The availability and popularity of video games has grown to become a global phenomenon in recent years. In spring 2020, gaming quickly emerged as one of the most popular activities during the initial outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic as user engagement and spending surged between February and April of that year. Especially younger generations Gen Z and Millennials spent more time on gaming as the medium was a convenient way to spend time during initial stay at home orders, lockdowns, and social distancing.
The video game industry is flourishing, which is not only a boon to gamers, but also to those who are interested in a career in developing games.
Many years of training and development experience are needed to take a video game from its initial concept to a market-ready product. The work can be challenging, but also exciting and highly rewarding, particularly for those who wish to combine their technical acumen with creative license. Video game development is a field in which STEM students may find ample opportunity for success.
Every game starts with an idea, but nurturing a concept is by no means a simple task. The ideation process can involve brainstorming ideas, creating sketches or prototypes to test those ideas, and evolving or streamlining an idea as needed. Ideation may begin with one person having a “light bulb moment,” arriving at what they think is a winning premise. Typically, however, a full team of developers is involved in shepherding a gaming idea through to the next steps.
Since 2020 in the Swedish region of Värmland an original project started, giving the possibility to game developers to work together with practitioners coming from other sectors: artists, storytellers, graphic designers and more. “The Great Journey” is a community-based project where Game makers have the possibility to developer new digital games in close cooperation with people coming from diverse creative sectors.
“The Great Journey” offers to a community of more than 350 people the opportunity to participate in lectures and workshops around meaningful topics, during a weekly event where students and indie studios get to work with the various aspects of game creation.
“The Great Journey” organizes periodically Game Jams where practitioners coming from different field work together during a 3-day event, generating new ideas in a stimulating environment made up of people from different fields of the creative sector.
Read more about The Great Journey: https://www.thegreatjourney.se/
Written by Francesca Olivier, Changemaker