The digital landscapes of the future will take center stage at Niagara College’s highly anticipated Game Development Launch on the evening of Wednesday, April 1.
Industry and community alike will have a unique opportunity to play-test more than a dozen original student-created games.
Students created the games during a three-month production sprint which began in January, following a pre-production phase last fall. They worked in teams of eight to 10 -mimicking real-world studio environments – combining the talents of programmers, environment designers, and audio engineers.
“This year represents one of our best-ever classes of games,” says Conor MacNeill, Program Coordinator. “The feedback from our recent play-tests was incredibly positive, and these students are now in the final stage of ‘polishing’ their titles for the big stage.”
The GD Launch is not only a showcase, it’s a recruitment hub. Representatives from global powerhouses like Ubisoft and Electronic Arts (EA), alongside Niagara-based indie studios, will be in attendance to scout the next generation of talent.
In addition to proving their technical skills, students have prepared “elevator pitches” for industry pros, some of whom have hired Niagara graduates directly from the floor of earlier launch events, noted MacNeill.
The evening will conclude with an award ceremony that will recognize students from all game programs for academic excellence. Spirit awards will also be presented – a top honor, recognizing students who embody the collaboration and positive team chemistry essential to the gaming industry.
The annual invitation-only event has been going strong since 2015 as a “warm-up” for the prestigious Level Up competition in Toronto.
