Getting ready for the Game Jam here in CSB! We’re streaming now, let us know if you have any issues:
Live Streaming for CSB now online!
01
27
12
From all around the world: Get ready for Global Game Jam 2012!
It’s only a little less than 38 hours left until the Game Jam, and all of us in the MGJ Planning Team are PSYCHED to be bringing the Game Jam experience to more people this year! As of the moment we have more than 150 attendees across both the UP ITTC and DLS-CSB locations, with a good mix of industry professionals, students and hobbyist game developers. Just as Global Game Jam has grown this year to more than 7000 jammers all around the world across 244 registered locations, our local jams have also grown, with our sites being listed as some of the larger jams around the world.
We’ve received some epic support from our partners and sponsors this year as well; they’ve not only provided us the resources we need to organize a large multi-location event such as Manila Game Jam 2012, but have also stepped up to provide our attendees with some really great incentives in the form of prizes.
LAST MINUTE REMINDERS
To make everyone’s Game Jam experience more fun, here are just some last minute reminders for everyone the day before Game Jam:
1) Get your tools ready
You’ll only have 48 hours to make a game, so don’t use up that time downloading a 700MB+ Software Development Kit or a trial version of a 3D Modeling software. We will provide machines in UP ITTC with the software pre-installed and have DVDs / Flash disks with installers, but it’s best to come prepared with your own.
Also, we have tons of great prizes this year for games developed using certain platforms: Java Series 40, Windows Phone, Unity and HTML5. If you plan on creating games using these platforms, make sure that you’ve prepared your SDKs and other tools before hand. We have the download locations for the SDKs at the Resources Page.
2) Pack the essentials
We’re doing our best to make sure that you have everything you need to participate in the jam. Our aim to get everything out of the way so you can focus on making awesome games. That said we may be lacking a few things, so it would be great if you could bring the following:
- sleeping bag - (if you’re staying over. Or at least pillows / blankets so you can rest comfortably)
- extra food/water/medicine for you and your team
- Internet dongle (i.e. globe tattoo) – just in case we need emergency Internet access
- Extension cords (if you’re bringing laptops, tablets, etc that you need to charge)
3) Prepare yourself physically and mentally
Making a game in 48 hours can be pretty stressful if you aren’t prepared for it. So have a good night’s sleep tonight and clear your schedule for this weekend so you’re not worrying about pending tasks. We’ll focus on the logistics to make sure that you have what you need to make a game in 48 hours, but preparing yourself is entirely up to you 
Take care, see you on Friday and be prepared for another intense weekend of game making!
Love,
Your Manila Game Jam Planning Team
Registrations for DLS-CSB now Closed
01
26
12
Slots have been maxed out for the DLS-CSB site for Manila Game Jam 2012. We still have several slots open for UP-ITTC, so do register now before the slots are filled!
Our Manila Game Jam co-presenter Nokia is holding a development workshop for Java and Windows Phone development. We highly encourage people to attend this seminar, as during the Game Jam we will have prizes from Nokia for the best Java Mobile and Windows Phone games!
The event is free, and will be held on Jan 16-17 for the Java track, and Jan 18 for the Windows Phone track. Both tracks will take place at iAcademy, Ayala Ave.
You can register and get more details at http://www.developer.nokia.com/Events/invitation/appdevtphils
Manila Game Jam 2012 is Here!
01
09
12
It’s that time of the year again when we join the whole world in a simultaneous game-making hackathon; the third iteration of the Global Game Jam is just a couple of weeks away! We’re very excited to announce that the registration for the Manila Game Jam 2012 is now open and we are inviting you to develop games with us this coming January 27-29.
Manila Game Jam 2011 was organized by IGDA Manila in partnership with UP ITTC. The event had more than 80 participants, have formed 18 teams and produced more than 20 games! Among these submissions, Speck made it to the Top Ten games on GameSauce Challenge. You can check out the MGJ site for the other games that we have featured.
This year, we’ve partnered with DevCon Philippines, UP ITTC and DLS-CSB hoping to make this year the best and largest MGJ event to date! We would now be having two game sites to choose from to accommodate more participants and share this game making experience with others. You can learn more about the game jam locations by visiting the registration page.
Similarly from last year, a one day game making seminar will be held on January 20, a week prior to the Game Jam. Talks will be given by previous jam participants, discussing their game-making experience, tips and tricks on how to churn out a game in 48 hours. This seminar is open for all aspiring game developers and will also serve as an orientation for the participants.
