NVIDIA Middle East, in partnership with AD Gaming and SAE Institute Dubai, today announced the winners of the UAE chapter of Global Game Jam 2024, recently held at the Yas Creative Hub at twofour54 in Abu Dhabi. Over 60 gaming developers from the UAE competed in the global event, where teams came together over a period of 48 hours to create games around a central theme. This year’s theme was ‘Make Me Laugh’, and the winning team developed a game titled ‘Crash and Cash’ where players try to claim the most insurance money by getting hit by cars.
The winning team consisted of Jeff Taylor (Game Designer) and Vishnu Raveendran (Game Developer), who each received a GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop as a grand prize, presented by NVIDIA Middle East.
Commenting on their win, the team said, “We were able to utilize the NVIDIA RTX GPUs in our laptops to quickly iterate through testing versions of our game, ‘Crash and Cash’, and to polish and bring out the best look possible. The implementation and testing of DLSS technology was smooth and made a huge difference to the look of the game. We were also able to utilize AI to help generate some of the art for the game.
“The Global Game Jam is the perfect place to have a quick gathering, spend some time with like-minded individuals and find common ground. This allows the community to grow further and in turn, helps the game development community within the Middle East to grow rapidly. The combined effort by AD Gaming, SAE Institute and NVIDIA to put together the event and ensure that everyone is comfortable and has a space to show their talent is exactly what the region needs.”
RTX Studio laptops offer exclusive NVIDIA technologies that can greatly assist with game development through every step of the process. Features such as NVIDIA Studio drivers, AI accelerated apps on RTX GPUs, and NVIDIA Streamline help game developers to accelerate their workflows, create stunning 3D worlds and assets with the help of AI, and integrate core NVIDIA technologies and features into applications and games with minimal effort. Meanwhile, DLSS technology – which was implemented in the winning game – allows games to run at improved framerates for a smoother gaming experience, regardless of how frantic the action becomes.
“It has been an honor to once again be part of Global Game Jam 2024, and shine a light on talented local game developers and designers,” said Chantelle Tavid – Head of Marketing, NVIDIA MENAT. “NVIDIA RTX Studio laptops are an essential tool for any game developer, as it can greatly improve the creation of 3D worlds and assets, enabling developers to build even more ambitious games in much shorter timelines. We are thrilled to witness how NVIDIA technologies helped the winning team to finish and polish their game, and we know that other developers will be keen to see how NVIDIA technologies can help their game development journey.”
The returning event helped to bring together talented local game developers and designers to showcase their talent in creating original and engaging games. This year’s Game Jam was another resounding success, and the collaboration between SAE Dubai, NVIDIA, and AD Gaming once again highlighted the commitment to encouraging growth in the region’s gaming industry. The event also helped participants to network with each other and share their knowledge and skills in a supportive and collaborative environment.
