Leipzig Book Fair: How is a Computer Game Developed in the Bauhaus Gamesfabrik in Just One Semester?
Even if it sounds like it at first, the Bauhaus Gamesfabrik is of course not an actual »factory«. At least not in the traditional sense of the word. But it is showing how people work together in the modern world: in project-based, interdisciplinary teams, and often at a rapid pace. This also applies to modern teaching and learning: Students learn most effectively when they work directly and on site. The Bauhaus Gamesfabrik in the Faculties of Media and Art and Design allows students to explore how they will be working in the future. And they are designing new, artistically sophisticated computer games in the process.
A typical Bauhaus Gamesfabrik semester sees students from various disciplines work together in a strict, results-oriented manner for a short period. The students contribute their individual skills and expertise towards developing a computer game. The biggest challenge is the time: the teaching format is structured in the form of a »Game Jam«. At a »Game Jam«, people with a broad range of expertise come together and are challenged with reinventing a game from scratch in 48 to 96 hours. At the end of the session, there is a new computer game that can be tested live and on an ad hoc basis. The craziest part? Participants are have typically never conceived, designed or programmed a computer game before.
This makes the Bauhaus Gamesfabrik a true playground for creativity and innovation at the interface of art and technology. Some can play around with visual and auditory aesthetics, storytelling and conception, while others can put their programming, animation and interactive media skills to work. Communication in the developer groups can pose a challenge while also forming a foundation for good cooperation. This is how teaching and learning work today.
If you are interested in checking out the Bauhaus Gamesfabrik for yourself, come by the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s stand (H503, Hall 2) at the Leipzig Book Fair from 21 to 24 March 2024.
For any questions, please contact Gianluca Pandolfo, founder of the Bauhaus Gamesfabrik, via e-mail gianluca.pandolfo[at]uni-weimar.de or by phone at +49 (0) 3643- 58 11 3560.