Syracuse University’s Bird Library will host Global Game Jam® (#SUGGJ18), the world’s largest game jam (game creation) event, on the weekend of January 26- 28, 2018. University and community members are invited to create and pitch new game ideas to the global community in a hackathon-style environment. This year, Syracuse University is expected to join 700 locations in 95 countries in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Global Game Jam.
#SUGGJ18 begins Friday, January 26 at 4 p.m. in the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library, which will serve as the hospitality suite. The kick-off will include a short video keynote and the announcement of this year’s theme.
Event hours will be:
- Friday, January 26 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday, January 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with final pitches that afternoon to game industry experts
Jammers who are interested in video games and streaming, web-based, or iOS / Android games, tabletop games, or board games, can compete to design innovative game concepts over a food-fueled weekend. Software and other tools like 3D printing will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their laptops. No coding skills are required to participate but some basic design and software skills are helpful.
Learn more about the event and register at http://gamejam.syr.edu/. There is a nominal registration fee, and seating is limited, so participants are encouraged to apply early. Jammers must be over 18 or accompanied by a parent or guardian.
#SUGGJ18 at Bird Library brings together two SU Libraries programs, the Digital Scholarship Space (DSS) and the Blackstone LaunchPad. It is also sponsored by the VPA Transmedia Computer Art and Animation program, the iSchool, the Department of English, and Syracuse University ITS.
DSS is a project by Syracuse University ITS that provides students and faculty access to a variety of technologies for software design, gaming, data visualization, digital humanities projects, and digital mapping. Located in Bird Library, DSS serves both students and scholars. It features a computer lab to facilitate the development of interactive, immersive, and mobile applications, projects, and games on emerging technologies and systems including virtual, mixed, and augmented reality platforms. It is home of the Game Lab to support courses and research on digital and analog games, both for in-class usage and to be available during “open lab” hours for students, faculty, and staff. It is accessible and available to faculty, students, and staff from all departments, colleges, and schools across Syracuse University campus, and staffed by graduate students.
The Blackstone LaunchPad at Bird Library is an experiential learning resource center connects Syracuse University’s rich innovation ecosystem with a global network that provides support for aspiring entrepreneurs. The LaunchPad offers one-stop connections, coaching and mentoring, along with specialized tools and training to help get startups off the ground and scale.
More information about the global activities can be found at http://globalgamejam.org/