...
After that, the assembled gamecrafters went to work brainstorming, forming teams, and discussing possible designs. By the next morning, participants were hard at work writing, sound recording, scoring, producing 2D and 3D artwork and animation, and programming. Throughout Saturday and into Sunday, teams built their games in a highly creative, collaborative atmosphere. By late Sunday, the games were ready to present and play.
I was very privileged to join a team of extraordinarily talented gamemasters. We created a wacky game where a human resources interviewer (Director Levelboss!) asks a hapless job seeker (the player) a series of silly and sinister questions that pose implausible hypothetical situations. I had the easy and fun job: writing the questions. I then watched as our art, programming, and musical score crews did the serious work of bringing the game to life.
While this was going on, Buffalo-area video game enthusiasts children came to see the action, as well as play a variety of games made available on hardware supplied by Buffalo Game Space members, and Mike Thomasson, adjunct professor of Digital Media Arts, and a video game historian. These included historic, pioneering game systems, as well as games developed more recently by developers working outside the big electronic entertainment corporations. Enthusiastic gamers young and old played some classic and creative games on these systems throughout the event. I was amazed by children's ' enthusiasm for classic games playing on decades-old systems, the kinds of things I played at their age. As Professor P.J. Moskal pointed out, if games can attract enthusiastic players after all these years, then perhaps they qualify as art, rather than merely digital appliances that become "obsolete." Talented game artists answered visitor questions about the gamemaking process, and encouraged younger gamers to consider making games themselves.
...
At game jams around the world, diverse peoples with a common interest brought their talents together to collaborate in for a weekend of fun and learning. Canisius College was an ideal venue for Buffalo’s Global Game Jam site.
...