Author Archives: Alex Wozniak

IGDA Scotland to hold first “Mini Game Jam” for primary school children

Posted on 21/05/2014 | Comments Off on IGDA Scotland to hold first “Mini Game Jam” for primary school children

IGDA Logo
IGDA Scotland are delighted to announce that they will be holding their very first “Mini Game Jam”, sponsored by Outplay Entertainment. The jam is a one-day event which aims to inspire primary school children and teach them the basics of game design in a fun and compelling manner.

Event founder Amanda Wilson has worked for 3 years researching the use of the simple programming language Scratch with children. During her research she saw a great need for children to learn that games can be made, and not just played, and therefore decided to tackle this need on a wide scale with the Mini Game Jam.

Children from primary schools across the Greater Glasgow area will converge at Smithycroft Secondary School on 18th June, and together with the help of onsite volunteers will work in teams to develop games around a given theme.

Whilst the main focus of the day is to provide a fun activity for the attending children, it’s also really important to show them that they can create games for themselves.

We’re really proud to be supporting Amanda and the Mini Game Jam, and we can’t wait to see what games the children develop over the course of the day!

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Posted in Glasgow, Student

IGDA Scotland to support Radio 1’s Academy Gaming Expo

Posted on 07/05/2014 | Comments Off on IGDA Scotland to support Radio 1’s Academy Gaming Expo

BBC Radio 1 Academy
We’re thrilled to announce that we will be supporting the BBC Radio 1’s Academy Gaming Expo next Friday, 16th May, in the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow.

The expo will present students with the chance to play some of the latest games and apps, and meet the people who make them. As part of the expo visitors will be able to get one-to-one advice about how to start a career in the interactive industries, find out how to become a games journalist, and discover just what it takes to create the latest games.

Scottish developers 4J Studios and Ruffian Games will be delivering Q&A sessions, which will provide some insight into the games industry and how to become a part of it. If you would like to attend either of these sessions you will need to pick up a ticket, which are available all week for free from the Queen Margaret Union from 12:00pm each day.

The expo starts at 11:00am on 16th May, and is taking place at the Queen Margaret Union, 22 University Gardens, Glasgow, G12 8QN.

The schedule is:
11:00am – Expo opens – No ticket needed
12:00pm – Q&A: 4J Studios, Developers of Console Version of Minecraft – Pick up a free ticket from the QMU
12:30pm – Q&A: Getting into the Games Industry with Ruffian Games – Pick up a free ticket from the QMU
14:30 – How to Become a Games Writer – No ticket needed
15:00 – Expo ends

Priority entrance to the expo will be given to 16-24 year olds.

For more information on the Academy, click here: http://bit.ly/r1academy

You can also search for what people are saying about the Academy on Twitter here: #takeiton

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Posted in Glasgow, Student

The Launch Conference: Video Links

Posted on 07/02/2014 | Comments Off on The Launch Conference: Video Links

Screen Shot 2013-11-05 at 13.15.03

Last November we were delighted to partner with The University of Abertay to provide a satellite site for the 2013 Launch Conference, which was held in Birmingham between 21st and 22nd November.

Those who joined us in the University’s Hanna Maclure Centre cinema were able to watch both days of the conference live and for free. Speakers included UKIE’s Jo Twist, FourDoorLemon’s Simon Barratt, Remode’s Ella Romanos, Jagex’s Richard Murray and many more.

The overriding theme of the first day was “Launch A Business, Launch A Product”, whilst on the second day the theme was “Launch A Career”. The conference also included the Launch Awards, where the winners of categories such as Best Portfolio, Best Startup, and Best Product were announced.

For those who attended the screenings (and for those who were unable to!) the Launch Conference has very kindly provided us with links to recordings of both days, meaning you can catch up on all the talks from the event.

The videos for both days can be found here:

Once again, a huge thank you to Abertay and Launch for providing us with the opportunity to bring the conference to Dundee and thank you to everyone who attended.

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Posted in Dundee

Global Game Jam 2014 Play Parties

Posted on 06/02/2014 | Comments Off on Global Game Jam 2014 Play Parties

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It’s a new year, and to kick things off in style we’re hosting our annual Game Jam Play Parties, which allows jammers to showcase the games they created during this year’s Global Game Jam, as well as get feedback from other jammers and members of the public.

However this year we’ve decided to expand the Play Parties and host not one, but two events, giving you the opportunity to try out even more fantastic games. There will also be the chance to vote for your favourite game and help them win the IGDA Scotland Community Choice award at each event.

The first Play Party will be held in Glasgow on February 12th (that’s this coming Wednesday!) in the Admiral Bar. You can sign up for the Glasgow Play Party by clicking on the button below.

Eventbrite - Third Annual Game Jam Play Party - Glasgow

GDS_Dare_BannerThe second Play Party is in Dundee on February 19th, and the event is being hosted in association with the Abertay Game Development Society who have very kindly arranged for us to use Bar One in Abertay’s Student Centre. You can register for the Dundee Play Party by clicking on the button below.

Eventbrite - Third Annual Game Jam Play Party in association with GDS - Dundee

We hope that you are able to join us in playing the brilliant titles that were produced during this year’s game jam at either Play Party (or even both!), and we look forward to sharing more details about our upcoming events soon.

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Posted in Dundee, Glasgow, Global Game Jam, Meetings

IGDA Scholarships for GDC 2014 Announced

Posted on 23/01/2014 | Comments Off on IGDA Scholarships for GDC 2014 Announced

IGDA_Scholarships

The IGDA Scholarships are a great opportunity for students involved in games development courses, and other related disciplines, to attend an industry event and receive mentorship from members of the videogame community in order to help kickstart their careers.

The receipients of this year’s scholarships to the 2014 Game Developers Conference were recently announced, and we’re delighted to reveal that 2 of the 16 scholars who will be heading to San Francisco this March are Scottish students.

Caitlin Goodale and Andrew Macdonald, both students at the University of Abertay, will receive all-access passes to GDC 2014, as well as industry mentors and tours of local studios to help them make the most of their experience.

GDC is the world’s largest professionals-only videogame industry event, and features over 400 lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussions on a wide variety of topics led by industry experts and luminaries.

We’re delighted that once again Scotland is so well represented in the IGDA Scholars group, and we’re sure you’ll join us in congratulating Caitlin and Andrew on their achievement. We can’t wait to hear about their adventures at GDC!

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Posted in IGDA Scotland, Scholarship