NEWSROOM
Game-jammers invent new games together
18 August 2022
The University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) recently hosted Kiwijam at its innovation hub and maker space, Unleash Space, for their Auckland annual in-person game-jam. This year’s theme ‘Together’ was in reaction to the isolation people have experienced during the pandemic.
Set up by industry Pillar Award Winner Ben Kenobi, a board member of the NZ Game Developers Association, newcomers and veteran game-jammers are invited to form teams to create a digital or board game around a common theme in 48 hours. Participants work against the clock to push through each stage of development, from the initial concept to the final marketing.
Kiwijam is for anyone with an interest in making games. Participants are invited to join as individuals and form teams at the event and don’t necessarily need previous experience or game development skills.
Event organiser Zac Miller-Waugh says, “After a few years of being separated from friends and family, we wanted to celebrate being together. This year we had a huge number of new participants who had never made a game before.”
Kiwijam is supported by industry professionals who join as participants and mentor first timers. Participants included staff from Synty, a game development studio, as well as some people from smaller indie studios and other software-related industries.
Unleash Space Coordinator, and Kiwijam participant Hayden Moore says, “I love seeing how game ideas evolve over time. At the start of the jam when teams are forming, it’s chaos. Everyone is talking and ideas are being shared. When people click, they stick together and form a team and, slowly, more people tack on. The idea you start with is never the game you end up with.”
Moore says the ‘Together’ theme this year saw the creation of many collaborative games where two players had to work together to achieve a shared goal. “One group made a game where a player navigated to a goal using only their hearing through headphones and the haptic feedback of a controller. There was no visual component to the game.”
Moore’s team made a game with a physical and digital component. One player had to communicate what they were seeing on a laser-projected maze map to another player who was controlling a mouse in the maze.
He says, “A highlight for me was the skill diversity of our team and seeing all our contributions come together to make something amazing that we couldn’t have created alone. It was awesome when we finally got the code, the art, the sound and the hardware working together.”
Recent estimates put the New Zealand game industry’s worth at more than $300 million. Miller-Waugh says, “I’d love to see more support for aspiring game developers in the same way the film industry supports indie filmmakers. There’s some real talent in the New Zealand game development scene, and I’d love to see it continue to flourish.”
18 August 2022
The University of Auckland Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) recently hosted Kiwijam at its innovation hub and maker space, Unleash Space, for their Auckland annual in-person game-jam. This year’s theme ‘Together’ was in reaction to the isolation people have experienced during the pandemic.
Set up by industry Pillar Award Winner Ben Kenobi, a board member of the NZ Game Developers Association, newcomers and veteran game-jammers are invited to form teams to create a digital or board game around a common theme in 48 hours. Participants work against the clock to push through each stage of development, from the initial concept to the final marketing.
Kiwijam is for anyone with an interest in making games. Participants are invited to join as individuals and form teams at the event and don’t necessarily need previous experience or game development skills.
Event organiser Zac Miller-Waugh says, “After a few years of being separated from friends and family, we wanted to celebrate being together. This year we had a huge number of new participants who had never made a game before.”
Kiwijam is supported by industry professionals who join as participants and mentor first timers. Participants included staff from Synty, a game development studio, as well as some people from smaller indie studios and other software-related industries.
Unleash Space Coordinator, and Kiwijam participant Hayden Moore says, “I love seeing how game ideas evolve over time. At the start of the jam when teams are forming, it’s chaos. Everyone is talking and ideas are being shared. When people click, they stick together and form a team and, slowly, more people tack on. The idea you start with is never the game you end up with.”
Moore says the ‘Together’ theme this year saw the creation of many collaborative games where two players had to work together to achieve a shared goal. “One group made a game where a player navigated to a goal using only their hearing through headphones and the haptic feedback of a controller. There was no visual component to the game.”
Moore’s team made a game with a physical and digital component. One player had to communicate what they were seeing on a laser-projected maze map to another player who was controlling a mouse in the maze.
He says, “A highlight for me was the skill diversity of our team and seeing all our contributions come together to make something amazing that we couldn’t have created alone. It was awesome when we finally got the code, the art, the sound and the hardware working together.”
Recent estimates put the New Zealand game industry’s worth at more than $300 million. Miller-Waugh says, “I’d love to see more support for aspiring game developers in the same way the film industry supports indie filmmakers. There’s some real talent in the New Zealand game development scene, and I’d love to see it continue to flourish.”
EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND
