From March 6 to 12, 2023, the 2nd edition of the Sherbrooke Video Game Week will thrill the Estrie city with its colorful programming and unifying events under the theme of video games. Whether you work in the video game industry, are looking for a career in it or simply want to have fun, the event offers something for all curiosities. Here’s everything you need to know about this must-see event!
The entire Estrie video game community is mobilizing to offer the Sherbrooke community a week filled with major events. Several influential players in the video game industry will be present throughout the programming, including teachers, developers, programmers and 3D artists. Many Sherbrooke studios will be there, including Ubisoft Sherbrooke, newly installed at Espace Centro on Wellington Street South.
Several independent but no less well-known and adored Estrie studios will also join the event, including GolemLabs (SuperPower), Erupting Volcano (The Repairing Mantis), Lucid Dreams Studios (Legends of Ethernal) and Misstic Studio (Sunrise’s Order). This will be the perfect time to network with the big names in Eastern Townships video games!
A big start
Sherbrooke Video Game Week kicks off at 4 p.m. on March 6 with a coffee talk at Siboire Dépôt. The networking event will focus on video game training in the Eastern Townships. Academic advisors, representatives of educational institutions, lecturers and employers will be on hand to inform you about learning opportunities in the field and answer your questions!
Gaming Drink and launch of a Virtual Diving novel
On March 8 at 5 p.m., don’t miss the special Gaming Drink as part of Sherbrooke Video Game Week! Gaming Drinks typically take place every first Wednesday of the month. These are conferences aimed at programmers and artists of video games and technocreative content, but also for all people passionate about video games, animation and technologies of all kinds. The theme of this special edition of the Gaming Drink remains to be discovered.
The Gaming Drink will be followed, at 7:30 p.m., by the launch of the book Virtual Dive, a thriller by author, artist and director Stéphane Baillargeon. The novel is set in Sherbrooke and deals with cyberaddiction, a subject that particularly affects teenagers. This launch is part of a major project by the author, who will soon offer copies of his novel during a lecture tour for Secondary 4 and 5 students from several Estrie schools.
Grandir Sans Frontières, Video game creation workshops
In an initiative funded by the Government of Canada, Grandir Sans Frontières offers a series of turnkey workshops in a pedagogical and fun approach to elementary and high school students. As part of the Play the Codes! program, workshops will focus on the video game creation journey and will be offered throughout the day, depending on the availability of teachers. The number of places is limited! To register and learn more, visit the website here !
The Game Jam
Game Jam 2023 is a Hackathon-type event during which participants are summoned, alone or in teams, to develop and design a video game in 48 hours. The theme will be announced for the first time to all teams on Friday evening, March 10, which will mark the beginning of the challenge, which usually brings together more than fifty artists and programmers locally. The event will be held at 155 Belvédère Street North in Sherbrooke, at the Collégial du Séminaire de Sherbrooke.
Novices and professionals are encouraged to participate. However, it is necessary to purchase a ticket to participate in the event. You can get them for about $25 at the online box office.
Would you like to learn more about Game Jam before participating? Don’t miss the information session that will be given online on the Discord Gaming Sherbrooke server on March 7 at 5 p.m. To join the meeting, click here !
The console that consoles
On March 11 and 12, 2023, meet at the Centre de foires de Sherbrooke for La Console qui console, a gaming marathon bringing together geeks and gamers to have fun as a group while raising funds for various charities, including Leucan Estrie. The event will allow visitors to discover game consoles from all eras, participate in board game tournaments, introductions to role-playing games. Do you know how to show composure and precision in combat situations? An arena of Nerfs blasters will allow you to demonstrate your prowess and show off in front of your friends!
The most experienced players will be able to bring their computer or console to participate in tournaments or play in network (LAN) with their friends on site. The goal of the event: to allow people to network while having fun, to put the passion for gaming to the benefit of the community, to raise awareness about healthy habits to take in connection with electronic games and screens, as well as to support the growth of eSports in Quebec.
So, are you ready to explore all that Sherbrooke Video Game Week has to offer? Visit the Sherbrooke Innopole website to learn more about programming and find the complete list of training institutions that offer programs related to the video game industry!
Article sponsored by Sherbrooke Innopole.
