Participating in game jams – such as the one held by Train2Game in March – are a good way to make Game Developers happier.  That’s according to a Gamasutra blog post by Game Developer Andrew Grapsas.

In an in-depth post many aspects of game jamming are covered, with the particular section repeated below detailing why they’re a good idea for Game Developers, no matter where they are working.

“Breaking from the normal routine of development, the high risk environment of professional game creation, provides a “low cost” “low barrier to entry” means of following Dan Pink’s cycle of Challenge –> Mastery –> Recognition.

When a theme is released for the competition, the challenges are several. First, one must adhere a Game Design to the unique and often odd theme.”

Grapsas emphasises how Game Jam’s really allow Game Developers creative duties to flow.

“Jams offer little time for “how will we monetize this?” “will users understand this?” etc. and allow, instead, a creative flow. There are few, if any, meetings to break up the thought process. Additionally, the tight time-frame precludes over-design of the game, technology, and art and, typically, leaves the “must haves” instead of chrome.”

“These stripped-down games are understood to have time constraints in development. Art quality, code re-usability, etc. (all good things for a production product) are allowed to lax.”

Grapsas adds that one simple reason game jams provide a benefit to the Game Developer is that come the end of the Jam, they have a finished project to show for it.

“When a developer finishes the game, there is a sense of mastery. The developer has mastered the technology, design, art, etc. of the creative process. They have given birth to something “new” that wasn’t there before, overcome obstacles, and generated an end result that is visible, tangible, and playable.”

“This may happen every 2-4 years for traditional triple-A developers. For developers in casual/social, game development as a service has a way of tarnishing the game’s shipping. Having a game jam and a “micro game shipped” provides the same stimulation that shipping a larger product has without the time delay, and without the need to continually support it. It’s quick, clean, and not costly.”

“Then there are the awards. That same visibility allows others to comment, to see the creation, to experience it for themselves and speak to the creator. This is a very fulfilling act that, in and of itself, recharges the batteries.”

“It’s also just damn fun.” He adds, and many Train2Game students who attended the Train2Game Game Jam probably agree! The entire post by Grapsas is available on Gamasutra.

You can see for yourself what those who attended the Game Jam thought by watching the official documentary of the event on the Train2Game Youtube page. Every game from the event is also available to download from the Train2Game Game Jam website.

For more about the benefits of taking part in a game jam, see the Train2Game blog interview with Mediatonic Director of Games Paul Croft. In It he discusses how game jams are used by the company to come up with ideas for new games for the company to build.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the use of Game Jams? Do you believe participating in them is a benefit, not matter how experienced the developer? And for those of you to attended the Train2Game Game Jam, are they as fun as Grapsas claims?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Gamasutra]