Miami University is pleased to invite you and your friends to participate in the Global Game Jam – January 28-30, 2011. The Global Game Jam (GGJ) encourages people to challenge themselves and be creative. Over the course of a weekend, participants build a computer game or a print-to-play board game from paper prototype to finished marvel. The game theme will be given to participants on the first day of the event – what participants do with the theme is their choice.
At Miami University’s Global Game Jam location participants range from amateurs to professionals and include industry professionals, students, faculty, hobbyists and anyone with a passion for making games. In its second year, the GGJ is a global experiment in creativity that is growing in popularity. Some Stats about the 2010 Global Game Jam:
• 4300 participants in 30 countries produced 900 games
• 1500 gallons of beverages were consumed (that’s an estimate, we can’t confirm that number)
What is a Game Jam?
As the folks at the Toronto Game Jam put it – a game jam is an around the clock, game making binge. Coders, artists, musicians, designers and people who love game making join forces to bless the world with a new computer game. They work intensely over a weekend, and share a passion for games.
A game jam is also an unforgettable bonding experience, a full weekend of hard work, a crazy deadline, and the kind of creative inspiration that only comes at 2:00 am. Think pizza, white boards, Mountain Dew, and aha moments.
Why Jam?
The same reasons musicians jam. Things are better when you work with others. Forty people scurrying to make a great game provides the kind of energy you can only get at a jam. Its part competition, part adrenaline inspired creative spree. Jams are great ways to finally get a game made, get away from your other projects, meet people with the same passions, explore new ideas, test your sleep deprivation skills, learn first-hand game making, get together to make.
Why Jam at Miami?
Between Miami’s Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies and the Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering, we have many great resources. You might not have known it, but Miami has been teaching game design and development for years. Our school gets games. We have faculty in the arts, business, education and engineering, who not only know game making, they love it. We also understand that games are made with lots of input, from lots of different people.
Our location features team rooms, state of the art labs with gaming consoles, and all the resources you’d need to make a great game. We supply food from local restaurants, a set of labs, faculty and staff support, secure storage and all the creature comforts 48 hours if intense game making requires.
Who Jams?
We encourage game makers of all ages. It’s often easier to make your own team of four people, but if you don’t have one, we can match you to a team when you arrive. Most game Jammers range from 15 – 40 years old, and have some specific skill in art, computer programming, game design (analog or digital), or sound and music.
Learn More and Register:
Visit our website at http://AIMS.MUOhio.edu/gamejam. As the Global Game Jam approaches we will provide you with a list of useful items to bring. You can start with a lot of great ideas, some sticky notes (we might have some you can borrow) and a lot of energy.
Registration is $40 and includes all meals and snacks during the event. That’s quite a deal.
More info:
http://aims.muohio.edu/gamejam
Our corporate sponsors include:
Lindsay Grace is a teacher, software developer and designer. He earned the Masters of Science in Computer Information Systems and the Bachelor of Arts in English, both from Northwestern University. He also completed the Master of Fine Arts at the University of Illinois’ Electronic Visualization Laboratory. He has served industry as an independent consultant, web designer, software developer, entrepreneur, business analyst and writer. Lindsay has a joint position between Miami University’s Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies and the School of Fine Arts. His research areas include human-computer interaction, creative and critical gameplay, and web design. He writes regularly about interactive media design and education.
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