We’re fortunate to have the support of our awesome sponsors this year: Manila Game Jam 2012 is being co-presented by Boomzap, Nokia and Accenture, with additional sponsorship from Microsoft, Anino Games, Proudcloud, Zachtronics Industries, Introversion Software, Casual Connect, Globe Labs, Unity 3D, Webgeekph.com and Spot.ph! *whew* Our sponsors have not only helped us in organizing this event, but they’ve also graciously offered to provide amazing prizes for this year’s participating teams!
All updates regarding the event will be posted on the Manila Game Jam website, as well as on the IGDA Manila’s website. Bookmark these pages for future updates. You may also join the IGDA Manila Facebook Group to keep yourself posted on announcements.
Thanks, and let’s make this year’s jam the best! See you there!
The Manila Game Jam 2012 Committee
Games Feature: Bunnypocalypse
12
28
11
It is almost the end of the year and as a Finale, we would like to end this games Feature by showcasing the team that won the Jury Prize! Team Angry Robots Attack has made a unique game based on popular 2D adventure game mechanics mixed with comic panels in a 48-hour hackathon!
You can get their game from the official Global Game Jam website here, and learn more about their game-making experience below.
Tell us a bit about yourselves and your group.
Angry Robots Attack is composed of artist Liezl Buenaventura and programmer Josh Liao.
Lizz is a graduate of the UP College of Fine Arts (BFA- Visual Communication: Advertising, CFA- Studio Arts: Painting). She is a professional graphics designer and does freelance art for various comic publishers and independent teams.
Josh has a degree in Computer Science from Ateneo de Manila University. He is a freelance IT consultant.
Bunnypocalypse is the first game we’ve made together.
Can you briefly explain your game to us?
Killer bunnies are on the loose! The Bunnypocalypse: Run, Scott, Run is a point-and-click adventure game in comic book form. Our hero dies at the end of each comic page, and it’s up to you to change the outcome and continue the story.
Bunnypocalypse Title Screen
Sample Gameplay Screen
What were the challenges (aside from making it in 48 hours) in making your game?
The biggest challenge was limiting the scope of the project to a realistic level based on the amount of time and resources we had. Our initial plan was a four-page game with full voice acting. We eventually cut it down to two pages with just background music, which turned out to be the right decision–we barely beat the deadline.
Do you plan on continuing to develop your game?
Yes, we plan to release a longer version of Bunnypocalypse in March 2011. If it’s well received, we might turn it into a series.
We also plan to take the interactive comic book gameplay element of Bunnypocalypse and use it in a bigger, more ambitious game, hopefully in time for the Independent Games Festival.
How did you like the Game Jam, and will you join again next year?
We enjoyed the experience a lot, and we can’t wait for the next one.
It has been an awesome year of game-making, with the quality of games submitted being a notch higher than the last. We’re bracing ourselves to what other surprises lie ahead of us for next year’s Jam, which is almost just a month away!
And with that note, we would like to end this year’s Games Feature. Congratulations to all the participants and winners! Keep checking the website for updates and info for Manila Game Jam 2012!
See you next month!
This month, we feature another exceptional team that was able to do more than one game in a span of two days. Most of them, making a comeback from last year’s jam in which they showed innovation through the use of new technologies such as games that use a wiimote and image recognition.
This time, they managed to come up with two games under the Game Jam’s theme, Extinction. You can check out their games on the official Global Game Jam site: E(arth)xtinction and Pixtinction.
Tell us a bit about yourselves and your group.
The group’s name is Easy A and is composed of Guillard Erickson Alvarez, Alyssa Loren ‘Al’ Arellano, Angelica ‘Angge’ Gomez, Angelica ‘Angel’ Lubao, Aubrey Graze ‘Au’ Pareja.
Al, Angge, and Au currently work as a programmer in a bank. Guillard is a software developer while Angel is a Rich Media developer. Angge, Al, Au, and Guillard all came from the same university. Angel met Al and Angge during the orientation for Global Game Jam 2011 only during the actual GGJ event.
You can get to know more about the team by visiting the blogs of some of the members through these links:
Angelica Gomez: angelsalvogomez.blogspot.com
Angelica Lubao: http://about.me/oabulacilegna
Aubrey Graze Pareja: http://tuwatula.blogspot.com
Can you briefly explain your game to us?
We’ve created two games for GGJ11 namely: E(arth)xtinction and Pixtinction.
E(arth)xtinction is a PC-game whose object is to save the earth from asteroids — using a wiimote. Using the Wii remote as controller, the player must be able to save the planet earth by repelling ALL asteroids that fall to it. One asteroid hit and the earth, along with all of the human race, becomes extinct.
Pixtinction challenges the player to use his/her wits to survive in a mysterious, hostile environment. The player is shown only a portion of the picture of the setting. Based on that, he must choose the tools to survive that environment.
How did you decide what game to make?
