(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – January 28, 2016): The Computer Science Club at Algoma University, in partnership with Sault College’s Graphic Arts Program, are pleased to host the 2016 Global Game Jam on Algoma U’s campus from January 29th – 31st.
The Global Game Jam is the world’s largest game creation event taking place around the world at various locations. The event allows aspiring and current video game developers to form teams and design, create, and test a video game within 48 hours on a secret theme. The theme is revealed at the beginning of the competition, following the keynote presentation. On Sunday afternoon at 5:00pm, the designed video games are uploaded to the Global Game Jam website and each team presents their designed games. Over 500 locations participated in the 2015 event from 78 different countries. 5439 video games were created in one weekend. It is not a competition.
The event fosters creativity, innovation, and collaboration. The Global Game Jam is challenging as people are expected to explore new tools in gaming, as well as new roles in development and testing.
“For Algoma University students, this event provides our Computer Science students with an opportunity to gain experience in many aspects of the game development process associated with indie game development,” said Professor Michael Lajoie of the Computer Science and Mathematics Department at Algoma U. “For our students, this is an opportunity to collaborate with others outside of the institution, network with others interested in creating games, broaden their skill set, and add to their portfolio of work which can be shown to prospective employers in the future.”
Approximately 40 people will participate in the event at the Algoma U venue.
The Global Game Jam is open to everyone. To register, please visit the Sault Ste. Marie website.
YouLaunch will also be in attendance for those interested in pursuing video game development as a career.
For more information on the event, please contact Professor Michael Lajoie at michael.lajoie@algomau.ca.
About Algoma University
Algoma University was established in 1965 and is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Algoma University is a small, undergraduate, teaching-focused university that places an emphasis on serving the needs of Northern Ontario. Algoma University offers a wide range of degrees spanning the liberal arts, sciences, and professional disciplines. As a partner with Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig, Algoma University has a special mission to cultivate cross-cultural learning between Aboriginal populations and other communities. Algoma University also offers satellite programming in Brampton and Timmins. For more information, please visit www.algomau.ca.
