1. February 2010 by admin.

Some great games at Global Game Jam @ Miami University. 25 People worked all weekend to make a game.   Participants range from 14-30, and included student artists, experienced programmers, high school students and lots of game-loving creative minds. See more at http://aims.muohio.edu.gamejam.

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25. November 2009 by admin.

Signup for the 2nd Global Game Jam has begun.

The Global Game Jam is an international computer game making festival, where people all over the world race to make an original game in a single weekend. In 2009, the first Global Game Jam involved 1600 people, from 23 countries. From Caracas to Tokyo they made 370 games in one weekend. As the organizers put it, “lives were changed, jobs found, ideas sold, collaborations and opportunities abound.”

Miami University is a site location for the second Global Game Jam ever. We will be hosting participants for the 2010 Global Game, on January 29-31, 2010. For independent game makers, students, and game enthusiasts this is a one-of-kind experience. The event, organized by the International Game Developer’s Association, is the only event of its type in the world.

The Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media studies will be partnering with the Computer Science and Software Engineering department at Miami University to make our school one of the best locations in the Global Game Jam community. Participation is not limited to those areas nor is it limited to members of the Miami community. We strongly encourage everyone with a passion for game making and interactive media to participate. Teams include artists, sound designers, interaction designers, programmers, and anyone with passion for game making. Everyone from high school students to industry professionals may participate. Participants may even receive international press for their game designs. Registration is now available.

I was a guest designer at the Chicago location for the Global Game in 2009 and the energy was fantastic. People fall into a rhythm and really have fun at the event. Spending one intense weekend developing a game is a nice way to add to your portfolio, finally get started on that game you’ve been meaning to make, experience game design, or simply bond with other people who share your passion.

From the 2010 Global Game Jam press release:
“Game Jams foster innovation and experimentation. If you have ever wanted to make a game, be a part of a team, or go outside of your usual working method, then a game jam is for you. It’s all about making games and in the GGJ you’re part of a global experiment in creativity. A game jam is not for the faint of heart though. It’s two days of hard work, experimentation, little sleep, collaboration, new friends, great ideas, laughs, technical issues and the time of your life.

Everyone is given similar constraints and rules to make their games, it is amazing how different and culturally diverse the games will be. The Nordic Game Jam has honored GGJ with being the flagship Game Jam. The goal is to provide a vehicle for professional developers, students and hobbyist to come together and have an incredible experience in collaboration and inventiveness. The GGJ works perfectly into the mission of the International Game Developers Association, ‘Connecting members with their peers & promoting professional development.’ A Game Jam is not a competition, it is unique ‘idea space’ where sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t. “

If you are interested in creating a team, you should being to organize yourselves now. The strongest teams balance designers, artists, and developers. The Global Game Jam will be accepting participants soon, so get ready for this exceptional opportunity! You can learn more about the Miami University Global Game jam at http://aims.muohio.edu/gamejam.

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2. October 2009 by admin.

Are you…awkward?

As humans we are faced with awkward moments everyday and until now
they have been a common point of shame.
- causing inconvenience; “they arrived at an awkward time”
- lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance; “an
awkward dancer”;

- difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape; “an
awkward bundle to carry”; “a load of bunglesome paraphernalia”;
“clumsy wooden shoes”; “the cello, a rather ungainly instrument for a
girl”
- not elegant or graceful in expression; “an awkward prose style”; “a
clumsy apology”; “his cumbersome writing style“; “if the rumor is
true, can anything be more inept than to repeat it now?”
- hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment;
“awkward (or embarrassing or difficult) moments in the discussion”; “an
awkward pause followed his remark”; “a sticky question”; “in the
unenviable position of resorting to an act he had planned to save for
the climax of the campaign”
- socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner; “awkward
and reserved at parties”; “ill at ease among eddies of people he
didn’t know”; “was always uneasy with strangers”

This is a call to submit screen-based media (interactive, video,
photo, etc) exploring the definition of “awkward”. This could include
failed works.

The show will take place in the AVA’s Media Center. The show will
later be featured as an online exhibition.

