Be here.
Victoria Global Game Jam
24-26 January 2014
VIATeC Accelerate Tectoria
2659 Douglas Street, 2nd Floor, Victoria, BC
This here is a massive information post for LevelUp – IGDA Victoria’s first Global Game Jam event. It’s going to be a crazy weekend, and it’ll be great to have you involved. This post should contain all the information you’ll need to prepare for the jam itself. Please read it carefully. There will be further details at the start of the jam.
Contact Details:
If you have any questions about the jam, or problems leading up to or during the event, please contact: igdavictoria<at>gmail.com
The organizing committee reserves the right to remove people not acting in the spirit of the event, so play nice and respect people and property.
How long is the event?
Registrations open at 5:00pm on Friday 24th of January, with the opening presentations starting at 6:00pm Please allow enough time after you arrive to bring any equipment you’re supplying yourself into the building and register.
Games are due to commence upload by 3pm on Sunday 26th of January. Visitors are invited to check out the results of the jam from 4pm – 6pm. After that it’s pack up, clean up and head out for home or perhaps a quick after-beverage with some of your fellow jammers. The venue will be closed by 7pm.
Please note: Jammers are expected to be in attendance for the majority of the jam. Regular escapes for fresh air or food are just fine. And of course a good night’s sleep is encouraged. There are formal proceedings at the beginning and, to a lesser extent, the end of the jam, and all participants are required for both of these events. All jammers need to wear the ID given to them when they register whilst jamming.
See the timetable later in this document for full details on what happens when during the event.
Who will be there?
We are expecting anywhere from about 30 – 60 people to take part in the Jam. Jammers are from a range of backgrounds with a varying degree of experience from ‘professional developers’ to students.
There may also be industry and media guests visiting during the jam. They would be walking around the labs, and will observe and talk to the teams, eager to find out what you’re making and how it’s going. Please note that these visits can happen at any time day or night, so be aware of people in the labs, and your own conduct through the weekend.
Where is the Jam?
Victoria Global Game Jam is being held at VIATeC Accelerate Tectoria in the Scott building at the corner of Douglas and Hillside, 2659 Douglas Street, 2nd Floor, Victoria, BC
Parking is available in the attached lot, but is limited. You can help out with this by car-pooling or using public transport. Get in touch with organisers if you would like assistance organising a car pool or jump onto the Level-Up – IGDA Victoria Facebook group and see who’s travelling from your area.
Public Transport
To get to VIATeC Accelerate Tectoria, catch any bus from downtown that runs up Douglas and get off at the Times Colonist building then walk up the block. Check out the Victoria Transit site to plan your journey
What do I need to bring?
Because the Game Jam is a closed event, it is important that people bring the right equipment to last them the entire weekend. Please note, we will be taking security precautions for those bringing their own computer equipment, but in the end it is each jammer’s responsibility to be aware of their equipment.
Please make sure you bring the following with you
- Photo Identification for registering on the first day
- Any computer equipment you need (nothing is provided by the venue)
- Note that for security, please label all computer equipment you bring with your name and a contact number/email.
- No speakers will be available, bring your own headphones.
- There will be sufficient power bars for powering equipment and wired network/internet access.
- Reasonable use restrictions apply to internet access. If you want to listen to music during the jam, firstly bring headphones, and secondly bring MP3s or CDs, rather than streaming music from the web.
- Food and Drink
- No meals will be provided. There are some stores and restaurants nearby if you don’t feel like packing any food yourself.
- Feel free to bring any favourite drinks and snacks, although be aware that there’s only so much room in the fridge.
- There will be a constant stream of tea and coffee available, please bring a sealable water bottle.
- No Alcohol – Please note this is not a licensed event – you can hit the bar at the end of it all.
When does stuff happen?
The Global Game Jam will be run to approximately the following timetable:
Friday:
5:00pm Registrations open
6:00pm Official GGJ Keynote Address Unveil the “secret theme” of the jam
6:30pm Team forming, game pitching
7:00pm Teams finalize their spaces and… The Jam begins in earnest!
Saturday:
All day Saturday is dedicated to working on the games.
We expect visitors may come and check out the jam, so be ready to say hello and answer any questions.
Sunday:
3:00pm Time to start submitting games to the GGJ website.
4:00pm Show off what you’ve made, and you can check out what others have made.
6:00pm Clean up, pack up, leave the place how you found it and then head out for a celebratory beverage or home once organizers are happy with the state of the labs.
7:00pm End of jam – venue closed.
Global Game Jam Deadlines
Note that there are some specific deadlines for the GGJ that must be met with regard to creating your team and game profile, and submitting your game at the end of the jam. This will be covered and you will be reminded of this at the Jam.
Please read the following very carefully.
Register on the GGJ Site (do this before the jam):
Please register to the Victoria Global Game Jam site via http://globalgamejam.org. The GGJ site has heaps of useful information and ideas, so we suggest having a browse before the event.
Register on the LevelUp – IGDA Victoria Meetup Site (do this before the jam):
Everyone should register here too via http://www.meetup.com/levelup/events/155820252/.
Game Profile (Due 11am, Saturday Jan 25):
One member from each team must login in to the Global Game Jam website and create a game project. This is also where other team members can be added to the game, given that they already have a profile on the Global Game Jam website.
Game Submission (Due 3pm, Sunday Jan 26):
All games must be completed and the upload of game content must have started by 3 PM on Sunday afternoon. Again, if you log in to the GGJ site, and browse to your game page, you will see an option for uploading game content to the site. Browse to your game content and press Upload before the deadline runs out and you are safe.
What needs to be submitted?
See the details at http://globalgamejam.org/wiki/hand-procedure for guidelines on exactly what needs to be submitted and in what form. The golden rule is that all source code and game assets must be submitted. If you use UDK, Flash, etc. to make your game, use the appropriate project file instead. Your game should be able to be compiled by anyone else based on the files you submit. It is preferable that you also include all original files used in creating art assets (e.g. 3DS Max models, photoshop PSD’s, etc.)
If you have purchased a license for a game engine, you can still use it. Just mention that you are using it, and anyone else who already has that engine (or pays for access to it) can then use your source to run your game. If you are using your own game engine or framework, all the source code for components used in your game must also be submitted.
One Final Note
Once again the amount of interest and excitement that has been raised in preparing this event for you all has been fantastic. The levels of enthusiasm from industry and individuals wanting to help, and the sheer numbers professional, independent and student devs wanting to be a part of it have been phenomenal.
We are very grateful to VIATeC for offering their venue for us to use, as well as their AV and network equipment. Accelerate Tectoria will be your home for the weekend, and we’d like you all to treat it as your home. Be mindful of the people you’re sharing these cramped quarters with, and be respectful to the rooms and facilities that have been donated for our use. The organising committee reserves the right to remove people not acting in the spirit of the event.
We can’t wait to see what you all put together during the weekend!
Please be sure to thank the sponsors and volunteers for all their efforts in putting together this great weekend.
Happy Jammin’!
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