Gotland Game Awards is a yearly event where the game students at Gotland University present and exhibit the games they have produced during the year. The games are evaluated by an invited jury where the majority with members from various game production companies (this year from Starbreeze, Streamline, PixelTamer, Avalanche, Deadline Games, 3 Lives Left, JadeStone, Funcom, TripWire, Avaloop, Crytek). The winners get fame/money/stuff/travels/thing-to-put-in-shelf.
The competing games: http://www.hgo.se/gga/
The cornerstone of GGA is to focus the attention on the work of the students. Ie, instead of the students listening and learning they get a highly competent jury who focuses on the students work, creating a space for discussion that pointedly is about learning from the specific (the produced game) rather than from abstract principles.
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The first day of GGA the students presented their games for the audience, in 10 – 20 minutes time slots.
A presenter
An audience
Link to more pictures of presentations.
The second day of GGA was playtime. The games were exhibited in the new congress center.
A game being played
Link to more pictures from the game show
In the evening: Awards Ceremony.
In the night: Celebration!
But I was too busy celebrating for taking pictures. Needless to say I had a blast during the whole event. Having been at USCS in California for most part of the previous year it was such a joy to visit and meet all the ones I missed, and to get this warm glowing feeling of pride seeing the work of the students (not that I can claim any of that pride whatsoever, but I can’t deny having that glowing feeling).
Link the 261 the photographs I took during GGALinks to other blogs about GGA:
Ernest Adams: post on The Designer’s Notebook
Gorm Lai: post on I love it, I feel like Sisyphus
Jasmine Ortbandt: post on Jasmine O’s Webworld
Tobias Lundmark: photos at Through the Looking Glass
The Winners
Catagory:
The Red Cross Antidiscrimination Bureau Sponsored prize:
The Award for for Human Rights and Antidiscrimination
2 winners: Monks of Sangrrael & Insats Afrika
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Catagory:
The Almedalen Library Award
winners: Fairytale
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Catagory:
JADE Project Award
winners: Fairytale
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Catagory:
Best Presentation
winners: In Other Words
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Catagory:
Best Serious Game
winners: Gamerider
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Catagory:
Best CG Animation - Theme Park
winners: In Harmony with Nature
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Catagory:
Best CG Animation - Commercial
winners: Wacom in Motion
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Catagory:
Best Cinematic - Open and Invitational
winners: Perfekt
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Catagory:
Alumni of the Year Award
winner: Anders Ekermo
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Catagory:
Best Arcade Game - Theme Park
winners: Deep Ocean
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Catagory:
Best Game - Big Game Project
winners: Planetaria
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Catagory:
Best Game - Open and Invitational
winners: Dark Room
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Catagory:
Best at show all catagories
winners: Vertigo
