Have you ever watched the Xbox Game Studios Game Camp from afar, jealous of Xbox’s apparent love of Europe and the US (and pretty much everywhere else)? Well, no longer. Today, Microsoft confirmed that the Game Camp is expanding into Africa. The event is scheduled to run from 15-16 July with applications officially opening today. Well? What are you waiting for? Oh, right. We haven’t even told you what a Game Camp is.
Camp worth attending?
In short, the Xbox Game Studios Game Camp is a “two-day conference to recognise and celebrate all game creators across more than 50 diverse countries and regions.” The larger point is to inspire an entirely new generation to enter the world of game development and content creation and grow their passions in an environment surrounded by like-minded folk.
According to Microsoft’s Phil Spencer:
“At Xbox, we’re on a mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to the world’s 3 billion gamers and we recognise that Africa is home to the largest population of youth in the world, many who love to play. Through the inaugural Xbox Game Studios Camp Africa, in collaboration with Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office, we have an opportunity to continue to deepen our relationships with talented developers in region and help African games studios realise their vision and role in the global gaming industry.”
More specifically, the two-day conference includes viewing parties, on-site panel sessions, and “opportunities to meet with Microsoft and Xbox personnel.” Better yet, Xbox is encouraging anyone with an idea they’d like to pursue to pitch them at the conference. To whom, we can’t be sure. Just be sure to have those pitches down-pat before rocking up.
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Getting involved is simple
It’s not as easy as just pitching up. Not just anyone can attend the Xbox Game Studios Game Camp. For one, you need to be studying or working part- or full-time in the field of software development, visual arts, 3D, music and audio, web design, narrative design, or professional project management.
Secondly, if you’re hoping to attend in person, you’ll need to be situated in Johannesburg, Cairo, Lagos, or Nairobi where there’ll be open-house centres consisting of all those things we mentioned earlier. Can’t make it? That’s okay – participants can also join the Microsoft Teams livestream of the event, as long as they’re residents of any African country and are over eighteen years of age.
Whew. Now that you’re aware of what it is you’re signing up for, you can do so right here.