University of Tasmania students help produce new game for PS5

We do a lot in Tasmania, but did you know we make video games? Here’s the newest game hitting the market, made with the brainpower of UTAS students.

Lake Hopkins UTAS student who was involved with developing a PS5 game called Party Poppers. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Tech students at the University of Tasmania have sharpened their programming and production skills, putting their minds together to create a new video game, which will soon launch on the PlayStation 5.

University of Tasmania associate professor of ICT Kristy de Salas is the producer of Giant Margarita, the company behind the new game, Party Poppers.

She said it was a competitive game, designed to be played by multiple people.

“It’s basically about these really colourful “poppers”, they’re tiny little adorable dinosaurs, they’re actually wanting to collect as many balloons as they possibly can,” Professor de Salas said.

Play Station 5 game Party Poppers. Picture: supplied

“But sadly there are other people who want to do exactly the same, so it’s kind of a sabotage, fight game.

“It’s what we call a couch co-op, so it’s actually designed to be locally played, so we love having people on the couch, in the same room together, battling, yelling, screaming.”

Professor de Salas said working on the game was a great opportunity for students to get experience.

“Our students have been involved in the technical development, in the art design, in the marketing, in the business element,” she said.

“There are probably about five or so students involved in Party Poppers and every time we create a game we have a whole range of new students that come on as they’re working on their degree.

“The second they leave they already have a portfolio.”

Associate Professor of Games and Creative technology, Kristy de Salas Picture: Linda Higginson

Platform specialist Lake Hopkins, who is studying a Bachelor of ICT, is one of the students who worked on Party Poppers.

“I make it so the game can work on the console, so the game can work on the PlayStation, make sure the controllers work, make sure the saves work,” she said.

“This game has been a long time coming, I’m excited to see it actually out there and getting played.”

Ms Hopkins said she envisioned a career working on game production and hoped to one day start her own company.

“I started this degree wanting to work on games and there’s a lot to learn,” she said.

“A lot of companies require you to have experience already in the industry and already released games on the different platforms, so this really is a stepping stone to allow me to start my career in games.

“Working on Giant Margarita is giving me the experience I need and developing the skills.

Party Poppers is the fifth game released by Big Margarita.

Giant Margarita received $30k from Screen Tasmania to helps produce the new game.