Introducing IGDA Finland Vaasa Hub

Vaasa game development scene is ready to take the next step. There has been a lot bubbling under in Ostrobothnia in recent years. One of the most visible parts being Vaasa Game Days, an annual event combining both consumer and professional sides in one enthralling game fair. And of course: there are plenty of people developing games!

With units from six different Universities and the strong entrepreneurial mindset of the people of Ostrobothnia, it´s only natural to have game companies and teams eager to become one. Until now, everyone has been busy developing their own things and not had the time to join the efforts. But now it´s time to make the game development scene in Vaasa visible to the world. Currently the game industry development in Vaasa region is coordinated by West Coast Startup, a joint business incubator of Vaasa University of Applied Sciences and University of Vaasa.

The first gathering amongst local game developers was organized in early 2015, together with Ostrobothnia Game Industry Facebook group, and since then there´s been regular meetings. What´s also going on at the moment, is building a game cluster together with developers from all around Ostrobothnia. In the beginning of April, a pilot project started with Yle Pohjanmaa, in order to hopefully build Vaasa Game Lab inside Yle´s premises, and actively scout and test new collaboration methods. The ultimate goal is to build a safe haven for all game developers, researchers and other parties to collaborate, network and test out new things. Being part of the IGDA family is an essential part of that. And now, the first step has been taken.

The Vaasa scene is thrilled to be part of a global network of game developers and welcomes all enthusiasts to join the hub. Find out more on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/igdavaasa/

Introducing IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub

In Satakunta there is plenty of know-­how in game development, gamification and related fields, but for a long time the companies and schools have worked mainly on their own. Well, that’s about to change right now: We are proud to introduce the brand new member of IGDA family – ­IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub! The first gathering for the students, professionals and enthusiasts was held in Pori in October 2015 under the name “Peliala Satakunta”. The organizers were expecting from 10­ to 20 people to participate, but the total number was almost 40! Lots of contacts and plans were made, and from the start it was clear that the gaming community in Satakunta wants to be part of a larger network: ­ IGDA.

Since then there has been a gathering every month and the network has expanded even more. Over 80 people have attended to the gatherings and other events and the hub´s Facebook group has well over 100 members. In the process of gathering the network, a local audiovisual development and production facility Villilä Studios has been a big help with the project “Cogas – ­Concepting Gaming Seriously”. The aim of the project is to gather a network in Game Development and Gamification and search for joint development ideas and new areas for business. Cogas is financed by The Regional Council of Satakunta.

But so far the enthusiasm of the game developers in the area has been in the biggest role in networking and boosting up the game industry in Satakunta; local game companies, education providers, development companies and all the great people sharing the passion for making games.

IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub warmly welcomes everybody to the gatherings and events in Satakunta. The first official gathering as IGDA Finland Satakunta Hub will be held in April. Join the group and find out about the upcoming events on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/igdasatakunta

IGDA Finland at PGConnects

It's that time of the year again: Pocket Gamer Connects returns to Helsinki! If you work on mobile games, this is THE place to be: whether you want to stay on top of the latest trends and technology, meet investors and grow your professional network, or pitch your game - PGC has it all. Industry veterans will be sharing their knowledge and experiences on several aspects of mobile gaming, while the hottest indie devs get a chance to showcase their games at I Love Indie Showcase and The Very Big Indie Pitch, a pitching competition with awesome prizes and an excellent opportunity for exposure.

As if all this wasn't reason enough to join the conference there is also going to be an epic Pocket Gamer Party you don't want to miss.

IGDA Finland wants everyone to have a chance to take part in this event, no matter your location, and to make everything more accessible and convenient for our friends outside the Helsinki area we are organizing bus rides from hubs all around the country. The buses, provided by Pocket Gamer, are completely free of charge!

You can register to a bus near you on the EventBrite page we've set up for your convenience.Deadline for registration is on Friday, August 28 at 18:00.

The buses will take you to the conference on slots no deposit bonus Monday and leave back on Tuesday - you can choose whether you want to stay overnight or only Monday. (Note: You need to find your own accommodations for the night!)

Don't have a conference pass yet? IGDA members will get 40% off by using the discount code PG_IGDAFIN. Register here: http://www.pgconnects.com/helsinki/registration/

Developers who enter and are shortlisted for The Very Big Indie Pitch will get free tickets. Register here: http://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/61767/free-entry-to-pocket-gamer-connects-helsinki/

There are 20 free student tickets available for each hub. You can apply for a free ticket here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KL_l3raz-r8FWnW2prBRimH8jrRaR2RzH2V-euQMtLI/viewform

IGDA Finland Turku Hub April Gathering with Epic Games

IGDA Finland Turku Hub was again happy to have Epic Games as a guest in our gathering. This time we tried another a slightly bigger venue Ravintola Mauno which turned out great. The gathering was the official party for this years Turku Game Day.

Sjoerd De Jong gave a live gamedev demo of Unreal Engine 4 and also showed off his own project Solus by Teotl Studios. We were very impressed what kind of freedom the tools in UE4 give to designers. Solus has basically been pieced together by Sjoerd almost on his own so quite an achievement.

We also had the pleasure of hosting guests from Fingersoft in our gathering so the night was great in many ways. 120 people attended the gathering this time so that sets a new record for IGDA Finland Turku Hub gatherings!

We’ll be back in May!

IGDA Finland Oulu hub: Polar Bear Pitching – pre party!

People attended:170Sponsors: Fingersoft, IBM, LudoCraft, PAVA Ry. Place: Gloria Nightclub Time: 24.2.2015 klo 20:00-01:00 (Afterparty @ Fingersoft jacuzzi)

IGDA Finland Oulu hub combined their forces with Oulu Pitch fest to warm up the people heading for the icy waters. This turned out to be the biggest event by Oulu hub so far with 170 people. We had a lively demo corner, snacks and drinks. We even had a polar bear visiting us!

Demo Corner presented: Icesolation (Oulu Gamelab), Gerty, Gobblin’ Goblinz (Frozen Vision), Happy Circus racing ( Meizi Games),  End State (Henry Vuontisjärvi), Fast and Futurous (Viima games), 5 seconds to kill, Disposables (Teemu Väisänen & Jonne Väisänen), Renegade Rockets (Naapukka productions)

Related links

Fingersoft (http://www.fingersoft.net/)
IBM (http://www.ibm.com/fi/fi/)
Ludocraft (http://www.ludocraft.com/)
PAVA Ry. (http://www.pava.fi/)
Polar Bear Pitch (http://www.pitchfestoulu.com/polarbear/)