Games have always had a special place in Wirenius's heart
Aaron Wirenius has always loved games. That was part of the reason why applying to Jamk and Game Production was such an easy and obvious choice for him: "Applying to Business Information Technology, Game Production was an easy choice because I know games and gaming. I basically had no experience in producing them, but I was ready to learn."
It took Wirenius a while to get into the realities of the gaming industry and the work that went into publishing a new game and making profit out of it, but the more he learned, the more sure he was he had chosen the right path: ”As my studies advanced and my skills grew and I got to know my fellow students, I found the passion for working in the industry."
"It's a creative industry with a lot of potential for even more growth in the future"
Yli-Olli fell for Jyväskylä's charm as a lively student-sized city - and the fact that he could study Game Production just sealed the deal. ”Game production is a creative industry with a lot of future potential and a chance for one to really express themselves creatively. Business Information Technology a.k.a BIT gave me the perfect chance to get my foot in the door in the industry.”
Like Wirenius, Yli-Olli's passion for games started already early in his youth: "But when it came to actually making a career out of it, what really drew me to it, was the creative freedom of the industry and the chance to work in such a wide selection of different types of roles.”
HOVi Production is team formed by motivated game industry enthusiasts
Slug Wars is a multiplayer online game created by HOVi Production. Slug Wars is a third-person shooter game, where the goal is to destroy members of the opposing team until they run out of lives. The game has an interesting twist - dying is, in a way, beneficial, since the players gain special features once they die.
”HOVi Production is formed by 18 members, 8 out of which are so called core-members. We've tried to include everyone motivated and excited about producing the game in the team. The roles within the team have been defined by each team member's interests and know-how", Wirenius, the CEO of HOVi production, describes his team.
HOVi Production is currently working on the finishing touches for teh game. Their goal is to publish Slug Wars during Q1 of 2025 on Steams.
”We're also open to work on customer projects and co-operating with other organizations. Our goal is to grow our company and work on at least two new game projects per year."
Lumo Creations aims to create unforgettable and relaxing gaming experiences
Harmony in the Wild is and open world adventure game created by Lumo Creations. In the game the player takes the form of a young fox to explore different terrains, such as forests, the Arctic Sea, and oceans. The story focuses on helping to balance these terrains, helping the slowly dying nature. The player must solve different tasks while growing their skill sets to help the world around them once again regain its vibrant colors.
”Our team has been very dedicated to the development of this game and I'm really proud of what we have achieved”, Yli-Olli, the project manager of Lumo Creations, shares.
Lumo Creations's international team is mostly formed by Jamk's Game Production students. All in all over 20 people have worked on the game. Currently, 11 of them are still actively working on it. ”We've received a lot of positive and constructive feedback on our demo on Steam, which has helped us work on the finishing touches. We're ready to publish the game independently.”
”Our new Steam page was published at the end of November. The aim was to grow our visibility and to reach both new players and potential business partners. We're publishing a new demo during the first week of December and we're planning to publish the full game during Q1 of 2025. We hope that Harmony in the Wild is only a beginning to what all we can achieve with this team. Our goal, with Lumo Creations, is to keep on creating unforgettable and relaxing gaming experiences.”
Don't forget to visit Harmony in the Wild's Steam page >>
Studying in English opened doors to new international environments
Wirenius didn't have any doubts about studying in English - he had noticed that he preferred to produce text in English. "My English has been pretty good since I was a kid. Mostly I've learned it through gaming and other pop-culture and media contents. But we also often had exchange students in our family, which gave me a chance to practise my English with them", Wirenius reminisces. ”So far I've had no trouble studying in English - on the contrary, I feel like my English skills have developed during them."
Yli-Olli has always been interested in internationality. "Degree programmes taught in English were my main priority while applying. I felt like studying in English would give me an opportunity to challenge myself, opening up new opportunities and chances to meet people from different backgrounds. If you're interested in internationality, I really encourage you to study in English!”
