nzgda.com

[sknightly]

5pm Friday 29 Jan – 5pm Sunday 31 Jan

What
The Global Game Jam is a 48 hour event where video games developers and artists come together, form teams and rapidly develop a video game. It’s happening in over 120 locations around the world – starting with New Zealand – on the same weekend.

It’s creative, it’s cooperative, it’s chaotic and it’s huge fun. At the start of the event participants are given a theme and some constraints and then dive straight in. With such a small time frame, the games tend to be innovative and experimental.

Where
In Auckland: Media Design School, Queen St, Auckland.
Also at University of Waikato in Hamilton, University of Otago in Dunedin and 120 other locations around the world.

When
From 5pm Friday 29 January until 5pm Sunday 31 January (Auckland Anniversary holiday weekend).
The event starts at 5pm in each timezone around the world, meaning New Zealand will be the first location in the world to kick-off.

Who
Anyone interested in video game development: programmers, artists (2D and 3D), designers, sound artists, musicians.
You will be expected to already have some basic knowledge of game development (there will be no tutorials or teachers provided on the day), and a willingness to work in a team with people you don’t already know.
The Auckland event is organised by the Auckland Game Developers Meetup and Playmaker, the Independent Game Developers Association of NZ.

How
It starts at 5pm on Friday with friendly introductions, followed by a run-through of the rules, the theme, and the constraints. Participants then quickly come up with ideas and pitch them to everyone else. Once everyone has formed or joined a team, the groups split up for further brainstorming around the idea, and reconvene in a shared workspace with the other teams to start development. The Media Design School has PCs available to use or you can bring your own laptop and software of choice.

Finished games are handed in at 3pm on Sunday, after which everyone plays all the other games and votes for their favourite. The winners get kudos and bragging rights. All finished games will be uploaded to the Global Game Jam website for the world to see.

Register now
For more info and to register visit www.playmaker.org.nz/gamejam
Registration costs $20, which includes dinner on the Friday night and other refreshments.

[Elliot]

Awesome! Good luck to all those entering.

[sknightly]

Over sixty computer game developers from Auckland, Hamilton and Dunedin have just completed a grueling 48-hour game making marathon. 140 locations around the world participated simultaneously in the Global Game Jam, with New Zealand being the first country to begin.

Teams of game designers, programmers, artists and musicians were given challenge of making a game around the theme of ‘deception’ in just one weekend.

After brainstorming ideas, two late nights, pizza and energy drinks, 21 games were produced locally, spanning genres from shooters, platformers to role-playing and ‘god games’. The games are available for download at www.playmaker.org.nz/gamejam

Auckland Game Jam organiser Stephen Knightly says the event gives game developers the chance to experiment and take risks by rapidly prototyping games. “This year’s deception theme led to some clever twists and new takes on established genres. For instance, games that try to trick the player and rather than the player being in charge, the game plays the player.”

“Making a game is a complex task, combining technical as well as creative skills. The weekend has shown that there are some truly skilled, world-class game developers and artists in New Zealand,” says Knightly.

The game developers participating included students, hobbyists, independent developers and employees from professional studios.

The event was hosted by the Media Design School in Auckland, University of Waikato and University of Otago and supported by Playmaker, the Independent Game Developers Association of New Zealand. The global event is run by the International Game Developers Association and is now in its second year.

[sknightly]

TVNZ's Media7 show reported on the Game Jam here: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sZX9n0YC7w [/url]