A TEAM of students has saved the world from Donald Trump – in a computer game at least.
The five sixth formers transformed the American presidential hopeful into a scary alien-like monster in a format they created during Priestley College’s annual ‘Game Jam.’
“We definitely drew on what we have seen on the news,” said team leader Connlan Omeara, a former pupil at St Greg’s RC High School.
“In our game you get to destroy Donald Trump and we have really enjoyed thinking of the idea and getting it through to this stage.”
Priestley’s BTEC Level 3 Computer Game Design students spent a week developing ideas and creating their games.
It is the second year Priestley has staged its own game jam – a method that is used in the industry and led to the creation of some of the world’s most popular games.
The young designers were given four starting points: What would _____ do? Over the Garden Fence. This isn’t how it happened in the book. Whatever is written on your t-shirt.
From these starting points they were on their own. With little assistance from teachers, they were asked to put the skills and knowledge they had collected on their BTEC Level 3 course to good use.
BAFTA-nominated Niall Taylor from Torque Studios oversaw the process with Priestley Tutor Matthew Wilson.
“The game jam will give the students a sense of what they want to go on to do after college,” said Niall.
“They put together their teams based on the different skills they each have and what is needed to put together a successful game.”
The results were impressive with each game very different both in terms of story and playing style. They have now been launched and already have several hundred downloads between them.
One of the cheekier games challenges players to ‘catch’ books being pushed off a shelf by a naked granny with the idea of preventing her from being fully revealed.
Matthew said the jam was all about generating ideas and stretching the students’ capabilities.
“A lot of major games on the market today started in this way and it was so successful in Priestley last year that we had to give it another go,” he said.
The games produced by Priestley students are now available at www.priestleycgd.itch.io and more of their work available at www.cgdwarrior.co.uk
