Gate 2, Autumn 2018

Gate 2 is officially over! 8 teams gave it their all with an impressive and diverse set of pitches.

Teams were given 15 minutes to delegate between presenting their ideas and Q&A time with the 5 judges. Only 5 of the teams were able to make it through the gate, with the remaining 3 dropping out and joining forces with the winning teams.

The final scores were as follows:

Teams that Passed:
Nailed IT - The Void Within
Lost Hoodie - Shred'N'Slam
Play Possum - Dead Fungoria
Karva Games - O.R.B.
Satisfaction - Fungeon Crawl

---
Teams that Dropped: 
The Killerbees - Monster Social Worker
Kelmi Games - Soulforged
Amenta - Miniature Mayhem

Many thanks to our 5 excellent judges:

John Rantala Publishing Director of Round Zero
Natasha Bulatovic Trygg - Chairperson at The HIVE - Turku Game Hub
Jyri Partanen - COO at Games Factory
Joakim Achrén - Co-Founder, Board Member at Next Games
Asmo Saloranta - Kavio Publishing

Gate 1 Autumn 2018

Oulu Game Lab's first gate took place on Friday 14th of September, with 14 teams displaying an abundance of incredibly evenly matched, high quality ideas to five judges. Nine of the teams managed to break through to the next gate where they will have 4 weeks to develop their ideas further with the help of additional team members from the teams who didn't pass through the gate.

Congratulations to all the teams that passed Gate 1: 

Hairy Games – ORB (Offensive Rolling Bot)
Nailed IT – Void Within
Play Possum – Dead Fungoria
The Milky Wolves – Space Raiders on Deck
Kelmi Games – Soulforged
Amenta – Miniature Mayhem
The Killerbees – Monsters’ Social Worker
Satisfaction – Fungeon Crawl
Lost Hoodie – Shred ‘N Slam

And Thank You to the teams that didn`t pass the gate: 

Heel – Wrecking Ball Smash 

Fulcrum – 4-way Tetris 

Dojo – Five Staight with a Twist 

PepeHands – The Last Gladiator 

The Freezing Penguins – Camping at the End 

All of whom will be joining in on the continuing teams as new members!

Oulu Game Lab makes it's Tokyo Game Show debut

6 students from 2 teams took their games across the globe to showcase them at Tokyo Game Show for the first time in OGL history. The engaging week long trip kicked off in Osaka with a collaborative International Game Jam event between OGL students and Japanese students from the ECC Computer college in Osaka.

OULU GAME LAB STUDENTS AND OSAKA ECC COLLEGE STUDENTS COLLABORATE IN THE INTERNATIONAL GAME JAM

After pitching their ideas and receiving feedback, the Game Lab students traveled across Japan to Tokyo Game Show. Here they joined world class developers in one of the largest gaming conventions worldwide to showcase their demos and ideas to the masses.

SURMA GAMES AND RAINFALL GAMES AT TOKYO GAME SHOW GETTING READY FOR THE MASSES

Applications for Autumn 2018 are Open!

Join Game LAB and start making game/success.

Game LAB is a program that will simulate the game industry and open your eyes to what making games is all about.  

Yes, you may apply, in fact anybody may apply to Game LAB but priority is given to persons that have a background in:

• Art & Design
• Code ( unity, unreal engine, cry engine or any game making tools )
• Business & Marketing  
• Producing

We are especially looking for a keen interest or experience in your area of expertise and a tangible enthusiasm for gaming.

Do you think you have what it takes to make it in the Game industry? Find out.

If you want to learn more about the application click bellow.
http://www.oulugamelab.net/how-to-apply/

Gate 2 Spring 2018!

Congratulations to the teams that made it past Gate 2!

The continuing teams are:

Vihta Games - Pilkki Manageri

Team Surma - Please the Gods

Rainfall Games - Block Feud

Gameplay First - Creator

Gate 1 Spring 2018!

Judges hard at work

Once again 8 teams shared their game concepts at Gate 1.

