Game Jam - a collection of game developers, with the goal of developing one or more games for a limited period of time (usually from 24 to 72 hours). Game jam participants are usually programmers, game designers, artists, and other specialists working in the field of game development.
Typically, computer games are created during game jams; [1] however, board games have also gained some popularity. [2]
Content
History
The name "Game Jam" comes from the combination of the words game ( game ) and Jam Session ( jam session ). A jam session is a joint musical improvisation, with the goal of creating new material or just meeting and practicing together. Similarly, a gamejam is an event during which developers create working prototypes of games based on their ideas. [3]
In March 2002, developers Chris Hecker and Sean Barrett , to study the hardware capabilities when rendering a large number of sprites, developed a specialized game engine, the feature of which was the ability to display a large number of sprites. Hecker and Barrett invited several developers to meet at the office of Hacker in Auckland, California , to create several innovative games based on the new engine. This event was called the “0th Indie Game Jam,” which aims to “encourage experimentation and innovation in the gaming industry.” [four]
Format
Place
Some local games are hosted at universities, meeting rooms, or other private accommodations. [5] The Global Game Jam is held once a year, at the same time, in hundreds of venues in more than 90 countries around the world. [6] Ludum Dare members generally remain at home, however local meetings are held in some cities to attend Ludum Dare.
Time Limits
Gamejams usually have a time limit, from several hours to several days. The most common format is the Ludum Dare counterpart - 48 hours. [2] [3]
Theme
For a gamejam, a theme can be defined which the created games should correspond to. The topic is usually announced shortly before the jam begins, so that participants can not use pre-prepared materials. [3] In addition, the topic establishes additional restrictions on the games being developed, which stimulates creativity, [7] and can also become an object of study. [8] [9] The rules allow a fairly wide scope for various interpretations of the topic, which allows to reveal the topic from an unusual perspective. [10] [11]
Technology
In video game jams, teams usually consist of a programmer and an artist. [3] Due to time constraints, participants prefer to choose tools to create a simple prototype in a short time ( Game Maker , Construct 2 ). However, more complex game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine can also be used.
Also, due to the fact that a large number of games are created on jams that players and other participants will want to familiarize themselves with, technologies are often used to launch the game directly in the browser - HTML5 or Flash .
Examples
Ludum Dare
Ludum Dare - one of the largest and most famous gamejams, was first held in April 2002. The Ludum Dare format implies 2 competitions starting simultaneously:
- Compo - you can participate only on your own, all game content must be created during the jam, duration - 48 hours.
- Jam - teams can participate, third-party or previously created blanks can be used, duration - 72 hours.
At the end of the jam, participants can vote for the work of other participants, choosing winners in several categories:
- Innovation - the uniqueness of the idea.
- Fan - How interesting the game is to play.
- Theme - Matching Ludum Dare Theme
- Graphics - Visual style and effects.
- Audio - Voice acting and sounds in the game.
- Humor - Funny dialogs, sounds, characters, etc.
- Mood - The story, plot, emotions received during the game.
- General - the overall impression of the game.
In addition to the main competition, which takes place 3 times a year (starting from 2008 - April, August and December [12] ), several other jams are also organized on the Ludum Dare website:
- Minild
- October Challenge
- Warmup weekend
Global Game Jam
Unlike Ludum Dare, Global Game Jam rules do not allow participation from home - all gamers must be registered at one of the local jam venues. In 2016, there were more than 600 such places around the world, in 93 countries of the world. [13] In Russia, the first Global Game Jam was held in Krasnodar in 2013. In 2016, Krasnodar, St. Petersburg, Moscow and Chelyabinsk participated in the jam.
A topic (one for all) is announced in each city at 17:00 local time (and is kept secret until 17:00 in the last time zone - New Zealand time). In addition, a few days before the start, diversifiers become known - additional sub-topics that are not required to be used.
Game Examples
Below is an incomplete list of games brought to release, prototypes of which were developed as part of gamejams: [14]
- Broforce
- Evoland
- Gods will be watching
- Mcpixel
- Mini metro
- Party hard
- Punch club
- Superhot [15]
See also
- Hackathon
- Ludum dare
- Barcamp
- Amnesia fortnight
- Global game jam
- Indie game jam
- Nordic Game Jam
- Shayla games
- Exile jam
- TOJam
- SPJam
Notes
- ↑ Shin, Kaneko, Matsui, Mikami, Nagaku, Nakabayashi, Ono, Yamane, and lovesplayingslender. Localizing Global Game Jam . Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 Global Game Jam . Retrieved February 21, 2013.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Jagnow, Rob. Game Jam Central , Retrieved February 4, 2013.
- ↑ Hecker, Chris. 0th Indie Game Jam . Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ↑ TOJam . Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ↑ Global Game Jam 2016 . globalgamejam.org.
- ↑ STL Game Jam . Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- ↑ (October 22, 2014) " Promoting Inclusive Design Practices at the Global Game Jam: A Pilot Evaluation " (pdf) in Proceedings of the 2014 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference .: 1–4, IEEE. DOI : 10.1109 / FIE.2014.7044162 . Retrieved January 1, 2016 .
- ↑ (14 May 2013) " Promoting Game Accessibility: Experiencing an Induction on Inclusive Design Practice at the Global Games Jam " (pdf) in Proceedings of the Inaugural Workshop on the Global Games Jam .: 17–20, Society for Advancing the Study of Digital Games. DOI : 10.13140 / RG.2.1.5193.6481 . Retrieved January 1, 2016 .
- ↑ Ludum Dare 24 - Evolution . Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- ↑ Ludum Dare Rules and Guide . Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- ↑ Ludum Dare Competitions | Ludum Dare . ludumdare.com. Date of treatment December 11, 2016.
- ↑ So long # GGJ16, and thanks for all the fun! | Global Game Jam® Neopr . globalgamejam.org. Date of treatment May 12, 2016.
- ↑ Steam Curator: Ludum Dare . store.steampowered.com. Date of treatment April 11, 2016.
- ↑ 7DFPS unspecified . 7dfps.com. Date of treatment April 11, 2016.