This event is SGA’s second official visit to North Macedonia, so we are mingling with the neighborhood community about a year after our previous meeting. MGI (Macedonian Gaming Industry Association) is one of our close partners from the region, with whom we maintain contacts and try to organize joint activities as often as possible.
MGI also got involved in the localization of the Shift2Games platform into the Macedonian language, so that the entire content of the site, where you can find detailed descriptions of 50 different positions within the game dev industry, with lots of informative resources and advice for all those who are looking for their career path in the domain of video game creation. The platform is intended for students, young professionals, high school students, or even parents who are involved in the career orientation of their children.
The platform was launched in the spring of 2023 in the Serbian language, and since then Career Days events have been realized under its auspices, which have been held so far in Novi Sad, Belgrade, Nis and Novi Pazar. At these events, the audience can hear inspiring and informative lectures about what it’s like to work in the gaming industry, but also talk directly with HR from local gaming companies, as well as with experienced art directors who do portfolio reviews for free.
With the support of the RECONOMY project, as well as partners MGI and the C4Communities from Albania, Shift2games is now available in as many as 4 languages: Serbian, English, Macedonian and Albanian, with an additional “universal” BHS version that can be used by those interested throughout the region. The new site will be officially presented at this event, which is the last in a series of regional gatherings that we have organized this year.
Like all the previous ones (Sarajevo, Tirana, Perast), this event jointly presents two interesting SGA projects – Playing Narratives and Shift2Games, each of which, in its own way, is aimed at students and young professionals who want to get professionally involved in game development. Three lecturers coming from Serbia and North Macedonia will look at different aspects of what it’s like to work in the gaming industry, and what some of the positions and processes look like:
• Milan Ličina, Professor, Metropolitan University Belgrade
• Milica Todorović, Associate Producer, Ubisoft Belgrade
• Ivan Sazdovski QA Engineer, Sindex
As the Playing Narratives mentoring program this year had the theme of climate change, Marjana Brkić, who is leading their international project Climate Europe 2, will address the audience in front of the CPN. After the program, join us at the networking party, and see the intriguing setup that will be presented colleagues from CPN.
Special thanks to Base42 for the hospitality, and DJ Gameover for the music selection!
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*** This year’s program would not be possible without the support of the RECONOMY* project, as well as dedicated partners from the industry – the company 3Lateral as part of Epic Games and the program partner Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN). In addition to them, the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute in Serbia are participating in the project.
* RECONOMY is a regional inclusive and green economic development program of the Swedish Development Agency Sida, which is implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, in cooperation with the organization Help – Hilfe zir Selbsthilfe e.V. and other partners in the countries of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership.