Around 30 MBO Rijnland students visited GameLab. They will soon start a project requiring them to make a game within a week. At GameLab, they received a short introduction to game development and what it involves.
The students were welcomed at InnovatieLab, where GameLab Manager Jeroen Derwort told them about the origins of Gamebasics and Online Soccer Manager (OSM)and immediately gave them some tips for the game they will be making.
They then toured the lab in groups, playing games made at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and finding inspiration in the miniature arcade with original machines from the National Videogame Museum.
When making games, the most important thing is to define the scope carefully. You have limited time and resources. Many teams, including students and even professionals, try to do too much and run out of time. Keeping the scope small is important so you can finish the game.
Alongside these tips, students received a short introduction to the InnovA58project. Marloes Joosstens explained how she uses a simulation of reality to show people what Rijkswaterstaat is doing with its innovations along the A58 and why this matters. Students learnt that games can be educational as well as fun.