Saudi GFX
Saudi GFX is a project funded by the US Embassy in Riyadh with the goals of:
- Nurturing the game development ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region
- Creating commercially viable, Saudi-based, interactive games and media
- Building relationships between the Saudi and US game developer ecosystems
- Creating games and interactive media that celebrate and share with the world elements of culture, history, geography or life in general in the Saudi/MENA region
- Crafting narrative experiences that highlight women and minority empowerment in the region
PROGRAM DATES
12 December 2024
through
29 December 2025
LOCATIONS Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
SPEAKERS 12 Professional Speakers
How It Works
Teams will compete for a chance to win entrance into the Saudi GFX incubator program!
Teams of six - three women, three men - will attend a series of SaudiGFX webinars and submit a pitch and a core mechanic prototype.
The two teams who most meet the Saudi GFX project goals will win:
- All Access pass to the GDC 2025 Conference in San Francisco (all expenses paid)
- Four weeks of intensive bootcamp-style Masterclasses at Purdue University led by experienced, professional US game developers (all expenses paid)
- Seven once/monthly mentoring sessions focused on your team's game
- Either a completed game released to a digital marketplace (e.g. Steam), OR a vertical slice of your game with a complete publisher pitch package
Saudi GFX Project Goals
--- Winning teams will meet the following requirements ---
Proposed game shows high potential for market viability
Game has one or more clearly defined USPs (unique selling point)
A team of six - three women, three men
Game celebrates some aspect of the Saudi/MENA region; it could be culture, social life, geography, religion, or even something personal (use your creativity!).
Game celebrates or highlights women and/or minority empowerment
Team documents their use of a formal production pipeline with professional source/asset management
Team documents a robust, professional quality assurance (QA) protocol
Team documents an interpersonal conflict resolution protocol
Team inspires confidence that their team can complete their proposed game
Judging
Judging will be conducted by a panel of US and Saudi game industry professionals and game education academics
Speakers
All Saudi GFX Program speakers are seasoned developers with deep experience in the games industry in the US and around the world.
David Whittinghill
Head of Game Development Program, Purdue University
Senior Programmer
John Szeder
Vice President of Engineering, Game Data Pros
Director of Engineering, Zynga
Ali Alshammari
Dean of e-Learning and Distance Education
CEO, DynamicX
Deborah Chantson Writer/Narrative Designer, Sticky Brain Studios
Sadia Qasim
Senior Producer, Gearbox Software
Producer, Hi-Rez Studios
Jennifer Campbell
Senior Narrative Designer, Sledgehammer Games
Narrative Designer/Writer
Chris Donley
Senior Project Manager
Volition Games
TBD TBD
Topics Covered
The program assumes participants will have a variable degree of game development experience. It is not meant to be a comprehensive program that teaches everything one needs to know to make games.
Each team should have at least one: Designer, Programmer, Artist, Producer, and Audio. A team can have multiples of these roles or an individual who does more than one, but every game team needs at least these roles filled.
Program topics are not focused on specific competencies (e.g. programming, animation, optimization, etc.) but rather on how teams work together to get games SHIPPED and to make sure they SELL!
Topics
- Monetization
- Cultural Elements as Gameplay Mechanics
- Ideation, Blue Sky, and Brainstorming
- Finding the USPs
- Narrative Design
- Production for Small and Large Teams
- Production Pipelines and Enterprise Tech
- Building a Pitch
- Networking for Introverts
- Art Direction
Timeline
Timeline
- Week 0 - 12 dec 2024
- Week 1 - 16 dec 2024
- Week 2 - 23 dec 2024
- Week 3 - 30 dec 2024
- Week 4 - 6 jan 2025
- Week 5 - 13 jan 2025
- Week 6 - 20 jan 2025
- Week 7 - 27 jan 2025
- Week 8 - 6 feb 2025
- Week 9 - 10 feb 2025
- Break
- GDC Final Prep - 10 mar 2025
- GDC - 16 feb 2025
- Break
- Masterclass Prep - 7 may 2025
- Masterclass Final Prep - 14 may 2025
- Masterclass 1 - 19 may 2025
- Indianapolis 500 - 25 may 2025
- Masterclass 2 - 26 may 2025
- Dunes National Park - 31 may 2025
- Masterclass 3 - 2 jun 2025
- TBD - 7 jun 2025
- Masterclass 4 - 9 jun 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 1 - 16 jun 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 2 - 14 jul 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 3 - 18 aug 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 4 - 15 sep 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 5 - 20 oct 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 6 - 17 nov 2025
- Mentoring Workshop 7 - 15 dec 2025
- Final Deliverable/Project End - 18 dec 2025
-
Week 0 - 12 dec 2024
-
Week 1 - 16 dec 202416 dec 2024 - (8:00AM PST = 11:00AM EST = 16:00 SAST) Introduction
Introduction to the program.
Speaker : David Whittinghill16 dec 2024 - (8:30AM PST = 11:30AM EST = 16:30 SAST) Blue Sky, Brainstorming, and USPsExercises for creating interesting new ideas - that sell!
Speaker : David Whittinghill16 dec 2024 - (9:15AM PST = 12:15AM EST = 17:15 SAST) MonetizationEstablishing your monetization strategy early.
Speaker : John Szeder -
Week 2 - 23 dec 202423 dec 2024 - (8:00AM PST = 11:00AM EST = 16:00 SAST) Cultural Elements as Game Mechanics
Exploring how elements of culture can make compelling game mechanics.
Speaker : Deborah Chantson -
Week 3 - 30 dec 202430 dec 2024 - (8:00AM PST = 11:00AM EST = 16:00 SAST) Production for Indies and Managing Team Interpersonal Dynamics
Overview of game production for indies and AAA, and how to keep the peace in diverse teams.
Speaker : Sadia Qasim -
Week 4 - 6 jan 20256 jan 2025 - (8:00AM PST = 11:00AM EST = 16:00 SAST) Narrative and Localization
Game narrative and storytelling within and across cultures
Speaker : Jennifer Campbell -
Week 5 - 13 jan 202513 jan 2025 - (8:00AM PST = 11:00AM EST = 16:00 SAST) Production Pipelines and Enterprise Technology
Game developers never develop alone. Practices and technologies that keep teams moving.
Speaker : Chris Donley -
Week 6 - 20 jan 202520 jan 2025 - (8:00AM PST = 11:00AM EST = 16:00 SAST) Pitching Your Game
Strategies for perfecting your project pitch to SaudiGFX and anywhere else.
Speaker : TBD
