Hosting the “Global Game Jam” (GGJ), the world’s largest and most comprehensive game development event, for the fourth time, the Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKÜ) Zeugma Game Technologies and Gamification Center (ZOOM) contributes to the productivity of the digital game industry as the only game center hosting the GGJ in the Southeastern Anatolia Region.
HKÜ, which aims to carry out work that shapes the digital game industry, hosted the GGJ for the fourth time. The marathon, in which participants develop games on campus each year for 48 hours without sleeping, working continuously in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation within the scope of themes determined by the Global Game Jam (GGJ), was held this year via video conference due to the pandemic. Interest in the online game development marathon was once again intense this year.
This Time the Theme of the GGJ Was “Lost&Found”
The theme of this year’s GGJ, held for the fourth time under the host of Hasan Kalyoncu University and attended by students from many universities across Turkey, was “Lost&Found.” Gathering through an online conference, the game developers created various games according to the determined theme.
70 People, 15 Teams, 15 Games
Held via video conference, the Global Game Jam ’21 began with the panel “Developments in the Game Industry.” At the event, where solidarity and collaboration came to the fore alongside expert mentors in the field, 15 games were produced by 15 teams composed of 70 people. At the event, where some of the games that professionals create and use in their working lives were demonstrated in practice, participants gained insight into how they should develop their own competencies.
At the end of the sleepless 48 hours, the game developers presented the games they had produced online. HKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli, who attended the presentation program, said: “The digital computer games industry has become an important sector for the development of countries. Its export potential is very high. For this reason, especially within our computer and software engineering programs, we at HKÜ also aim to train graduates who are well-suited and well-equipped for this sector, and this is why we attach importance to platforms such as the GGJ. Our expectation from game developers is that they design games that not only sell and are played widely, but that also steer players toward production rather than consumption—games that develop the player, make them think, guide them toward goodness, and cultivate the mind. The fact that this year’s GGJ was held within the scope of such a theme has made us even happier.” He then announced the teams that placed first, second, and third in the GGJ.
At GGJ ’21, the team “Team of Great Guys” placed first with its game about a man searching for his lost sibling; the team “AnCrown” placed second with its game about a man searching for his lost belongings; and the team “Dimensions” placed third with its game about a child searching for his lost mother.
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