Dissertation Complete - So Long, Uni!

At long last, after NINE YEARS of university (over half for a degree I'm not using), I am finally done! Friday, I submitted my dissertation. Assuming marking goes well, I am now a "Master" of Computer Game Technology. Now to move on to bigger and better things!

I may have been a little excited when it came back from the printer....

What does that mean for me, and for the blog? Well, firstly, I'll now be working full time at Ninja Kiwi Europe, maker of the mobile versions of the extremely popular Bloons games. I've been part time there since September, and it's an awesome place. I'm happy to be able to work there full time now.

However, that doesn't mean I'm abandoning my personal projects. In fact, I'm starting off my new professional life with a bang at the Global Game Jam, with an awesome team of Abertay students and recent grads. Most of us worked together at the TIGA Game Hack, and we're excited to work together again. It should be a ton of fun, and I'll definitely be updating here and on my Twitter (@Jiyambi) as we go.

After the game jam, I'll be focusing on making games with my partner Roy Stevens. Our first project is a mobile game called Bubble Market, made as part of the Abertay Game Development Society. Bubble Market will be programmed in February, with an alpha ready by the end of March and beta at the end of April. I'll be calling for testers during those times, so keep an eye out. Expect to see it on Google Play and possibly other Android app stores in May!

Also in February we will be pitching six game ideas internally. The chosen idea will be moved into pre-production, and work will begin on it as Bubble Market is completed. For this game, we are hoping to find an artist or two to help us out, but Roy is also taking some time to focus on his artwork so either way, we should have a nice set of skills for development.

As for the blog, I will continue using this as a space for development updates and reflections. I also plan to write a few how-to posts. The first of these will be posted shortly, and will cover using Github for Windows (the desktop program) with Bitbucket (the git repository). This has been requested by some of the Abertay Game Development Society folks and I think it could be a big help to student game development teams.

When I look back at when I started this blog, compared to where I am today, I see an amazing journey. It's invigorating to see the progress I've made, and so much more exciting to think about where I'll go from here. Look forward to it!