Global Game Jam 2015
Kate Betts
Global Game Jam 2015 faced a distinct loss this year in the passing of beloved Professor Tony Tseng. Despite this tragedy, the students involved in Global Game Jam admirably decided to continue with the event in honor of Professor Tseng. Professor Tseng was a dedicated professor and teacher and this comes across in his involvement with the IGTM Department and Global Game Jam itself.
Al Savell, fourth-year game design major, explains: “What all the Game Jams are at their core is essentially a group of game designer, programmers, artists, scripters, idea people, and pedal-to-the-medal people coming together and creating a game within a certain amount of time.” Whereas most games can take weeks, months, or even years to develop, GGJ only allows for forty-eight hours to create an entire game. Global Game Jam is a series of competitions around the world that brings together designers from around the globe. Savell says: “All over the world and in some kind of sweeoing motion at 5 p.m. all over the globe…they release the theme of the game jam…we had fifteen thousand participants [around the world] and through them five thousand games were made and submitted. The unifying thing is the theme.”
Global Game Jam also brings lots of opportunity for problem solving. The teams have to work very quickly to address any issues or difficulties that they face and work out a solution within a very limited time. Savell says “one of my favorite things is running into a problem and for three minutes everyone is panicking. What do we do? Everyone’s minds come together and a solution kind of pops out.”
Professor Tseng was the event coordinator for Global Game Jam at SCAD Atlanta. He organized and helped the volunteers for the event so that there would be a SCAD volunteer present for the entire forty-eight hours. Professor Tseng also brought in sponsors from around Atlanta. Savell explains: “He was able to get in Unreal and Unity, which are both game engine developers…to give the license to their engines for the winners…ten Unity licenses at $1,500 a license is an incredible contribution. I don’t know how Tony did it.”
Professor Tseng was dedicated to the IGTM Department and he was devoted to the success of his students. He was deeply involved with the running of the Game Club and inspired students to think up new and creative solutions for designs. Savell got to know Professor Tseng through Game Club after he approached them to be an officer. Professor Tseng was always promoting the IGTM Program and the Game Club and he was always looking for ways to keep the program strong.
What Savell would like everyone to remember about Professor Tseng is that he always wanted his students to have even more success than he did. They explain that: “He decided to give back with teaching. It wasn’t just a job. It was a matter of what he thought he should do. It’s a noble thing…some people look out for everyone and that’s his nobility, which is what I’d like everyone to remember.”
Professor Tseng’s friends have started a Go Fund Me page for Professor Tseng, which can be viewed by clicking here.
