ESQUENTA Is An Event Designed To Offer Even More Services with GameJam+ Featuring Panels and Talks From Industry Veterans and Experts
GameJam+ — a yearly video game development marathon established to foster and mentor new independent studios and support their entry into the global video game industry — is right around the corner. Over the years, GameJam+ has grown so large that the organizers are providing an appetizer in the form of ESQUENTA — a warm-up event that features panels from industry experts that runs from October 4-8, 2020.
A preliminary event to GameJam+, ESQUENTA features panels and talks from a variety of gaming industry adepts, experts, and authorities, designed to provide valuable games industry insight to burgeoning studios. This inaugural warm-up session will feature a panel with organizers Tutaleni Ilonga (Namibia), António Durão (Portugal), Miguel Velasco (Bolivia) and Josh Jones (USA), who will speak on “The Importance of GameJam + for the Local Ecosystem”. That talk takes place at 12:00 AM BST, October 4. Other speakers include Larry Kuperman, Nightdive Studios (the team behind the System Shock remake), Jay Powell, Powell Consulting Group, and Mario Kroll, President, ÜberStrategist, Inc., a public relations firm with a strong focus on the Indie market. ESQUENTIA will run from October 4-8th, on the GameJam+ YouTube and Instagram channels.
As the fifth edition of the event, GameJam+ 2020 will feature 50 Brazilian and 37 international cities, more than 2,000 participants, 400 projects (100 incubated over two months), and 1,000 volunteers. GameJam+ sponsors include Google, Sebrae, Nuuvem, Unity, Poki, UK consulate, Big Festival, Gazeus, and more.
Strong leadership is the backbone of any successful development team, and the Mentor vocation is one of GameJam+’s most important positions. Winners of the first phase of the 2020 event will have the opportunity to gain guidance from some of the best talent and expertise across the tech field, with industry leaders from renowned companies like Google, Unity, Gazeus Games, and Sebrae Nacional. This year’s mentors include the following industry leaders:
- Lucas Bertolino, Google: Business Development Manager at Google, Bertolino brings his expertise in analytics and partnerships management with a specialization in cross-functional business partnerships to GameJam+ 2020.
- Alexandre Kikuchi, Unity: Head of Developer Advocacy for Games for the Americas, Kikuchi is passionate about Indie development and is excited about all things related to gaming and film technology.
- Carollina Scussel, Gazeus Games: Head of Quality Assurance, Scussel carries nearly a decade’s experience in software QA along with a strong knowledge of the software development cycle and Android and iOS platforms.
- Jane Blandina, Sebrae Nacional: Creative Economy Manager, Blandina has 15 years of experience in creative economy projects with a specialization in administration and quality.
In addition, GameJam+ is pleased to welcome several new partners with this year’s event. The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) will be offering a one-year membership to the best projects from each continent. Other new sponsors include Bemobi, AllCorrect, and award-winning Brazil Games member Hermit Crab Studio. GameJam+ 2020 has also expanded to several new regions, including Singapore, Indonesia, India, Mexico, Chile, and Israel.
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