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WildStar gets the band together for a game jam
You don't get into a video game career to make huge stacks of money, you do it because you love games. That means that the idea of Game Jams can actually make sense. What's a Game Jam? Well, it's the event on display in the latest WildStar Wednesday, and it's also a way for the Carbine Studios team to relax from the stress of a work week by coming in and working for another eight hours on something crazy. No, that's really the idea. As explained in the article, Game Jams consist of people coming into the office, deciding on a task, and splitting off into small teams to make a playable build of something within eight hours. It's a chance for designers, programmers, and artists to all stretch their legs a bit more, possibly exploring aspects of the game that they're not normally involved in on a day-to-day basis. And a chance for people to relax from work by doing more work, that's also a thing.
Surgeon Simulator 2013 transplanted to Steam tomorrow
Surgeon Simulator 2013 will be available for download on Steam tomorrow, April 19. It started out as a cheeky (and wince-inducing) game jam project by four developers made in just two days, and was later approved as a full release by Steam's Greenlight program. You can still play the original jam result online for free, but the full release includes more surgery scenarios, including an operation in the back of a moving ambulance. The physics have been improved, too, and the developers say it'll work on Windows, Mac or Linux on day one.Upon its launch on Steam, the game will cost $9.99 - way cheaper and less grueling than years of medical school.
Molyjam: Building a game jam for everyone
Double Fine programmer Anna Kipnis hosted a wonderful GDC panel about her time creating "What Would Molydeux," a 2012 game jam inspired by the Peter Molyneux twitter parody, Peter Molydeux. The jam was a rousing success, spanning 32 cities worldwide, with Peter Molyneux himself even showing up for the London event. Rather than trying to encapsulate the whole panel here, I suggest you watch it for yourself.After the panel, Kipnis told me that one of the most remarkable things about Molyjam was that it attracted so many kinds of people. "We really wanted people who had never worked on games to come, because there was such a wide variety of disciplines," she said. Sound composers in particular, she said, were reticent to come and were worried they wouldn't have enough to do. "People die for audio, and what ends up happening actually is that you have one audio guy working on like five different games."
Mojang's Mojam spawned Nuclear Pizza War, more; donations still open
Mojam, the Humble Bundle game jam featuring Minecraft developers at Mojang and a host of their indie friends, is over and the world is nine games richer. Mojam featured three official teams from Mojang and one surprise entry, along with teams from indie developers Grapefrukt, Ludosity, Oxeye Game Studio, Vlambeer and Wolfire Games.The Mojang teams made Nuclear Pizza War, Endless Nuclear Kittens, Battle Frogs and Nuke the Dinosaurs Blueprint Prototype. Grapefrukt made Tektonic, Ludosity made Space Hunk, Oxeye was responsible for 3918, Vlambeer made Wasteland Kings and Wolfire created Low-light. Check out each of the games here. They will all be available for download "in the near future."The charities Block to Block and the EFF are richer because of the jam, too: So far Mojam has raised $461,000, all for charity, and donations will stay open until March 2. Anyone who donates gets to play the games these indies made with just four days, some random words and probably a lot of energy drinks.
Humble Bundle Mojam 2: The Mojammening live stream up now
The second Humble Bundle Mojam charity event is a go, now through Saturday, February 23, streaming live via the Humble Bundle website. Mojang – the developers of Minecraft – have joined forces with indie studios Grapefrukt, Ludosity, Oxeye Game Studio, Vlambeer and Wolfire Games for this year's Mojam, for a total of eight expected games (Mojang is making three). All proceeds from Mojam benefit Block by Block and the Electronic Frontier Foundation charities.Watching Mojang and the other teams make games is absolutely free, though those interested can throw some money at Humble Bundle and get playable versions of the jam games at the end of it all. Last year's Mojam raised $460,000 for charity.Fans got to help choose the themes for this year's Mojam, and there's a full list of the teams' assignments here. Mojang's three games, for example, are based on themes of French Nuclear Spaceship, Endless Nuclear Kittens and Nuclear Pizza War.
Mojang's Mojam starts tomorrow, choose the theme today
The developers at Mojang, creators of Minecraft, are splitting into two teams and banging out a lineup of complete games in three days for Mojam, from tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET to Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Six additional indie developers will be on hand to help Mojang make some games: Grapefrukt, Ludosity, Oxeye Game Studio, Vlambeer and Wolfire Games.Mojang will livestream Mojam, and viewers will be able to donate to the charities Block by Block and the EFF. Those who donate will be able to play the final games and any builds that pop up during the jam, and donating more than the average enters those people into exclusive raffles. The previous Humble Bundle Mojam raised $460,000 for charity.For now, vote for your favorite two words that will inspire the Mojam creations, from a list including "Dinosaur," "Envelope," "French," "Malarkey," "Pizza," "Squashy," "Triangulation," and terrifyingly, "Docking."