We will accept works in the following format:

Screen-based work that runs on Apple OS X 10.5 as:
- a standalone Flash executable
- a standalone Max/MSP executable
- Safari 4.* or Firefox 3.5.*, with Flash/Shockwave, Quicktime or
Javascript or Java
(including browser-based Processing)
- Still images will also be considered if they are presented on your
site with a clear and
consistent interface.
Microcontroller-based work that does not require connection to a
computer will also be
considered. Please send a proposal and pictures/diagrams.

To SUBMIT WORK, please send:

Name, Title, 150 word or less description, 150 word or less bio and/or
CV, all as text within the email.

All work, with information listed above, should be submitted as a link
to your web site
where we can view the work or download a file, by email to:

awkward@atrowbri.com

Please do not attach files.

Works too large to put on your website should be sent as a rapidshare
or other file hosting service link. Email the address above if you
would like to send a work via Pando. No other service requiring the
download of a client will be considered.

Curators:
Neely Hyde, Director of Exhibits & Digital Media, Association for
Visual Arts (AVA), Chattanooga, Tennessee, www.avarts.org

Adam Trowbridge, artist and Adjunct Professor, History of Time-Based
Media, The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, www.atrowbri.com

This show was conceived by and will be co-curated by the students of
History of ART 420 History of Time-Based Media at The University of
Tennessee Chattanooga: Sarah Kyle, Austin Reed, Beth Joseph, Erin
Hora, Laura H. Winn, Robert Warren Parker, and others

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22. July 2009 by admin.

Please visit and entry through the official website as follows;
http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2009/entry/guideline.php

Last year the record-setting 2,146 applications came from 44 countries and regions worldwide.
We seek and await dynamic creative works that are opening up a new era from all over the world.

This year, the application period is from today to 25th September 2009 in each division;

[Art Division]
Interactive Art, Installation, Visual Image, Still Image (including Digital Photograph),
Web Work, etc.

[Entertainment Division]
Game, Play Equipment, Visual Image (VFX, CM, MV,etc.), Character, Web Work, etc.

[Animation Division]
Long Animation (Movie, TV, Original Video Animation), Short Animation, etc.

[Manga Division]
Story Manga, Frame Manga, Web Manga, Independent Manga, etc.

《The 13th Japan Media Arts Festival》
Application period；16th July ? 25th September 2009
Divisions；Art/Entertainment/Animation/Manga
Award-winning Works Exhibition；3rd-14th February 2010 at The National Art Center, Tokyo.

We look forward to your participation in the 13th Japan Media Arts Festival again.

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6. July 2009 by admin.

VIDA 12.0 rewards works of art developed with artificial life technologies and related disciplines: robotics, artificial intelligence, etc. It is looking for works of art with emerging behaviours, which evolve over time, react with their environment and seem to have a life of their own. VIDA 12.0 is searching projects that relate technology with biology and that research synthetic characteristics of modern life.
In previous editions, prizes have been awarded to artistic projects created with robots, avatars, recursive chaotic algorithms, knowbots, cellular automata, computer viruses, virtual ecologies that evolve with user interaction, interactive architectures, augmented reality pieces and works that explore the social aspects of A-life.
A total of €40,000 will be awarded to the three projects selected by the jury: First prize: €18,000(*), Second prize: €14,000(*), Third prize: €8,000(*). The winning pieces may be exhibited at Fundación Telefónica Virtual Gallery and in the exhibitions related to art and new technologies it organises or takes part in.
Works of art submitted must not be more than two years old. This enables the Competition to keep updated and aware of the last technological trends in the field of artificial life.

More info here . . .

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29. May 2009 by admin.

The University of Gotland in Sweden is sponsoring the Gotland Game Awards 2009, a student design competition to be held between June 2nd and 3rd, 2009. The event puts 400 local university students in competition to develop the best game in one of several categories.

Over 30 games spanning a variety of genres will participate in the contest. Award categories include Best Serious Game, Best Big Game Project and Best In Show.

One of this year’s competing students, Hakan Mattsson, plans to release his team’s entry on Xbox Live this fall.

