The First Romanian Academic Game Jam – The Systematization of the Working Process

Authors

  • Diana Dragomir Animation and Interactivity Department, I.L. Caragiale UNATC, Bucharest, Romania Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37130/qbmz8z85

Keywords:

game jam, game industry, game teaching universities, UNATC’s Art of Game Design Program, March 2024 – First Romanian Academic Game Jam

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the process of turning a public event such as a game jam into a formal one. Preceded by a short history and definitions around this term, specific rules and methods are presented. It also explains the importance of establishing gaming events such as game jams at the heart of the academic medium, thereby bringing students, teachers and professional game developers together at the same table. Furthermore, the research of this process is directed towards the context of the Romanian gaming industry and the game curriculum offered by universities. The range of offers in the Romanian academic gaming landscape is still barren compared to the industry’s present-day development and its growing requirements. Thus, any initiative in this framework represents a step forward in developing a strong scholarly collective not just for the formation of the students, but also for improving the quality and originality of future games. From every angle one may look at the situation, these events could be a key that unlocks a myriad of doors.

Author Biography

  • Diana Dragomir, Animation and Interactivity Department, I.L. Caragiale UNATC, Bucharest, Romania

    Diana Dragomir is Lecturer PhD, co-ordinator and founding member (2018) of the first game design master in Romania: Art of Game Design in the Animation and Interactivity Department of I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film, Bucharest. The master was nominated in 2023 at the Romanian Game Awards as one of the best educational programmes in the field of video games. Diana graduated the same university and received her bachelor degree in Audiovisual Communication with a dystopian feature-length screenplay and studied at the Dramatic Writing Master where she researched and wrote about dystopian theatre. She continued her doctoral studies in Theatre and Performing Arts where she discovered the world of games and pedagogy. From the portfolio of courses taught in the same university we can list: Screenwriting, Game Design, Narrative Structures for Digital Media, Video Game History/Game as Total Form of Art. Diana is an event organizer who creates bridges between academia and the gaming industry: among masterclasses, interviews and workshops with guest professionals from the industry, she managed to organize the first Romanian Academic Game Jam in 2024. She is among the first authors to write about video games in Romania: De la teatru la jocuri video. Structuri narative digitale (Editura Universitara, 2018). Her artistic projects complement the academic research from the same area of interest and we can mention: Generation 200 (interactive telematic theatre performance, directed by Marina Hanganu) and DreamTech, an interactive fiction for the phone

References

Börjesson, S., Fredberg, T. (2003) “Jam Sessions for Collaborative Management Research” in Collaborative Research in Organizations, Foundations for Learning, Change and Theoretical Development, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, Ca. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412983679.n8

Fowler, A., Khosmood, F. (2023) Game Jams: History, Technology, and Organisation, Springer https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15187-3

Fowler, A., Khosmood, F., Arya A., Lai G. (2013) “Global Game Jam for Teaching” at Proceedings of the 4th Annual Conference of Computing and Information Technology Research and Education New Zealand.

Kultima, A. (2015) “Defining Game Jam” in 10th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games.

Locke, R., Parker, L., Galloway, D., Sloan, R. (2015) “The Game Jam Movement: Disruption, Performance and Artwork” in Proceedings of the 2015 Workshop on Game Jams, Hackathons and Game Creation Events.

Smith, P.A., Bowers, C. (2016) “Improving Social Skills through Game Jam Participation” at International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons, and Game Creation Events https://doi.org/10.1145/2897167.2897172

https://www.romaniapozitiva.ro/bucuresti/game-jam-maraton-de-dezvoltare-de-jocuri-video-pentru-cei-pasionati-de-industria-de-gaming/ (Accessed: 2 August 2024).

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Published

2024-12-18

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 2 (2024): Issues of Reception in Greek Theatre / AI and Interactive Technologies in Art Practices, Research, and Education / Film and Theatre Pedagogy

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Dragomir, D. (2024). The First Romanian Academic Game Jam – The Systematization of the Working Process. CONCEPT, 29(2), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.37130/qbmz8z85