Category Archives: Dundee

ARCADIA Dundee

This Friday, ARCADIA will be opening its doors in Dundee for the first time. ARCADIA is a grassroots celebration exploring independent, alternative, and experimental play in games, spaces and cultures.

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The conference, by Biome Collective and We Throw Switches, will be filled with talks and workshops from leading local and international creators, followed by an after party full of incredible games and music.

IGDA Scotland are proud to be supporting this conference through the Screens & Scenes Panel on games-related culture featuring Cara Ellison, David Hayward and Paul Callaghan.

The conference will be held on the 8th of September at Dundee’s West Ward Works, with an extra day of workshops and board games on the 9th of September at Biome Collective, 20 Greenmarket. More information and tickets are available here.

IGDA Scotland Play Parties 2017

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All of us at IGDA Scotland want to give a huge thank you to everyone that came along to our play parties last week! Whether you exhibited or simply came along to play the exceptional range of games created at game jams throughout the year, we really hope you had as great a time as we did. We’d also like to thank everyone that made the play parties possible; We Throw Switches, Creative Scotland, our venues Hemma, Unit 6 at The Vision, and Drygate, and everyone that hosted a Global Game Jam site in Scotland.

This year we collaborated with our friends We Throw Switches who offered the opportunity for one game from each play party site to be exhibited at their upcoming event GamesAreForEveryone on the 21st of April in Edinburgh. So, we’d like to present to you, our winners!

Edinburgh: Frack The Planet

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“You are the driver of a Fractor-Driller. It’s your job to drive around the planet, scanning with your GeoSonar for valuable shale gas deposits underground. They’re worth money–the bigger the better! When you’ve found one, you stick your drill into it, and start fracking! You have to pump every last atom of the gas out of it if you want to get paid. And you have ninety seconds in which to frack as many gas deposits as possible. Oh, and try to avoid running over those pesky protesters–those lawsuits are expensive!”

Frack the Planet was created at the GCU Global Game Jam site by team “Muling Kittens”; consisting of Aaron Dron, Aidan Dodds, Andy Durdin, David Farrell, Gordon Brown and Luke Drummond.

Dundee: Ola de la Vida

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“The game is called Ola De La Vida, it is a three player game where each player’s physical movements are used to manipulate on-screen gameplay.   To play, players must physically form the ‘Wave of Life’ by holding each others hands and our two maraca controllers whilst standing on Wii balance boards.  Once the wave is active, players must shift their weight from one side of their balance board to the other in order to tilt their part of the on-screen wave of life.  Together, the three players tilt to and fro on their balance boards, whilst holding one another’s hands to help luchador pinatas to make it from one side of the wave (the screen) to the other.  The winning team is the one which saves the most Pinatas before time runs out – but if the players let go of one another’s hands or the maracas at any point, the game is over.”

Ola De La Vida was created at the Abertay University Global Game Jam site by “Smash it Open and See What’s Inside”; consisting of Mona Bozdog, Danny Parker, Lynn Parker and Alex Pass.

Glasgow: Rootin’ Tootin’ Typin’ Tide

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“Our game, Rootin’ Tootin’ Typin’ Tide, is a quick, competitive two-player game with literal hand-to-hand combat on a keyboard battlefield. Using only one hand, players must hit more keys than their opponent to keep their character, and pride, afloat as they coast down treacherous river rapids. ”

Rootin’ Tootin’ Typin’ Tide was created at the GCU Global Game Jam site by team “Multiflair Games”; consisting of Thomas McLuskie, Kevin Martin, Fionn Innes, Rhiain Flaherty, Connall Reid and Paul Hamilton.

Scottish Global Game Jam Sites!

It’s January, and that means that the Global Game Jam is upon us once again! Scotland plays host to a number of sites in a few different locations, so if you’re interested in taking part, be it to further your skills, develop new ones or just meet others interested in making games then do try get along to one.

IGDA Scotland will also be hosting our Play Parties in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee in association with We Throw Switches early in February, so please bring what you’ve made and have fun!

Here are some details about Global Game Jam sites this year:

Dundee

Abertay Game Lab – Abertay Uni

Abertay’s Game Lab will be hosting a GGJ site in celebration of their 20 years in games education.The site will have some equipment available to participants, but ask that jammers try to bring their own to avoid disappointment.

Tickets are currently available for students or invited non-students here.

Makerspace

The Dundee Makerspace will also be hosting a GGJ site. It is open to anyone who is 18+ years old. They are currently looking for sponsors to help pay for food for jammers, and encourages participants to bring their own equipment where possible. They also have on-site equipment such as 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters and soldering tools for those looking to make a physical game.

Tickets are available here.

Edinburgh

Napier University

The Napier University Game Dev Society’s site is open to anyone over 18 years old, or over 16 if you are in college or university. They have some equipment available at the campus and will be providing food, but recommend people bring their own laptops to be safe. This site is also looking for some sponsorship.

More details here.

