The next Game Jam in St. Louis will be September 13-15, 2013 at Simutronics. Doors open at 5:30 Friday, theme will be announced at 6 pm. And for even more Game Jam Goodness, don’t forget the Global Game Jam, which will be January 24-26, 2014 @ UMSL. Official registration is not yet open, but you can sign up at the STL GameDev group at Meetup.com to keep up on the latest announcements for the September event @ Simutronics.
Can’t wait!
Rami Ismail (of Vlambeer) wrote some really awesome tweets today. I’m copying them here because I think it is really valuable advice.
From @tha_rami on twitter:
I get so tired when someone emails me about tips for a gaming startup. Start a studio or a company or an actual thing that is real, damnit.
You’re making a game? Good, you’re a developer. Trying to sell them to stay afloat? Well, now you’re a company. What the hell is a startup?
Here’s a venture plan: ‘go make games as good as you can possibly make them and let people know that the game exists’.
Don’t want to contact press because you don’t want to shoot blind? Make a presskit (/w dopresskit.com?) and screw it, shoot blind.
Don’t want to reach out to Steam, Sony, Nintendo, iOS, Microsoft, Android because you’re working on your first game? E-mail them anyway.
Don’t want to reach out to your personal inspiration and ask for feedback because you’re just starting out? Do it regardless.
Don’t feel like going to that developers conference four hours away because you don’t have anything to show? Get a day off and go there.
Don’t want to show your game to friends and other developers because it’s not quite good enough yet? Show them your game.
Sincerely love the style of a certain artist or musician or the work of a coder or designer? Let them know.
Don’t know what to do, need help, a specific contact? E-mail someone who does know. Hell, call them for all I care.
In the end, what matters is what you *do*. If you don’t do something, whatever your hopes or motivations or ideas are will remain just that.
Oh, and do -not- make assumptions about how things work or how & why things are. You’re probably wrong so actually go and find out.
We have some issues with our archive at the moment, so if you’re here looking for April Game Jam 2013 content, click here for a table of contents!
Live Blog Updates
Game Recaps
Other
STL Game Jam 2013: A Summary (and photo gallery!)
The Do’s and Don’ts of STL Game Jam
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @GameJamSTL for all the updates!
For a recap of all Geocache games, click here.
Pica’s Treasure Hunt, v2 – Play here!
At the Game Jam, a team ported the old version of this Wherigo, created by a group of ITT students a few years ago from Wherigo Builder to Earwigo, cleaned up the bugs, and released an updated version. This is a one-mile walking tour of the World Bird Sanctuary.
Elonka Dunin
Jen Patton
Gary Man
Writing credit to Elonka Dunin
For a recap of all Geocache games, click here.
Explore modern-day Forest Park while helping a time-traveling professor who is stuck in time at the 1904 World’s Fair.
Team:
Jen Patton
Ranger Fox
Caitlin Moriarity
Renee Hawthorne
Writing credit to Elonka Dunin
For a recap of all Geocache games, click here.
Route 66 Chain of Rocks Bridge Wherigo – Play here!
A starter Wherigo for the event, as practice for the developers to learn the tools, this takes you on a two-mile walking tour of the historic Chain of Rocks bridge, starting on the Illinois side and heading towards Missouri.
Team:
Elonka Dunin
Strider
Crowesfeat30
Repmul
How-D
Brantole
CuriousGeorge3
Gary Man
Writing credit to Elonka Dunin
For a recap of all Geocache games, click here.
Jellyroll Hogan Case
Explore Tower Grove Park while solving a mystery involving 1920s St. Louis gangsters.
Team:
How-D
Promethium
Writing credit to Elonka Dunin