Right this very second, people are making games. The ripple started in New Zealand, then Australia, then began moving slowly west. By this evening my time, the indie-game development plague will hit the Americas.
Global Game Jam is the IGDA-sponsored 48-hour worldwide event focused on fast-paced game development. I’ve been involved with the event for several years. It’s often a student-focused event, which is how I got involved, but it also attracts professional game developers too.
I’m going to be at the Harrisburg site this year, and I hope to provide a trip report after I fully recover from 48 hours of spotty sleep and too much caffeine. In the mean time, if you’re interested in learning more, you can check out the web site, or, check out the hash-tag #ggj12 on Twitter. Or, if you’ve got nothing cool to do this weekend, it’s not too late to sign up!
Email the author of this post at aj@tap-repeatedly.com.
The Global Game Jam is one of the coolest events of the year. Good luck to all the teams!
Though I’m not a programmer (been there, failed that) I still get a sweet geek thump every year when this noble undertaking kicks off. Events like this may not produce AAA games; but, they do give folks a solid challenge to prove their current skills. With the moving target of keeping current as every artist’s goal, Global Games Jam an excuse to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to hit the target. Anything that that accomplishes that can’t be all bad.