Tag Archives: Train2Game Game Jam

Train2Game blog student interview special: Artist Fiona Stewart post-Scottish Game Jam

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Last weekend, Train2Game Art & Animation student Fiona Stewart (AKA FeeTheGiraffe on the Train2Game Forum) joined a team of experienced game developers at the Scottish Game Jam. After the big event,  the Train2Game blog caught up with her to see how it went.

You can also see the pre-Scottish Game Jam interview here.

Train2Game blog: First of all, how do you feel Scottish Game Jam went overall?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Fantastically well! We all worked brilliantly as a team with excellent communication. Even through problems and lack of sleep no one got irate. We just all got on with what we were supposed to be doing. It was an amazing experience and to come 3rd out of 16 teams is just the icing on the cake. This is what one of the judges (Square Go) had to say about our game:

Shoal
Escaping an oil spill that is destroying your natural habitat, Shoal allowed you to take your fish to meet others, and hopefully a potential mate, in order to continue your species. With some differing moves to avoid obstacles your fishy friends should be saved.

A gorgeous looking game was slightly marred by being a little slow and having a control system that wasn’t as intuitive as it could have been. The glyphs to perform special actions were great and a final version with more levels would be wonderful.

Train2Game blog:  What did you contribute to your team?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Initially I was going to do all the backgrounds but unfortunately the lap top I was using wasn’t coping with large file sizes so had to hand that over to Mike. I then did the plants, front end menu, logo, end screen and hunted around for all the sounds and music for the game.

Train2Game blog: What did you enjoy the most?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: That is really difficult to say just one thing… really it was the whole experience, everything!

Train2Game blog: What did you find the most difficult?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Not being able to help the guys with flash and animation…. and living off junk food for three days.

Train2Game blog: Will it encourage you to take part in the Train2Game Jam next month?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Oh I’m hooked! No way am I going to be missing any jam I can get to now!

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

A reminder about the 1st ever Train2Game Game Jam

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Earlier this week we revealed the first ever Train2Game Game Jam, and you can see the details below.

Train2Game, in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire and DR Studios, is hosting a 48 hour Game Jam. Bringing both students and non-students together for a weekend for a common goal – to make a great game.

The Train2Game Game Jam will take place from the evening of Friday 25th through to Sunday 27th March.

If you like a challenge, and want to come together with other talented individuals this could be a perfect opportunity to push your skills and challenge your way of working. Participants will work concurrently along with industry professionals around a central theme, and you will have 48 hours to create a game.

If all goes well we will see some experimental prototypes that teams can continue to work on after the Jam. Many games developed in jams have become fully published games.

The Jam is Open Source, hardware and software agnostic and all projects are protected under a Creative Commons License. We encourage people to try out new ideas and push themselves within reason, everyone needs to eat and sleep and stay at their best!

More details about the Train2Game Game Jam are below and you can keep up to date with it on the Game Jam event page on Facebook.

Dates: 6pm Friday 25th March 2011 to 6pm Sunday 27th March 2011 (48 Hours)
Location: University of Bedfordshire

Format: Teams of 2 to 6 members
Participants: Existing Train2Game students (limited number), Non Train2Game students
Existing members of the games development industry are excluded from this event.
Age Limit: 17+

Cost: Free for existing Train2Game students
£35 per person for non Train2Game students
Provided: Bag, t-shirt plus extras (TBC) for every participant

There’s even more information available about the Train2Game Game Jam on the Train2Game forum.

We’ve had an excellent response so far with people already saying they’ll attend the event even though it is still two months away! You can check out the Facebook event page here.

Be sure to keep reading the Train2Game blog for more information about the Train2Game Game Jam as it appears!

 

The 1st Train2Game Game Jam – Event Details

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Train2Game Game Jam Long Image

Train2Game, in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire and DR Studios, is hosting a 48 hour Game Jam. Bringing both students and non-students together for a weekend for a common goal – to make a great game.

The Train2Game Game Jam will take place from the evening of Friday 25th through to Sunday 27th March.

If you like a challenge, and want to come together with other talented individuals this could be a perfect opportunity to push your skills and challenge your way of working. Participants will work concurrently along with industry professionals around a central theme, and you will have 48 hours to create a game.

If all goes well we will see some experimental prototypes that teams can continue to work on after the Jam. Many games developed in jams have become fully published games.

The Jam is Open Source, hardware and software agnostic and all projects are protected under a Creative Commons License. We encourage people to try out new ideas and push themselves within reason, everyone needs to eat and sleep and stay at their best!

More details about the Train2Game Game Jam are below and you can keep up to date with it on the Game Jam event page on Facebook.

Dates: 6pm Friday 25th March 2011 to 6pm Sunday 27th March 2011 (48 Hours)
Location: University of Bedfordshire

Format: Teams of 2 to 6 members
Participants: Existing Train2Game students (limited number), Non Train2Game students
Existing members of the games development industry are excluded from this event.
Age Limit: 17+

Cost: Free for existing Train2Game students
£35 per person for non Train2Game students
Provided: Bag, t-shirt plus extras (TBC) for every participant

Train2Game Game Jam FAQ

Do I have to be in a team already or can I come on my own?
The game jam is open to pre-organised teams and individuals alike. If you’re attending as an individual then one of our game jam crew will help you into a team that fits your skills as a programmer, artist or designer. On most game jams 50% of the participants are attending as individuals so it’s not uncommon.

Do I have to bring my own computer?
No. The University of Bedfordshire has kindly donated enough lab space to house everyone that wants to take part in the event. The computers in the lab are more than capable of running all the latest software required for modern games development. If you want to bring your own computer/laptop the university will clear some space in each lab for you to use, however, your computer will need to be PAT tested (safety check) before we will allow it into the event.

What software is commonly used?
Because of the short time scales there isn’t any option to be elaborate. Commonly games are built in Game Maker, Unity, Flash, HTML or XNA. The focus is on games design and game play rather than the excessive use of technology.

Do I need to have done a game jam before?
Not at all. The process under which the game jam is run is pretty straight forward, all you need to do is to be able to code, draw or design … and stay awake

Do I need to stay for the full 48 hours?
It is possible to come and go from the event once we have announced the theme and the jam has started although you need to discuss this with your team members right at the beginning, so they understand you’re going to not be there for a period and therefore are not relying on you for something in the time you’re not there.

What facilities are there for sleeping and eating?
There will be a quiet room set aside for sleeping. You need to bring a sleeping bag or quilt to use, as these are not provided. Food is provided at both the venue and in the area surrounding the University.

Can I bring a non-participating friend with me?
Yes. If you have friends or family that would like to attend and watch what’s going on and learn a little more about games development that’s fine.

What happens to the games at the end?

The games are made available for download for free on the internet.

How do I register?

Registration is not open just yet. Watch the forums, Facebook page and Twitter for the announcement that registration is open and how to register.

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.