We’ve decided what game to make by collaborating our thoughts after the game theme announced.
Actually, the inputs of game design came mostly from the imaginative mind of Au.
What were the challenges (aside from making it in 48 hours) in making your game?
Some challenges that we’ve encountered were, uhm.. all of us just came from our work so we were exhausted on the first day. It was like that we didn’t know where to start, our main programmer was late but thankfully we still managed to create two games. And for first-timers like Al and Angel, they felt more pressure.
Do you plan on continuing to develop your game?
So far, we did’nt talk about it. Most of us joined global game jam just for fun and to provide a break from our current work environment, you see none of us came from the game development industry.
How did you like the Game Jam, and will you join again next year?
What we liked the most about global game jam is how it teaches everyone how to collaborate with each other. Game developers, game designers and game artists all share ideas and as a result, we all learn something new. Also, it made us experience what it is like to be part of a game development team, a dream come-true to Angel. Definitely, if time permits, we will join gamejam next year.
You can read more about their personal experiences by visiting their blog posts about Manila Game Jam 2011:
http://angelsalvogomez.blogspot.com/2011/02/global-game-jam-manila-2011.html
http://anjhelz.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/global-game-jam-2011/
http://tuwatula.blogspot.com/2011/01/game-jam-packed-weekend.html
Games Feature: The Pacifist
08
09
11
It has been a while since our last game feature. As busy as our days would seem, we still haven’t forgotten those last two days that we have been most productive
This time, we feature the creators of the game The Pacifist. A platformer game that encourages the player to pass through the level without hurting or killing the animals along the way. The full game can be found on the main global game jam site or play the game online at Karlo’s Website!
Here is the entire team to talk about their game jam experience.
Tell us a bit about yourselves and your group.
Karlo Licudine is the team’s game designer. He is a full-time freelance web developer, a full-time student, a full-time indie game developer, and one heck of a multi-tasker.
Dan Leland Suarez is both an artist and a programmer. Since the team already had an artist, he ended up as one of the programmers for the game.
Jonah Jose Espelita is a flash developer and a git aficionado who hails from the wonderful and chilly city of Baguio. He loves programming, motionography, typography and procrastinating. He is also Time’s Person of the year 2006.
Finally, Fabian Lorenzo Dayrit or “Enzo” for short, made all the art for the game and is a self-proclaimed mega nerd. Oh, and he likes haikus.
Can you briefly explain your game to us?
The Pacifist
Karlo: The Pacifist is a game where killing endangered species will turn them into ghosts that will haunt you throughout the whole game making it harder. It emphasizes choice and consequence.
Enzo: Let’s Haiku!
a boy walking home
he passes through a forest
don’t kill the tarsiers
How did you decide what game to make?
Enzo: Karlo’s Idea
Jonah: What Enzo said
Leland: What Jonas and Enzo said
Karlo: Wait, it was my idea? o.o Oh yes, it was. I wanted a game where your actions has an immediate consequence. I also wanted the consequences to be so important that it would affect how the player will play the game. I like it because It shows the seriousness of the theme.
What were the challenges (aside from making it in 48 hours) in making your game?
Enzo: For me, there was kind of a lack of a unified vision at the start (with regards to art direction). It’s a good thing the team knows how to give good feedback.
Jonah: Git Troubles!!! And oh..my laptop died. Lol.
Karlo: It was really hard keeping the motivation up for the team especially when everyone started feeling the exhaustion. So even though I wanted to go fast, I tried very hard not to push the team too hard as I didn’t want them to throw them out the window.
Enzo: What Jonas said.
Do you plan on continuing to develop your game?
Leland: Sure 
Jonah: Definitely.
Enzo: I’d like to!
Karlo: Absolutely! If the team allows it, I want to start from scratch and rethink the whole thing since we now have more than 48 hours.
How did you like the Game Jam, and will you join again next year?
Enzo: Super awesome! Yes, i will join again next year!
Jonah: Loved GameJam. The atmosphere, the challenges, the people, my teamates.. Love it! Will join again definitely.
Leland: This year’s GameJam was fun! I will definitely join next year.
Karlo: I already have my sleeping bags packed for next year.
Game Feature: Lasers and Bugs
03
26
11
The objective of the game jam does not only involve time pressured game creation. In its setting, meeting other hobbyists and collaborating with them to create something from scratch is also part of the challenge.
We are proud to present Team Exterminator, composed of Francis Seriña and Louie Briones, who took and overcame these challenges and had successfully made an entertaining physics/puzzler game! Their entry, Lasers and Bugs can be downloaded at the main global game jam site.
Here’s Francis to tell us more of their game jam experience.
Tell us a bit about yourselves and your group.