Congratulations to the 6 continuing teams: 

Vihta Games - Pilkki Manager

Team Surma - Please the Gods

Team Nexus - Forced to Drive

Shotgun Theatre - Deep-Sea Subnauts

Gameplay First - Creator

Team Rainfall - Falling Arena

Finnish Game Jam!

Last weekend OGL hosted the Game Jam here in Oulu! 60 Participants joined the event and spent the whole weekend joining forces and creating games! 

Games created during the Oulu Game Jam can be found here: Global Game Jam games

Demo Path Spring 2018 has begun!

Anna Salomaa with a presentation about pitching and presenting skills.

A new semester has begun and we have a new batch of promising students! We are looking forward to what they will come up with for Gate 1!

GATE 3 Results!

Congratulations to the 3 teams who survived GATE 3 and will continue on to Game Path!

The game pitches were evaluated by a jury of five game industry professionals, and their scores were combined with the scores given earlier based on the quality of the teams' Game Design Documents and Business Canvases.

The scores have been added up and here are the teams which passed:

1. PIVOTAL (former Q.Bix)
2. NINJA NOT A SAMURAI
3. AETHON

Unfortunately Smolder and Pain Golf did not make it through GATE 3 but worry not, their members will be joining the surviving 3 teams going into Game Path.

World's End Casino Launch Party

The day has come!

World’s End Casino is proud to announce that the official release for World’s End Casino has been set on 8th of December. To celebrate this, World’s End Casino is having a small launch party on Friday 8th of the December, on Oulu Game Lab premises, starting at 17:00.

It is going to be a laid-back event where you can meet the team and of course play our game!
We will host a tournament in which the top players will be awarded with World’s End Casino related prizes!

Join the event bellow and see you on Friday ;) 
https://www.facebook.com/events/518489881857396/

OGL Applications for Spring 2018 are officially OPEN!

If you are passionate about Games and, want to enter in the Game Industry - Game LAB is the best place to do so. 

Be part of an amazing program that will open your eyes to what making games is all about.

Anybody may apply to Game LAB but priority is given to persons that have a background in :

• Art & Design 
• Code ( unity, unreal engine, cry engine or any game making tools )
• Business & Marketing  

From a OGL participant, we are looking for a keen interest or experience in your area of expertise and a tangible enthusiasm for gaming.
Professional game development requires diverse and deep expertise, and the ability to work well in a team and to cope effectively with pressure.

Apply now to Oulu Game LAB

by following the instructions in the link bellow.
http://www.oulugamelab.net/how-to-apply/

Oamk LABs enter the US!

Last week a formal memorandum was signed between the University of Vermont (UVM) in the United States and the Oulu University of Applied Sciences. Specifically, this collaboration will be spearheaded through the College of Education and Social Studies at the University of Vermont and Oulu EduLAB at Oamk to encourage long-term collaboration in the field of education and innovation. The relationship targets to see the first students from Vermont to join Oulu EduLAB in August 2018.

Pictured at the signing ceremony are (standing, left to right) Associate Professor Kieran Killeen, Associate Dean Penny Bishop, UVM Office of International Education Director Kim Howard, with (seated, left to right) Blair Stevenson of Oulu EduLAB and CESS Dean Scott Thomas. (photo credit: David Seaver)

GCEC Award!

More global recognition of Oamk LABs!

Oamk LABs has won the award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship Teaching and Pedagogical Innovation from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) at their 2017 conference in Halifax, Canada.

Made up of 225+ university-based entrepreneurship centers from around the world, the GCEC showcases and celebrates the very best of university entrepreneurship each year by awarding the top entrepreneurship programs in eight (8) categories of which excellence in entrepreneurship teaching and pedagogical innovation is one.

Pictured (left to right) are: Elana Fine from the University of Maryland (Chair, GCEC Awards Committee); Brad Burke of Rice University (Chair, GCEC Executive Committee) and Blair Stevenson accepting the award on behalf of the Oamk LABs team.

Oamk LABs awarded in Kuala Lumpur!

Just to let you know that Oamk LABs and LAB studio model was just awarded in Kuala Lumpur to be the best Innovative Youth Incubator education model in the whole world. Again, I'm so proud to be in our team!

GATE 2 results are in!