Ouya's Create game jam yields more than 150 games in 10 days
The Create game jam was designed to jump-start Ouya game development, asking indies to make an Android-based game in just 10 days, from January 13 - 24. Now that development time is up, Kill Screen has a list of all the games up for judgment, with finalists to be announced on February 11 and winners on February 18.More than 150 games made it into the jam, including the cartoony Super Ushi Adventures from Brightside Games, robot-based skyrizer from The Long Gunmen, side-scrolling 3D adventure Battle Camel from Jibberish Games, and Pig Eat Ball from Serious Sam Double D developer Mommy's Best Games (video embedded above).Judges in the Create contest include geek extraordinaire Felicia Day, Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman, Phil Fish of Fez fame, Journey composer Austin Wintory, Ouya advisor Ed Fries and SpellTower creator Zach Gage. The grand prize is $20,000, plus an extra $5,000 if the game actually launches on Ouya. Winners in five more categories win $5,000 each, plus $1,000 if the game makes it to Ouya. There's a special category for games using the Unity engine, with the winner taking home $2,500 and a Unity Pro license.[Thanks, Nate!]
'Create' game jam will generate Ouya games, quickly
If the Ouya is to succeed among not only traditional game consoles, but other Android console things, it needs some standout games. To fulfill that requirement, Ouya is teaming up with Kill Screen to create a bunch of games in short order.The "CREATE" game jam is a ten-day competition running between January 14 and January 23. Developers are encouraged to create new games for the tiny console and promote it on social media, in order to get a piece of a $45,000 prize pool.Judges for the competition include Phil Fish, Adam Saltsman, Zach Gage, Felicia Day, Ed Fries, and more. No pressure.
OUYA and Kill Screen announce CREATE Game Jam, bait developers with $45,000 in prizes
Excited for OUYA? So are the folks at Kill Screen -- so much so, they've seen fit to host a 10-day competition to coax OUYA compatible game prototypes out of the development community. It's calling the event CREATE, and in addition to drumming up interest for Kickstarter's favorite game console, it aims to celebrate how OUYA and a new generation of indie game developers are making the television an open gaming platform. Starting on January 14th, Kill Screen will start accepting prototype submissions of playable (but not necessarily complete) games. Ten days later, a panel of indie veterans will cull the fat, and select finalists based on not only the game itself, but the social media efforts of its development team. This is an indie game competition, after all. The contest judges entrants on how effectively they use the OUYA platform too, including processor, sound, controller integration, in-game payments and other elements available in the console's development kit. Winners can score anywhere between $5,000 to $20,000 in prizes, with an extra bonus if the finished game launches on OUYA. Enough incentive for you? Check out Kill Screen's full contest rules at the source link below.
Ludum Dare 25 closes out today with some banging indie games
The relaxed version of Ludum Dare 25 ends today, while the 48-hour game jam closed out yesterday, and all this means that there are some brand spankin' new indie games you can play right now. Most developers are now posting links to their jam games, both in download and browser form, on the Ludum Dare blog.A few that take clever advantage of the jam's theme, "You are the villain," are Deadland, You Are The Goatman, Train Splat, The World is Mine!, Super Witch Hunter Pro (pictured above) and of course Mike Schramm's (of the Schramm Joystiqs) Space Liberators. There are tons of diamonds in the Ludum Dare rough, so browse the blog to find your favorite.
Ludum Dare 25 ends today or tomorrow, relative to devs' daring
Ludum Dare, a massive online game jam currently on its 25th iteration, is going on right now, but won't be for much longer. Ludum Dare 25 began on December 14 with the theme, "You are the villain" (We didn't want to tell you, but you totally are. Pity, that).Ludum Dare 25 consists of the strict, 48-hour solo competition, which ends today, and the more "relaxed" jam, which ends tomorrow, December 17. Anyone interested in taking a peek behind the lacy, gently wafting curtain of indie game development can do so on the Ludum Dare website, where developers post updates, photos and thoughts for all to see. But be quick – the developers certainly are.
'Indie Speed Run' online game jam judged by Kellee Santiago, Ron Gilbert, Notch, et al
Indie Speed Run, despite the name, is surprisingly not what we call the Friday nights we spend practicing our no-death VVVVVV runs. It is, however, the name of a new online game jam, one which runs from now until January 6.The way it works is pretty straight-forward: Developers visit the official website and register as a participant. Once enrolled, each contender (and/or team of contenders) has 48 hours to create a game using two secret elements given only to them, and while those 48 hours must be consecutive, they can occur anytime between now and when the event ends in January.Once the event does end, every game created during its span will be made freely available on the official site. Meanwhile, a star-studded panel of judges (Kellee Santiago, Ron Gilbert, Notch, Dino Patti, Trent Oster, Jason Rohrer and Vander Caballero) will determine which team is most deserving of Indie Speed Run's $2,500 grand prize and will announce a winner February 5.
PSA: Exercise your creative spite in 'F*ck This Jam' today
The "F*ck This Jam" event, a game jam about creating games in genres you hate, begins today, running through November 17. Participants can sign up through the "BMO" tool, an online system designed to track individual processes in game jams. Naturally, it was originally developed for the Adventure Time Game Making Frenzy.Right now, 1,426 people are signed up to turn their distaste into a new game. Join them and turn something you hate into something you like. Or learn something about game design from a genre you typically shun. Or just make a game, or something.
