21. June '23
In a spacious, modern office with high ceilings and exposed beams, a group of people from Hochschule Coburg sit on deck chairs and bean bags. They smile and wave at the camera, enjoying a relaxed gathering that embodies the institution’s spirit of camaraderie and innovation.
In a spacious, modern office with high ceilings and exposed beams, a group of people from Hochschule Coburg sit on deck chairs and bean bags. They smile and wave at the camera, enjoying a relaxed gathering that embodies the institution's spirit of camaraderie and innovation.
A room featuring a large screen displaying a retro video game map, with oversized game controller tables in front. To the right is an arcade machine labeled “GAMESFACTORY,” and a laptop on a table in the background, reminiscent of workshops at Hochschule Coburg.
A room featuring a large screen displaying a retro video game map, with oversized game controller tables in front. To the right is an arcade machine labeled "GAMESFACTORY," and a laptop on a table in the background, reminiscent of workshops at Hochschule Coburg.
Three people sit at desks working on computers in a bright office space with white walls and beams, reminiscent of Hochschule Coburg’s modern design. One person wears a black shirt with a red logo. The monitors display colorful graphics and code.
Three people sit at desks working on computers in a bright office space with white walls and beams, reminiscent of Hochschule Coburg's modern design. One person wears a black shirt with a red logo. The monitors display colorful graphics and code.
A person in a gray t-shirt plays on a wooden arcade machine adorned with various colorful stickers, including fruits and a rubber duck. The top, featuring “GAMESFACTORY” in red letters, hints at its origins from Hochschule Coburg’s design workshop.
A person in a gray t-shirt plays on a wooden arcade machine adorned with various colorful stickers, including fruits and a rubber duck. The top, featuring "GAMESFACTORY" in red letters, hints at its origins from Hochschule Coburg's design workshop.
At the Hochschule Coburg arcade corner, a person is engrossed in a video game on a vintage wooden “Games Factory” machine. The screen bursts with vibrant graphics depicting an action-packed forest scene, while the player remains fully absorbed in mastering the controls.
At the Hochschule Coburg arcade corner, a person is engrossed in a video game on a vintage wooden "Games Factory" machine. The screen bursts with vibrant graphics depicting an action-packed forest scene, while the player remains fully absorbed in mastering the controls.
Within 36 hours, students and staff from the Faculties of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Design developed four video games: Coburg University of Applied Sciences’ first Gamesfactory Game Jam in the Alte Kühlhalle was great fun – and a successful example of the practical application of teaching content as well as interdisciplinary collaboration.
The games had to fit in with the retro theme and be able to run on the arcade machine. This was built especially for the Game Jam in collaboration between CREAPOLIS and the Computer Science, Visual Computing and Interior Design courses. The teams had 36 hours. There were no further specifications. The groups had every opportunity to be creative and play around with different ideas and technologies. The groups consisted of 20 students and staff from the Faculties of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Design and developed four video games. The work on them was found to be very entertaining – the Game Jam itself became a bit of a game.
During these hours in the Alte Kühlhalle, what the US game designer Jane McGonigal says about games came to life: “Games make us happy because they are hard work that we choose for ourselves, and it turns out that almost nothing makes us happier than good, hard work.” (Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World). The application of teaching content and interdisciplinary collaboration were implemented in a playful way. The Game Jam is therefore to be further expanded and established as a permanent format at the university. And the arcade machine will now be on display from time to time so that the games developed can be tried out. So that everyone can try them out – even without the machine – they will also be posted on itch.io in a timely manner.
The organizing team and participants would like to thank the following companies/people, without whom the Game Jam would not have been possible to this extent:
- marcapo GmbH
- PVA SPA Software Entwicklungs GmbH
- e.solutions GmbH
- Strobel advertising agency
- Coburg kebab house
- CREAPOLIS
- Carl Baetjer (Arcade machine construction – senior lecturer in interior design)
- Pascal Förtsch (Arcade machine configuration – research assistant in computer science)
- Katharina Bork (Design Sticker – Visual Computing student)