Team Spicy presenting their game "Pain Golf".

The seven surviving teams from Gate 1 pitched their games once again on friday.

The game pitches were evaluated by a jury of five game industry professionals, and their scores were combined with the scores given earlier based on the quality of the teams' Game Design Documents and Business Canvases.

The following are the final scores of Gate 2:

Team Spicy                                       - 8.8
Red Shirt Guys                                 - 8.5
Death by Overwork                         - 7.8
Arktik Kirkle (Former High Rock)  - 7.2
Nighthare                                         - 6.7
Smokers                                           - 5.4
Total Gore Fun                                 - 5.3

Which means that teams Smokers and Total Gore Fun drop out of the demo path, and their team members will be joining the remaining teams.

GATE 1 results are in!

We had an awesome Jury made out of Chris, Mitsutaka Mitch Yasuda, Anne Ryynänen, Ville Autio and Martin Jaššo.

Eleven teams pitched their games on Friday's Gate 1, of which seven will continue their demo path until Gate 2.

The game pitches were evaluated by a jury of five game industry professionals, and their scores were combined with the scores given earlier based on the quality of the teams' Game Design Documents and Business Canvases.

The following teams are continuing after Gate 1:

Total Core Fun - Broken Code
High Rock - Q.Bix
Death by Overwork - Ninja not a samurai
Abandoned Crater - Smolder
Red Shirt Guys - Aethon
Smokers - Heavy Metal
Team Spicy - Pain Golf

Thanks for the great presentations everyone, and congratulations for the teams that got through the Gate 1!
 

The GATE 3 results are in!

Last Friday 26.5. Oulu Game LAB hosted the GATE 3 event at the Fingersoft auditorium, and we were honored to have some very prestigious judges, such as Christopher Hamilton (Rovio), Ilari Kuittinen (Housemarque), Jussi Autio (Free2app, Ex-Reborn), Minna Eloranta (Secret Exit), and Reko Ukko (Seriously). 

The results from the GATE 3 are as follows:

However, due to departing team members, the teams that will be continuing to the Game Path are World's End Casino and Real Adventure.

Oulu Game LAB application interviews have started!

The interviews for the next Oulu Game LAB semester have started today on 22.5.2017

If you haven't yet submitted your application, you can still do it until the end of May, 31.5.2017
The next group of students will begin their studies in August, on 28.8.2017

The interviews are held at the Oulu Game LAB premises, at Rantakatu 3. If you have any questions regarding your interview, or the applications, you can contact our Lab Master Aki. See his contact info below:

Aki Latvamäki
aki.latvamaki@oamk.fi
+358406528304

OGL teams at the Polar Bear Pitching event

Three Game Path teams showcased their games at the OAMK booth during the Polar Bear Pitching event on 15th of February.

The teams Ashtonia, Haste Heist, and Overtowered demoed their games at the Oulu City Theater on last Wednesday. The event visitors seemed to enjoy playing the games, and the teams got a chance to gather important information and feedback based on the playtesting.

Photos of the event can be seen on the Oulu Game LAB Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/OuluGameLab/photos/?tab=album&album_id=716276451857721

Gate 2 results are in!

The jury members: Natasha Trygg (Snowfall Ltd. / Turku Game Hub - The Hive), Tomi Hurskainen (Playsign), Tuomas Soukka (Fingersoft), Sasu Louke (Expa Game Business Co-Operative), Juho Wallen (Meizi Games),

Six teams pitched their games on last Friday's Gate 2, of which four will continue their demo path until Gate 3.

The game pitches were evaluated by a jury of five game industry professionals, and their scores were combined with the scores given earlier based on the quality of the teams' Game Design Documents and Business Canvases.

The following are the final scores of Gate 2:

Land of the Midnight Sun        66
N.E.O.N.                                     58
Real Adventure                         57
World's End Casino                  52,5
Holiday Wheels                        46,5
Centrifuge Force Man              35

Which means that teams Holiday Wheels and Centrifuge Force Man drop out of the demo path, and their team members will be joining the remaining teams.

Thanks for the great presentations everyone, and congratulations for the teams that got through the Gate 2!