The GameDev Técnico student group, dedicated to the creation and development of games, was distinguished in the 9th edition of the Concurso de Apoio às Atividades Extracurriculares dos Núcleos de Estudantes do Técnico (CA2ECTécnico). Sponsored by Santander Bank, the purpose of the contest is to highlight the importance of activities that complement students' education, developed by student groups, and to reward those that stand out the most.

The award ceremony took place on the 6th of December at the Abreu Faro Amphitheater.

In this context, we took the opportunity to ask some questions to Alexandra Pato, one of the coordinators of GameDev Técnico.

Introduce us to GameDev, namely your activities and composition.

GameDev Técnico gathers the core and game development community at IST. We bring together game development students by the dozens, from all over the country and various universities – from the University of Lisbon, NOVA, to the Faculty of Fine Arts itself! 

Many of these students maintain ties to the community after graduation; we have numerous alumni who still participate in events and projects with current members. Our gatherings contribute to this – these are small meetings among members – but, perhaps more importantly, our Projects.

The most frequent projects are the Game Jams, competitions in which each team develops a game in a limited time. They can be remote, in-person... in fact, this year, some of our members went to Denmark for the Nordic Game Jam (and we plan to repeat the experience!). It wasn't the only occasion we traveled (we also visited various international sites for the Global Game Jam, and we even became champions of the PACT Game Jam in Alentejo with "A Voz do Povo"), but it was one of the most memorable ones, I would say.

Then we have Internal Projects: developed by dedicated teams for months to years, offering familiarity with game development methodologies in a medium-sized team context. A good example is the upcoming game "The Ecosphere Project"; and CUBOS, a Game Engine developed by GDT members.

Finally, we have External Projects, which involve partnerships with external entities. We have created games for multiple renowned entities, including the Centro Cultural de Belém (with "Do Outro Lado da Toca"), FeedInov (with "Quinta do Vale"), and – coming soon – the Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro (with a title to be revealed). We also have various showcase events for our members: Dev Vlogs (video developer logs), posts on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, ... not to mention our presence at various gaming events, such as the recent Meo XL Games, Dev Gamm, and Lisbon Games Week.

What is the importance of this award for GameDev?

Immense. The monetary award allows us to continue providing our members with tools for a superior gaming experience and to continue having the funds for events that allow us to make our mark more visibly. And the symbolic "award" of receiving this recognition from CGD and Santander? It's a seal of approval from the outside world. It's hearing a... a "Yes, I believe in you"! We've always had faith in GameDev Técnico and our members. And it's incredibly motivating to know that other people, other entities, see what we see when we look to the future of this core (of this community, truth be told).

Having contact with game development during the course and being able to present a final product (game) is a facilitator for the future when they have to enter the business world?

Is that a trick question? Of course, it facilitates! In fact, several of our alumni have found jobs in well-known game studios. We allow them to fill their portfolios with more developed and finished games – in addition to the soft skills gained in teamwork and project management. Oh! And from partnerships we have already made with companies, such as interviews with industry personnel, which already provide a comprehensive view of the industry. Companies see that we have initiative and a passion for the field (be it programming, game design, or others); in the case of programming, it also immensely helps reinforce concepts and best practices. The portfolio itself has immediately visible and captivating results for the average recruiter: the HR manager may not have the patience to run a banking management program at the end of a tiring day; it's much more accessible to click play on one of the games on our itch.io page and experience the results of our efforts live and in color.