Global Game Jam returns to Green Bay bigger than ever
Annual international event challenges veteran and amateur developers to create games in 48 hours
From January 26-28, 2024, Green Bay will again host a site for the Global Game Jam (GGJ). In this annual international event, developers and enthusiasts of all skill levels collaborate to make original games over 48 hours. Last year, the site was the largest in Wisconsin. At this time, Green Bay is the largest site in the United States with over fifty registered participants.
Organizing his seventh GGJ site, E-Line Media Principal Engineer Ben Geisler brings veteran game developer experience and creative edge to each event. “I work with a team of game developers of all disciplines: art, programming, audio, design, writing,” he states. “So much of what we do is captured in these game jams. It’s here that we learn how to work with people with diverse approaches and perspectives.” E-Line Media, publisher of the award winning “Never Alone,” is a major sponsor this year, sending six professional developers from across the country to join in the jam.
Also sponsoring the event will be the Greater Green Bay Chamber and The Urban Hub in downtown Green Bay, which will host the jam site. The Green Bay site is being sponsored and held at the Urban Hub, a coworking and programming space for creative entrepreneurs. “We are thrilled to again partner with the Urban Hub and the Greater Green Bay Chamber,” says GGJ co-organizer Kris Purzycki. “It’s an ideal space for teams and individuals to collaborate on projects – perfect for games.”
Another sponsor of this year’s Global Game Jam is the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Center for Games and Interactive Media (CGIM). CGIM Co-director Julialicia Case is looking forward to seeing the games students create. “First-time jammers are sometimes anxious to attend, and it’s always great to see them come out of the weekend having created cool game projects, developed new skills, and forged lasting collaborative relationships. There’s really no other experience like a game jam, and the Green Bay event is not only welcoming to anyone excited about making games, but it is also extremely accessible, and participants work on creations of all kinds, including digital, tabletop role playing, and board games.”
After being the largest GGJ site in Wisconsin last year, organizers expect an even larger turnout in 2024. Registration is required to participate and Green Bay is expected to host more than fifty-five jammers this year. “I can’t speak enough for how crucial it is to attend game jams,” says Dr. Geisler. “The fact we have this opportunity in little Green Bay is amazing.” More information about the Global Game Jam is available on the organization’s website, https://globalgamejam.org/jam-sites/2024/gbgj
To speak with one of the GGJ Green Bay site organizers, please contact Ben Geisler, Principal Engineer (E-Line Media), at bgeisler@elinemedia.com or Kristopher Purzycki, Assistant Professor (UW-Green Bay, Applied Writing & English) at purzyckk@uwgb.edu.