“GGA is the highlight of the year for us students,” said Mattsson. “We get the opportunity to meet our future employers and at the same time receiving valuable feedback from some of the best in the business.”

Finalists will be judged by a jury of representatives from game studios such as GRIN, Starbreeze, Massive Entertainment, and Avalanche. Over 40,000 Euro worth of prizes will be awarded during the event, including an expenses-paid trip to a major German game show, during which the winning team will present its game to attending industry figures.

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7. April 2009 by admin.

Critical Gameplay is a collection of strategically designed video games. Each game asks the question, what do common game mechanics teach us? The four games in the collection are designed to help reevaluate our perspective on gameplay experiences. Like Critical Cartography changes the way we perceive the world, critical gameplay seeks to offer alternate perspectives on the way we play.

The Exhibition:

Four video games will be displayed for visitors to play on multiple stations. Each game takes a specific gameplay standard and actively works against it. The hope is the initiation of an intellectual dialogue about the opportunities in unexplored gameplay mechanics.

The exhibition will also include other video games and interactive works created by Lindsay Grace.

The exhibition is open to the public and will be held on April 17th.

* Location: 1100 West Cermac (enter at 2268 S. Carpenter)
* Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm
* Cost: Free (Open to the public)
* Contact: info@criticalgameplay.com

Refreshments will be served (beer, wine et al)

http://www.CriticalGameplay.com

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18. March 2009 by admin.

IndieCade invites independent game artists and designers from around the world to submit interactive media of all types – from art to commercial, ARG to abstract, mind-bending to mobile, serious to shooter, as well as academic and student projects – for consideration. Work-in-progress is encouraged.

A diverse jury of creative and academic leaders will select entries for top prizes at the IndieCade 2009 Festival. All entries for the Festival will also receive consideration for presentation at all 2009 IndieCade international exhibitions including:

IndieCade 2009 Events:
IndieCade @ E3, Los Angeles (June 2-5)
IndieCade Asia TBA
IndieCade @ SIGGRAPH, New Orleans (Aug 5-7)
IndieCade 2009 (Oct 1-10)
IndieCade Europe, GameCity, UK (Oct 26-29)


Submissions Deadline: April 30, 2009 at Midnight PST.

For more information and to enter: indiecade.com

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24. February 2009 by admin.

Call for Serious Games Entries
http://www.iitsec.org/; http://www.sgschallenge.com

Sponsorships are available for the 2009 event

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18. February 2009 by admin.

Here are a few game contests upcoming game contests you may want to enter:

IndieCade 2009

Indiecade invites independent game artists and designers from around the world to submit interactive media of all types – from art to commercial, ARG to abstract, mind-bending to mobile, serious to shooter – for consideration. Work-in-progress is encouraged.

A diverse jury of industry leaders will select entries for top prizes at the IndieCade 2009 Festival. All entries for the Festival will also receive consideration for presentation at the other 2009 IndieCade international exhibitions including E3, Siggraph, and More….

Submissions Deadline: April 30, 2009 at Midnight PST.

Game for Change: News Game Contest

Games for Change is pleased to announce the 2009 Knight News Game Award, which will be given to the best News Game(s) of the past several years, and presented at the 2009 Games for Change Festival at the Game Expo on the evening of May 28th. If you would like to submit your game for consideration, please use our Game Submission Form, which will also add your game to the News Game Channel on the G4C site.

As G4C defines it, a news game is a digital game which is journalistic: it enhances people’s ability to make decisions in a democracy

College Prep World and AI Washington

“AiW is proud to co-sponsor a Game Design Competition with College Prep World, an organization dedicated to helping students prepare for and succeed in college. The competition will run through July 1, 2009 and challenges you and a team of 3 or 4 members to design and build an online game that helps students learn to balance their academic, social, and community activities while still trying to maintain good grades! You must be an Art Institute student to participate and your team members can be from different Art Institutes. Each team member stands to win $500 for the grand prize, so get your team together and participate!

Check out the full details of the competition at:

http://dw318.aisites.com/CollegeLife/index.html

Registration deadline is March 1, 2009

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