CAT students take part in Global Game Jam

^{By: Mark Reyes, Newswriting Intern                      communications@bloomfield.edu} 

Creative Arts and Technology (CAT) students from Bloomfield College participated in the seventh-annual Global Game Jam, a worldwide festival held Jan. 23-25 at Branchburg, N.J.’s Raritan Valley Community College.

The junior college served as one of the 518 sites across the globe, with 78 countries hosting the event. The 65 participants in attendance worked through the duration of the festivities, even sleeping on site to create video game experiences in the mold of the event’s theme, “What do we do now?” In total, the teams were able to create 17 games during the festivities.

“The event was very fun and a great place for me to challenge myself and learn new techniques along side other programmers,” said Bloomfield student Nicholas Forrester. “Global Game Jam is great for anyone who wants to create or design a video game.”

Global Game Jam is a volunteer-run organization that was founded in 2009. Since, the organization has seen this signature event expand to incredible heights. This year the event drew over 25,000 people around the world.

“The jam is known for helping foster new friendships and increase confidence and opportunities within local communities,” said Assistant Professor of Game Design Tom Toynton. “The Jam is also a great intellectual challenge. People are encouraged to explore new technology tools, try on new roles in development and test their skills to do something that requires them to design, develop, create, test and make a new game in the time span of 48 hours.”

Students from Bloomfield’s video game design program were challenged to take their talents to a different level while learning new technical skills. The weekend affair provided a great opportunity for them to work with their classmates to create appealing content for the gaming festival.

With their trip made possible by Bloomfield’s Annual Co-Curricular Innovation Grant, students were able to work alongside other undergraduates and faculty from Rutgers University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, The College of New Jersey and Raritan Valley, creating a collaborative environment filled with cross-team support and innovation.

When the weekend came to a close, each team had their creations uploaded to the Jam’s official website (globalgamejam.org/2015/games), where anyone can share and play with people around the world. The students were more than grateful for the opportunity to partake in the event.

“The event is always a great experience. You get to make games and meet new people,” said student C.J. Foreman. “My knowledge improved by understanding the concepts learned in class, and learning more as I applied them.”

To learn more about Bloomfield’s Division of Creative Arts & Technology, visit bloomfield.edu/academics/degrees-programs/creative-arts-technology.

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