Global Game Jam LONDON 2009

48 hours of innovation, creativity and experimentation: the first ever Global Gamejam comprised 1600 participants in 23 countries including USA, France, Denmark, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, South Africa, Venezuela, Norway, New Zealand, Spain, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Israel, The Netherlands ... We hosted the London event.

"In a Game Jam, participants come together to make video games. Each participant works in a small team on a complete game project over the course of a limited time period, usually over a weekend. With such a small time frame, the games tend to be innovative and experimental.

"The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the first of its kind: a Game Jam that takes place in the same 48 hours all over the world! The Global Game Jam will start at 5:00PM Friday, January 30, 2009 through 5:00PM Sunday, February 1, 2009, (all times local). All participants in the Global Game Jam will be constrained by the same rules and limitations, with each time zone having one distinct constraint."

from GlobalGameJam conceived by IDGA and its Games Education SIG

DETAILS
Shoreditch Building, 35 Kingsland Road, London E2 
30 Jan - 1 Feb 2009

You are a developer, a student, a programmer, a designer, a thinker, an artist, a musician etc etc. Come by yourself and form a team when you arrive.

Fri 14:00 Registration and social entertainment
Fri 17:00 Keynote and brief
Fri 18:00 Form teams and start jamming
Sun 15:00 Deadline for handing in - games uploaded to globalgamejam
Sun 16:00 Show-off and chill

We supply refreshments and snacks, breakfast on site, access to kitchen area, tokens for delicious lunches and suppers in Shoreditch. Bring your own laptop and software, wireless Internet on site.  Sleep? Forget it - go home or crash with a friend if your stamina runs out. Bring a fresh t-shirt. Open-access 24/7.

PHOTOS http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkmakeplay/sets/72157613294689027/
VIDEOS http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EC54B9F62CFC0CF5
DOWNLOAD GAMES http://globalgamejam.org/games  Filter for London
BBC ARTICLE http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2009/02/13/global_game_jam_feature.shtml

Why do girls avoid us?

French, F. (2009) Why do girls avoid us? 
Presentation for British Computer Society on Feb 12th, Southampton Street, London

Here's a brief synopsis of some of the points:


1. Consuming not creating
Although women seem to be using computers as much as men, they tend to be utilising software rather than actively developing it. 
2. Back to school
Problem - we don't recruit as many women as men into computing at higher level.  Distance from technology kicks in around age of 12 - why?  Peer pressure, angst, snobbery (technical not professional), lack of role models.
3. Teaching
The ICT curriculum...
4. Poor image
Games programmers can't win - they're either too "geeky" or too "macho" - either way they're all men, aren't they?  Crunch time!  But industry is maturing, isn't it?
5. The nature of games
Look at what's predominant, check out the characters and the action.  Who designed it?
6. What do girls like?
Same as what boys like + social stuff (chatting, dating) + girly stuff (hair? handbags? you tell me) + personalisation (stretch to fit)
7. Media representation of women
Say no more...