Over the past two months, Games Development BSc students have taken part in a number of national and international Games Jams, including Westminster’s own Games Jam which is now in its third year.
At the end of January, three teams of students joined 48,700 Jammers from around the world in the 12th Global Games Jam. The University of Westminster returned for the second time, creating a mixture of computer games and board games based on the theme ‘Repair’.
In February, teams took on both the University of Westminster Games Jam and the national Jamfuzer competition, where if selected, the team of students will have the development of their game paid for by the UK Games Fund.
The secret to games development is as much successful collaboration as the talents of the many creative individuals working on a project, whether it is a 6-month indie game or the two-year development of a Triple A blockbuster. The Games Jam is an excellent opportunity for a team of students to build these critical skills and test them under the pressure of a challenging deadline.
Speaking about the Jamfuzer competition, third year Games Development BSc student Adam Tedder said: “As a team, we would rate Jamfuzer as the best Game Jam we have competed in over the past three years. We are proud of the game we created as we managed to develop a great looking game with a full feature set in a short amount of time.”
Reflecting on the Westminster Games Jam, first year games student Ivan Palazzo said: "This was the first game jam I have ever taken part in, and I already cannot wait for the next one. The development of the game was such a stimulating process full of challenges and fun moments.
“Above all what I am taking away from this experience is how bringing together a group of people with different skills and interests can really benefit the development of a game."
Talking about the Games Jams, Lecturer on the Games Development BSc course Drew Cattanach added: “Participating in a Games Jam is a great experience for any Games, Computer Science or Creative student as it challenges them to work creatively and collaboratively under pressure. A Jam is a positive experience and great way to demonstrate to a perspective employer your ability to work to a short deadline as part of a team.”
Find out more about taking part in future Games Jams.
Learn more about Computer Science and Engineering courses at the University of Westminster.
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