Here are the current most-hated game genres in F*ck This Jam
F*ck This Jam is all about anarchy on the indie scene, challenging developers to pick their most hated genre and create a brilliant game within it. Founder Rami Ismail isn't doing this because he's a sadist; he believes in the possibility for beauty in resentment. So far the top three most-hated genres submitted to F*ck This Jam are social, sports and racing games.As Ismail sees it, some of the best indie games are borne out of a disdain for a particular genre: Alexander Bruce's Antichamber is a study in aversion to puzzle games. Ramiro Corbetta's Hokra, on the other hand, is a minimalist take on a sports game that similarly blurs the genre's definition."The idea is to get people to challenge established rules and conventions," Ismail says. Even the jam itself is an anomaly: It lasts an entire week, where standard jams last two days or so. Ismail and co-founder Fernando Ramallo are setting up a transparent website for all the developers to post updates, live stream their games-in-progress and share their creations with the world, every step of the way."Traditionally jams are an introverted thing," Ismail says. "But jams are supposed to force people to do things differently, and F*ck This Jam will challenge the notion that jams are introverted."
'F*ck This Jam' tasks devs to create games in genres they don't like
"F*ck This Jam" is the game jam that asks developers to create games for genres they hate or are just in "utter ignorance" of. Organized by Vlambeer's Rami Ismail and indie dev Fernando Ramallo, the game jam will take place from November 9 through November 17."Hopefully, we will be pushing genres past their preconceived notions and the individual developers to challenge themselves out of their comfort-zone," said Ismail.Participation is free and open to those across the globe. Folks interested in more info can sign up on the official site. Now, question: How are they going to assure it isn't 90 percent sportsball games?
UK student games jam breaks world record for jamming games
A group of UK students broke the world record for the largest games jam, with 329 young developers gathering to make games within 48 hours. Despite what could only be some hardcore sleep deprivation, the jam managed to make 41 games for Windows 8.The event, sponsored by Microsoft and gaming courses provider Train2Game, broke the previous world record of 300. As an added bonus, any games Microsoft deems suitable for release are being published on the Windows Store. [Image credit: Train 2 Game Facebook page]
Make an Adventure Time game in 48 hours next week
What time is it? Frantic, sleepless coding time! A last-minute event has been added to the upcoming Fantastic Arcade celebrations in Austin, TX: a 48-hour game jam in which participants will attempt to create games about, based on, inspired by, or otherwise tied into Cartoon Network's wonderful Adventure Time.The "Game Making Frenzy" from September 14-16 is open to anyone worldwide, with space available in Austin for local developers. "Guys, this is maybe the coolest Adventure Time thing.. for me.." Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward said on Twitter. "I'm super excited about this." Jake and Finn are also apparently super excited.
Journey unearths retro head-hunting in CE minigame, 'Gravediggers'
One of the three minigames included in the Journey Collector's Edition is Gravediggers, a title (un)borne from thatgamecompany's first 24-hour game jam in 2008, though it looks more like it comes out of 1980. The static visuals belie a complex multiplayer game, wherein up to six players have to shoot the heads off of zombies and other players alike, and deposit them in crypts, with the first player to 50 heads winning the round. Polygon reports that zombies can kill you, as can other players, and opponent's heads are worth five points rather than the one point for each zombie cranium. Watch (or mostly listen to) the action above and prepare to pack your pistols come August 28.
What Would Molydeux? game jam expands; list of what would Molymake
"What Would Peter Molyduex, if he were here right now? We bet he'd kick an a..." and we'll let your twisted little minds fill in the rest of those lyrics. The What Would Molydeux? game jam has turned from a two-city semi-satirical proposition into a 16-city, truly international game jam, running from March 30-April 1.What Would Molydeux? has developers choose a premise from any of @petermolydeux's brilliant and/or strange game propositions, and create it in 48 hours. It is important to note that Peter Molydeux is not Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and former Lionhead Studios mastermind, but Molydeux does do a wonderful impression.Molydeux is hopeful these proposals will see creation during the game jam, but anything from his Twitter is up for grabs. What Would Molydeux? begins at 7 p.m. local time around the world on Friday, March 30.
Peter Molydeux game jam may include real Molyneux, March 31 to April 1
Peter Molydeux may be recognized on some level as a comedic genius, satirizing Fable creator Peter Molyneux on Twitter in the form of outlandish, brilliant game proposals, such as: You control a mystical rabbit at a bus stop during Winter. You must find as many creative ways as possible to make people miss their buses. - petermolydeuxNOT (@petermolydeux) December 2, 2011It's turning out that Molydeux may just be a genius, all comedic modifiers aside. Yesterday, after the world premiere of the above trailer for Molydeux's latest parody, Pin Drop, things turned serious. Anna Kipnis of Double Fine tweeted the idea of a game jam "where each team picks an idea from @petermolydeux and goes for it," and Molydeux responded that he would give any jam based on his "world-changing designs" his "blessing and support."Today we have MolyJam2012, set to run March 31 through April 1 (April Fool's Day) in San Francisco and overseas in Brighton, but developers around the world are invited to join via a shared sign-up sheet, Molydeux tweeted.
