Global Game Jam

If you thought making a short film in 48 hours was crazy, what about making a video game in that time? 

The Global Game Jam is a 48-hour event where artists, video game developers and programmers create a video game over just one weekend. Held in over 120 locations worldwide, it’s creative, cooperative, chaotic and huge fun.

New Zealand gamers will be the first to kickoff, when the theme for the games is unveiled at 5pm on Friday 28 January and the teams work flat out until Sunday night.

Global Game Jam is open to anyone interested in making games including artists (2D and 3D and illustrators), designers, animators, sound artists, musicians, programmers and board gamers.

Creators will gather at the Media Design School in Auckland and the University of Waikato and form teams on the weekend.

Register at www.playmaker.org.nz/gamejam

Organiser Stephen Knightly says you don’t have to be an expert to join in. “We need a mix of people. There are roles for artists, musicians, writers and game players to layout levels or playtest.”

“It helps if you know games and have some basic knowledge of game development, but the only rule is a willingness to work in a team with people you don’t already know.”

“On the Friday night you’re 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.”

The event is now in its third year. At the 2010 Jam, sixty local developers produced 21 games around the theme of deception, ranging from shooters and platformers to role-playing and god games.

The event is organised globally by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), with New Zealand being the first timezone to kickoff.

The event is sponsored by The Media Design School, ISP Lightwire and video games consultancy InGame.