examples of Windows 8 apps (or applications) they’ve designed and the work of commercial games companies established by Derby graduates.
Dr Tommy Thompson, University Programme Leader for Computer Games Programming, said: “These 48-hour ‘Games Jams’ are great fun for the students but they also teach them about working in teams of programmers and digital artists, to a deadline and under pressure; just as they will have to do when they graduate and join the games industry.
“The added challenge of working to a randomly generated title for the game you’re designing should make for some very interesting creations. The public will be able to have a go on the best of these at our Games@Derby event on February 8.”
Dean Cunningham, 21, from Birmingham, is on the final year of the University’s BSc (Hons) Computer Games Programming course and added: “I have taken part in these 48 hour games jams before and they are fun. It does get a bit stressful towards the end when you’re trying to cram extra features into the game and it keeps ‘breaking’.”
For more information about the University of Derby’s Computer Games courses – all taught by games and software industry professionals, visit: www.derby.ac.uk/games
