Call for Applications: The Gusheshe Rally

Story Posted: 20 July 2023
Categories: Jamz,Hackathon,2023

GAME JAM

Harness the thrill of South Africa’s car-spinning culture in a game development extravaganza hosted by Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, the pioneers behind the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival. The festival has been celebrating the intersection of art, culture, and technology since 2014, empowering creative and digital innovation within Africa. The Fak’ugesi Jamz experience is the epicentre of this creative explosion, supporting the growth and development of the digital creative sectors in Africa.

In 2021, the festival hosted its first inaugural Game Jam with the goal of discovering and nurturing youth-owned game development start-ups. The three top-performing studios walked away with a nine-month incubation opportunity at Tshimologong’s Gaming Hub. Here, start-ups have access to world-class development facilities, funding, skills development through training and mentorship, and market exposure via key industry events like Africa Games Week and Comic Con Africa.

This year, the Game Jam is all about capturing the adrenaline-fueled world of South African car spinning in a video game, aptly titled The Gusheshe Rally. Do you have what it takes to portray this thrilling, quintessentially South African spectacle in the form of an engaging, easily accessible mobile video game?

PRIZES:

• 1st Prize: R100 000 for the best Gusheshe Prototype
• 3 Incubated studios, each supported to the value of R300 000 over 9 months
• Publishing and distribution deal with development and production support by PlugIn Digital
• Production support by Seamonster

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

1.  Prospective participants are invited to submit simply with their portfolio of their work to be selected for the Game Jam.
2. The selection process will be conducted prior to the actual Game Jam in September.
3. The top six proposals will be selected to compete for the final prize.
4. Approved teams will work on pre-production and prototyping prior to the 3-Day event in September.
5. Each team will be assigned a mentor and will receive the necessary resources to complete pre-production and prototyping activities.
6. The winning team will receive a cash prize and an opportunity to work with “Spinners” television series producers to further develop their game for public release in November at the official series event in coordination with PlugIn Digital and Seamonster.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

1. All team members must be South African citizens as most of the program is in person in Johannesburg. Applicants outside Johannesburg will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.
2. All team members must be aged between 18 – 35.
3. Teams must demonstrate a passion for video games, game development, and content creation.
4. Teams must display competency in any of the areas in Video Game Development. A portfolio of work will be requested at both individual and team levels.
5. Teams should be prepared to work within a tight deadline and respond effectively to feedback.
6. Teams should show a clear understanding of the theme and have innovative ideas for its implementation.
7. Teams should have the ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment.
8. Individuals or studios are welcome to apply. Studios should have a maximum of 5 members each for this project) and we are also able to team you up with other gamers should you be unable to build a team.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send your portfolio and a cover letter detailing your experience in video game development and your interest here by 1 September 2023:

MORE INFORMATION

What to expect during the Jam

• Easy Gameplay: The game should be user-friendly and simple to play.
• Downloadable: The game must be easy to download and accessible to a broad African audience (mobile).
• Period Representation: Capture the late 90s and early 2000s era with authentic depictions.
• Diverse Venues: Include various settings such as township street corners and stadiums.
• Light Graphics: The graphics should be fun, engaging, and light to make the game easily downloadable.
• Free to play for a fully functional game but payable microtransactions to access additional content like colour for the car or accessories to make your character cooler.