Student game developers continue collaboration beyond uni
Transcript
Ocean the lab they still need you the ocean is waiting Harry you know what must be done
The mission: to create an antidote to cure the ocean of toxic waste while avoiding mutated sea creatures.
That’s the storyline of a new 3D game called Outer Ridge developed by Digital Media and Information Technology students as part of two interdisciplinary courses at CQUniversity – Game Design and Game Development.
And the team behind this game has continued their relationship beyond their course establishing a game development group, Abyssal Shrimp Studios – a name they derived from the group’s inaugural members’ given names with the help of artificial intelligence.
The group has since recruited new members and last week entered a global game development competition Crazy Web Game Jam 2024.
Outer Ridge was one of four games produced as part of the CQUniversity courses, all receiving high praise from CQUniversity lecturer Jim Picton.
“Considering these games have been put together in 12 weeks … it’s pretty mind blowing,” Mr Picton said.
“The games speak volumes about the quality of student engagement in the courses and the abilities of students in both our Bachelor of Digital Media and Bachelor of Information Technology degrees.”
Outer Ridge began as the brainchild of Digital Media student Domonique Schmid and was developed further with team members Brendan Wilson (Digital Media) and Joshua White (Information Technology).
“The prototype of our game development project began as a 2D pixel game but later we tried out Voxel art, a type of art form where 3D models are constructed entirely out of 3D pixels called voxels,” she explained.
“With the help of three new team members, Ashton Cartner (Digital Media), Anmol Saru Magar (Infortmation Technology) and Jared Williams (Information Technology), Outer Ridge grew into a full-blown 3D game which in the end had to be posted as a downloadable.”
Mr Picton said: “With their eyes set on entering the global game development competition Crazy Web Game Jam 2024, the team grew to 12 members!”
Abyssal Shrimp Studios now consists of Bachelor of Digital Media students: Domonique Schmid (Manager, Concept Artist), Brendan Wilson and Samantha Hayhoe (Marketing), Mason Carden, Jacob Attiwell and Amanda Windsor (Visual Artists), Kayla Johnson (Animator) and Luke Pelaez (Programmer); as well as Bachelor of Information Technology students: Joshua White (Producer and Lead Programmer), Matthew Irwin and Hughen Flint (Programmers), and Jared Williams (Lead Artist).
Mr Picton said the Game Development course this year focused on ‘Games for Social Change’, tapping into the United Nations Sustainability Goals and mirroring one of the University’s core pillars.
“These units have gone from strength to strength each year. Besides the ‘cool’ factor of making games, these courses are unique as they are one of the only opportunities for students from different disciplines to work together collaboratively on assessable and enjoyable projects.
“Game design and development dances the line between creativity and technology, so there is something to interest all of my students.”
