Gaming development is a way for students to express themselves through planning, design, art, programming and creativity. From Nov. 14-16, the Game Development Club hosted a GAME Jam session at the Andersen Library in room 1230. The event was open to club members and other students who are passionate about game development.
“We usually host about two a semester, and it’s an event where all sorts of people who are interested in game development come together,” secretary Drew Schnieder said. “Essentially, the idea is that students have a limited amount of time in order to make a game.”
The students get 48 hours to create a game on a voted topic, learning how to create a game from start to finish. The event gives them a chance to show off their skills, practice and work with other students. It is also a great opportunity for students to relax and partake in something new. The voted topic was Pick Your Poison, that means the students have to code and publish a game that revolves with the character making choices with bad outcomes. It makes it a fun experience and a challenge towards the students who are learning more of the gaming background, it gives them the chance to show off their storytelling skills and the creativity that comes with it.
The Game Development Club also goes two major events in the year: the Midwest Gaming Classic and the Game Developers Conference (GDC).
“The Midwest Gaming Classic is a big event that happens in Madison,” treasurer Kain Brandt said. “It recognizes all sorts of games from when they first came out, like Pong, all the way to board games, card games and modern stuff like the indie games. The most important thing that it does for us is we usually have a booth for the Game Club.”
The GDC is where game developers of the business-to-business industry meet up and discuss the future of game development of design, coding, publishing, marketing and investment. This annual event is held in San Francisco.
The most important thing about the club is that it gives the students at UW-Whitewater a chance to try something new and to connect with others who are passionate about gaming, bringing them into a new side of the gaming world.
