Newtownabbey students to showcase skills at NI Game Jam

The NI Student Game Jam will take place between Monday, October 24 and Wednesday, October 26.

The online event is aimed at students attending a FE college or university in Northern Ireland and is billed as ‘must attend’ for any serious gamers currently doing a BTEC, HND/C or degree course.

All second-year students doing the Level 3 Digital Games and Virtual Reality Development course at Northern Regional College’s Coleraine and Newtownabbey campuses have registered for the Student Game Jam.

Teams will be given a theme to base their game idea around, with teams uploading their game to The Pixel Mill Itch.io page.

The games industry is a significant growth area in Northern Ireland and the many opportunities for careers in games development will be showcased during the NI Student Game Jam.

Northern Ireland Screen and Belfast-based Pixel Mill are working together to deliver the event which is an excellent way for up-and-coming game developers to meet those leading the way in the local games industry, as well as other students that share their passion for gaming.

Curriculum Area Manager at Northern Regional College, Frankie McEldowney, explained that participating teams will be given a theme to base their game idea around and will have two days to develop their game and upload it to The Pixel Mill Itch.io page.

He said: “It will be up to the teams to decide which game genre or platform to use. Teams can use or build on something they have started producing in class, or they can create something from scratch. The aim of Game Jam is really to help generate new ideas.

“While the event will be held remotely, the college teams will be based in our Coleraine and Newtownabbey campuses where they will have access to all the facilities they require.

“After teams submit their game ideas, they will have an opportunity to present it to the panel made up of industry professionals and seek feedback. Some of Northern Ireland’s most notable games projects were born out of previous Game Jams.”

Andy Anderson, Digital Games lecturer at Northern Regional College added: “The Northern Ireland Student Game Jam is a great opportunity for students to network and get involved with Industry Professionals as well as working together in teams developing skills they can take into Industry. I’m delighted with the level of interest our students have shown in this year’s event.”

Video games are big business. The global gaming industry is on an upward trajectory and is expected to be worth $326 billion by 2026. According to Ofcom, and the UK games industry, 62 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom played computer games last year.

There are around 25 video game development companies currently operating in Northern Ireland, and collectively they contribute millions to the local economy.

For information on Creative Media courses available at Northern Regional College, check out www.nrc.ac.uk