Latest news with #AsherGray
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
IIE-Vega Durban students get creative at Ludum Dare
IIE-VEGA Durban Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences in Game Design and Development students were a force to be reckoned with at this year's Ludum Dare – an international game jam where participants have 48 to 72 hours to create a game from scratch. The first, second and third year students worked individually and in teams to create their game, with lecturers on hand to guide and support them during the process. This year's event was held under the theme 'Depths', and formed part of the second and third year students' academic assessment – offering real world experience in teamwork, creativity, time pressure and problem solving. First year student and solo entrant, Asher Gray, who created Animalia Memories, a PlayStation 1 style horror and walking simulator, said he enjoyed the challenge. 'I've been making game demos since I was 11 years old. This is my first game jam and my first completed game project ever. Being a one man band meant I had to do everything – animation, modelling, texturing, coding, programming. It was intense, but fun,' said Gray. Aso Read: Students make a colourful impact His excitement was shared by third year IIE-Vega Durban students Daniel Dennison, Rebecca Goodall, Raees Amla and Njabulo Zikhali, who created 'Rock Bottom' – a fast-paced adventure about a dwarf fighting his way down a mineshaft to retrieve his lost pickaxe. Using their experience from previous entry to game jam, the group went for something 'simple' and innovative. 'We've done game jams before, so we've learnt to go for something short, sweet and simple because of the time limit. We included humour because it always goes down well and increases game play. We almost broke into the top 100 entries in the humour category. Ludum Dare participants rate each other's games out of five stars in the categories: fun, innovation, theme, graphics, mood and humour,' said Dennison. Ludum Dare is one of the world's largest and longest running game development events. It has two formats: the Compo (a 48-hour solo challenge) and the Jam (a 72-hour team event). Participants retain full rights to their creations, and after the event they rate each other's games over three weeks to determine the winners. The winners do not receive actual prizes. For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Ballito university student designs fully-function computer game in just 72 hours
Ballito's Asher Gray pushed creative boundaries with his cat-brain horror game at one of the world's leading game development events. The first-year student at The Independent Institute of Education (IIE) Vega Durban campus made his debut at Ludum Dare an international game jam, where participants have just 72 hours to develop a game from scratch. Gray has been creating game demos since the age of 11. Now studying for a Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences in Game Design and Development, he entered the global competition as a solo developer and produced Animalia Memories, a PlayStation 1-style horror and walking simulator. Inspired by this year's Ludum Dare theme, 'Depths', Gray's game takes players on a surreal journey through the neural pathways of a cat's brain, slowly uncovering the mysterious cause of its death. 'The cat is an employee at a mysterious company called Cat Scan,' said Gray. 'At the beginning of the game, you interact with a television set. A short video plays, vaguely explaining why you're there. It's all intentionally mysterious, which suits the aesthetic I went for, first-person, dark, dingy, pixelated, and old-school graphics.' Gray was one of many students from four IIE-Vega campuses in Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg who took part in the game jam. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Game On! Durban students level up at global 72-hour Ludum Dare challenge
Students from IIE-Vega School's Durban campus recently participated in Ludum Dare, a global game development competition Image: Supplied Students from IIE-Vega School's Durban campus recently participated in Ludum Dare, a global game development competition where participants are tasked with creating playable games in just 72 hours. Held biannually, Ludum Dare is recognised as one of the largest and longest-running challenges of its kind. This year's theme, 'depths,' inspired a variety of interpretations, as participants worked under tight deadlines, either individually or in teams, to design and build playable video games. The school noted that the event also formed part of the academic assessment for second- and third-year students. Asher Gray, a first-year Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences student specialising in Game Design and Development, created Animalia Memories, a horror game set within the neural connections of a cat's brain. The retro-style, pixelated game follows a player investigating the cause of the cat's death. Ludum Dare is recognised as one of the largest and longest-running challenges of its kind. Image: Supplied 'This is my first game jam and my first completed game project. As a solo developer, I handled everything from animation and modelling to coding and programming. It was intense, but rewarding.'Gray said. A team of first-year students from the same programme Adishesha Nandkoomar, Dylan Minkley, Jessica Anderson, Abigail Sykes, and Tatum Bollman developed Mush Go Deeper, a game in which the lead character, Mush, embarks on a quest to recover his original body after it is lost in a fight with a dragon. 'This game is an early prototype for a larger project we hope to continue developing,' Nandkoomar explained. 'Our lecturer, Henk Scheepers, encouraged us to participate and provided the support needed to bring the project to life.' Third-year students from the same programme, Daniel Dennison, Rebecca Goodall, Raees Amla, and Njabulo Zikhali developed Rock Bottom, a fast-paced adventure game in which a dwarf battles through a mineshaft to recover his lost pickaxe. 'We've participated in game jams before, so we learned to focus on creating something short, simple, and fun within the time constraints,' Dennison said. Students from IIE-Vega School's Durban campus recently participated in Ludum Dare Image: Supplied Game design and development students from IIE-Vega's Durban campus recently took part in Ludum Dare - one of the biggest international game development competitions. The challenge? Build a working video game from scratch in just 72 hours. Image: Supplied