Napier are also hoping to livestream the site on Twitch here

Glasgow

Glasgow Caledonian Uni

Last but by no means least, Glasgow Caledonian Uni will be hosting their annual GGJ site in the Saltire Centre at the university.

They will be hosting about 200 jammers, a mix of students, industry professionals and keen amateurs. Alongside the jam, some documentarians will be making a short film to be shown at the end of the jam. Finally, a relaxation area with games will be provided by We Throw Switches.

Tickets are currently sold out, but a waiting list may be available. For more details head here.

Adrienne Shaw Special Event Video

At the start of August we had the great honour of hosting an event with Adrienne Shaw, thanks to the generosity of the IGDA Foundation.

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Adrienne is an Assistant Professor in Temple University’s Department of Media Studies and Production, a member of the School of Media and Communication graduate faculty, and author of Gaming at the Edge: Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture. Her current primary project is the LGBTQ Game Archive.
Adrienne discussed her book – Gaming at the Edge – as well as her new project, LGBTQ Video Game Archive.

Thank you to everyone who came along, we hope you all enjoyed the talk as much as we did.

In case you weren’t able to come along, you can watch a recording right here.
Thank you again to the IGDA Foundation and Abertay University.

Watch the video recording of Adrienne’s talk.

With thanks to Jason Hadlow and Ross Brydon for filming and editing.

Shahid Ahmad Talk – Recap

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On the 24th May we were delighted to welcome Shahid Ahmad to Dundee, where he gave an inspirational talk about his phenomenal career in games and shared his advice for both established and aspiring game developers.

Shahid gave a heartfelt talk about his years in the industry, explaining how his fascination with early game consoles inspired him to learn programming at a young age in order to make his own games. Shahid talks about the love he had for programming at this time, and how it enabled him to maintain a degree of control in amidst childhood situations which were ultimately uncontrollable. After establishing himself as a talented game developer Shahid eventually moved to Playstation, where he worked as a Developer Relations Manager, spending many successful years meeting with developers and securing games for the platform. The talk was filled with anecdotal examples of Shahid’s own experience, which danced between both the comical and the heart-wrenching. Using standout moments from his career, Shahid shared his practical advice in regards to success, reputation and pitching, from the point of view of someone who has lived, learned and evolved during their career.

Shahid spoke candidly about his own ‘mistakes’ during his career and shared the wisdom that followed. For instance, the necessity to be nice and respectful when talking with peers and clients, to be able to deliver on the promises you make, and to allow yourself to evolve with the ever changing circumstances of life in order to be the best you can be.

We want to thank Shahid for sharing with us his invaluable experience and providing us with a wonderfully entertaining talk. We’d also like to thank our partners for this event; Abertay University and Henderson Loggie.

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AGM and Pub Quiz!

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As the year starts to wrap up for the holidays, and as our ongoing Board of Directors elections draw to a close, you’re invited to join us at our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 25th November from 19:30 at South Tay Superstore in Dundee. Here we will announce our new Board Members as well as reflect on what our community has accomplished over the course of the last year.

This year we will also be doing a special game-themed pub quiz, so dig deep on all that obscure video-game knowledge you’ve been keeping up your sleeves for just such an occasion. Tickets for the quiz are limited, however tickets to the event are not! So even if you don’t get to join in the quiz you can still come along to the Superstore and play on some of their old retro consoles or ping-pong table.

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Just like any of our other events, the AGM is open to anybody interested in game development in Scotland. You’re a part of the wider community, whether you’re an IGDA member or not, so we heartily encourage you to come along, share your views and have an impact.

Tickets are available here.

Tickets for the quiz are free on Eventbrite with the understanding of £2 to participate on the night. Winners of the quiz gets the pot!

 

Remembering Stew Hogarth

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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of local game designer Stew Hogarth at age 34 on the morning of the 15th September 2015 after a lifelong battle with congenital heart disease. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and his wife Inez at this difficult time.

You are invited to join us for a celebration of his life at 13:15 on Wednesday 23rd September 2015 at St. Columba’s Roman Catholic Church, Derwent Avenue, Dundee, DD3 0BE followed by a reception at the Invercarse Hotel.

Smiling Bag Games

Stew was widely known and much loved within the Scottish game development community. After graduating from Abertay University in 2004, he worked for local studios Denki and Chunk before founding his own studio Smiling Bag Games to work on independent projects and game jams. However you knew Stew, we thoroughly encourage you to seek out and play his games or read his blog.

Freeman Heart and Lung Transplant Association

His family have requested that any donations in Stew’s name be made to The Freeman Heart & Lung Transplant Association (Registered Charity 1157894) during the memorial service, or online via JustGiving; in recognition for all the help and hope they have given Stew over the last few years. As of writing, the campaign has already raised over £2,000 to support transplant patients in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

You can find more news coverage of Stew’s passing online on Gamasutra and Develop.

On a final and personal note, I’d like to thank Stew for repeatedly reminding me that your health need not get in the way of being creative or making games. It doesn’t have to take over your life and “it doesn’t control you”. I only wish I could have told him the difference he has made myself.