Saudi hosts Game Jam with Japanese industry veterans
Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day game jam bringing more than 200 developers, artists and designers together with veteran Japanese game creators to build playable prototypes using AI and 3D technology.
The 3D Game Jam kicked off on August 27 at Code Lab, King Saud University in Riyadh and runs until August 30, with participants able to take part both in person and online.
Powered by AI 3D platform AssetHub, the event challenges teams to move from concept to playable prototype over three days, with a $10,000 prize pool on offer.
Saudi developers will also receive feedback from a jury of Japanese gaming veterans whose credits span franchises including Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
The jury includes Yoshiki Okamoto, the veteran Japanese game producer who worked on
Street Fighter II and contributed to franchises including Resident Evil, Onimusha and Monster Hunter.
He is joined by former Square Enix executive producer Rie Narusawa, whose credits include Dragon Quest: Mystery Dungeon Mobile and mobile versions of Final Fantasy IV, V and VI, and Toshiyuki Uehara, president of Upper Ground and a former Square Enix game director who worked across Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and Lord of Vermilion titles.
Teams are being tasked with creating original characters, worlds, stories and gameplay while exploring how artificial intelligence can form part of the game itself, rather than simply being used to accelerate traditional development.
Organisers said potential concepts could include games inspired by Saudi culture, history and nature, alongside dynamic dialogue, characters and environments that respond to player behaviour.
The programme combines what organisers describe as Japan's experience in game and IP creation with Saudi Arabia's growing pool of developers and investment in building a domestic gaming industry.
Participants began concept and prototype development on August 27, using AI-assisted concept art and AssetHub's tools to produce 3D models before integrating assets into game engines and playtesting their projects.
Selected teams will present their prototypes during Demo Day on August 29, receiving feedback and critiques from the Japanese jury.
An investor meetup will follow on August 30, bringing participating teams together with investors and members of Saudi Arabia's gaming community.
The prototypes will be evaluated across five areas: distinctive world and visual direction, core gameplay and design, AI-native design, conceptual coherence and effectiveness as a prototype.
Organisers said graphical polish and commercial potential are not the primary focus, with teams instead being assessed on originality, gameplay and their use of AI to create experiences that would be difficult to achieve through conventional development.
The event is owned and powered by AssetHub, with Saudi Arabia's Levelz Gaming Group serving as local partner and HackathonX handling the competition and event operations.
Tencent Cloud is sponsoring the event's technical infrastructure, while Saudi Arabia's Center of Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE) is hosting the game jam at its Code Lab facility at King Saud University.
The event concludes on August 30.
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