 | This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2017) |
The Great Canadian Appathon (GCA) was a 48-hour game design and development competition open to Canadian college and university students. Students attempted to design, develop and program a working mobile game within the restrictions of an annually changing game 'theme'. Individuals, or teams of up to four students, worked for 48-hours in designated 'HUBS' set up at participating universities and colleges, to submit their games for a variety of prizes. A number of studios have been founded on the prize money won at the Great Canadian Appathon. This includes Edmonton based 1st place Team Masheen, and Bitshift Games.
Progress
| GCA (March 2011) | GCA (October 2011) | GCA (September 2012) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provinces | 4 | 8 | 10 |
| Colleges and Universities | 7 | 21 | 39 |
| Teams | 94 | 125 | 149 |
| Students | 296 | 410 | 521 |
| Games | 54 | 80 | 124 |
Judging criteria
All the submitted games by GCA participants were evaluated by game development senior staff on criteria such as the degree of innovation, the fun and entertainment factor, the level of art and design polish as well as stability to determine the winners.
History
11 March – 13 March 2011
| Place | Team | HUB | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner 1 | Team Masheen | Northern Alberta Institute of Technology & University of Alberta | Super Punch |
| Winner 2 | Team Sheldon | University of British Columbia | Valley Raid |
| Winner 3 | Resistor5 | McGill University & Concordia University | Plasmium |
30 September – 2 October 2011
| Place | Team | HUB | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner 1 | Drop Table Teams | Concordia University | Trace Racer |
| Winner 2 | Resistor5 | McGill University | Ludicrous Archery |
| Winner 3 | Team ABXYZ | Carleton University | Portal Bow |
28 September – 30 September 2012
| Place | Team | HUB | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner 1 | Team Heisenberg | Carleton University | Daylight Saving |
| Winner 2 | Team Unistd | University of Toronto | Devourer of Worlds |
| Winner 3 | Team Grade-F | Polytechnique Montreal | Zombyte |
References
- Akkad, Omar El (30 September 2012). "Students go a weekend without sleep for the Great Canadian Appathon". The Globe and Mail.
- "The Great Canadian Appathon Returns with a Vengeance".
- http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/27146/next-coding-contest-on/
- "Students battle in game design marathon". CBC News. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- Hartley, Matt (28 September 2011). "Great Canadian Appathon 2 kicks off on Friday with $50k on the line | Financial Post". Financial Post.
- "The Great Canadian Appathon Returns with a Vengeance".
- "The Great Canadian Appathon Returns with a Vengeance".
- Berkow, Jameson (3 November 2011). "Montreal dominates Great Canadian Appathon finalists | Financial Post". Financial Post.
- "The Genesis of a Gaming Studio".