Louie and I met at the Manila Game Jam.We have no idea who each other was, all we know is that we want the most out of the Game Jam. I’m a Programming Teacher in Philippine Science High School, learning video game development on the side. Louie is a graphic artist. That’s all there is to know.
Can you briefly explain your game to us?
Lasers And Bugs is a fun, cute, puzzle game where you exterminate all the bugs with one laser shot!
How did you decide what game to make?
I love physics and geometric optics is one of my favorite topics (very easy too). I proposed the game with almost a complete gameplay already. I just needed art. Louie was interested in it so we did that.
What were the challenges (aside from making it in 48 hours) in making your game?
Programming the path of light Took me more than 4 hours to create that single function. Then I wanted to animate it so it looks cooler, which added an additional 2 hours because the algorithm that I originally created did not consider animation.
Do you plan on continuing to develop your game?
Yes, in fact, the game is now 20 levels, compared to the original 10 that was presented on the game jam. We’re adding more art and sound effects for the game. Also, we have now implemented the glass (refraction). After showing it to my students, they said it was too hard and they wanted a Survival Mode and “Make Your Own Level” feature. Gotta love honest opinions.
How did you like the Game Jam, and will you join again next year?
DEFINITELY joining next year. I learned a lot, met a lot, did a lot! I will bring my students and friends from other schools to participate as well. The game jam teaches us something the classroom can’t – real life experience.
Our next feature deals with not just one but two game entries made by one team! o think that creating just one game is already a challenge, these group of four college students had managed to whip up a couple of games within the time limit of two whole days.
Feel free to download their games, 42 and Puddi-Puddi Invasion, uploaded on the main global game jam website. Without further ado, here’s (Insert Team Name Here)!
Tell us a bit about yourselves and your group.
Hi we are Team (Insert Team Name Here), and we are (Insert First Member Name Here), (Insert Second Member Name Here), (Insert Third Member Name Here), and (Insert Fourth Member Name Here). DO NOT FORGET THE PARENTHESIS!!!
Alright, so we’re kidding. It’s Charles Cue, Daniel Vallesteros (aka Vali), John Raymond Cala, and James Pe.
Vali, JR, and Charles are college blockmates friends from DLSU. We have worked on a game or two together a few times, but not yet to a fully running game. As for the 4th member, James, he’s a member of the De La Salle Game Development Lab along with Charles. He was a last minute addition to the group (in fact, he just came around Saturday afternoon) after the group was desperate on needing an artist for the team.
Vali is 99.9% random.
JR hates vegetables and Dragonfable.
Charles is a DJ Max Technika addict.
James is James.
Charles also has his blog at wordpress. It can be viewed here: http://eggsvschickens.wordpress.com
(though he’s feeling lazy writing new blog posts at the moment XD)
Can you briefly explain your game to us?
42
42 is a game that will blow your mind, murder your brain cells, and send a troll laughing at you. This is the game that goes against all common sense, and exists with one primary purpose: to bring the extinction of logic to the world by making the answer to everything 42!
Puddi Puddi Invasion:
Alien Puddi Puddis throw Dry-ice Cream to melt a little planet. Help these poor people by collecting the Dry-ice Cream into a machine, and shooting it back at the evil Puddi Puddi bullies.
How did you decide what game to make?
We started out with Puddi Puddi Invasion. We had a friend who we worked with before, and he designed the game during our Game Design class. It was simply something we came up with in a seatwork exercise, but we shelved the idea. Six months after, the game has finally seen its light, and we modified some of its contents in order to match the theme of extinction (in a happy way XD). To add some more happiness to the humor, we recorded crazy sound effects to the game, to fuel the soupy-cuteness of the game.
As for 42, Charles was already finished designing the Puddi Puddi Invasion, but with already 2 programmers working on the game, having a 3rd might hamper the progress. With Charles idle, he goes on to think of his own game to share with the group. Since he’s terrible in doing art, he tried to come up with the game that can be coded quickly, and will require very minimal art. This is when the idea he wrote on his notepad sparked out: The Extinction of Logic. Quickly, he remembered his other friend who speaks before he thinks (to the point he once asked how to subtract 19 from 7 XD), and the number 42 from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (everything is 42). With that, came the game 42, where the answer to everything, no matter what, is 42! The game uses very minimal art to give the attention to the number 42, and the questions try to be as crazy and anti-common sense as possible.
What were the challenges (aside from making it in 48 hours) in making your game?
Having to make a game in “42 hours” means your game will be rushed and full of bugs. 42 has some of them, but we’re glad the Puddi Puddi had a lot less. The main problem we faced, however, is the lack of playtesting in our game. We’ve seen some players who struggle with some levels of both games, and they could have been prevented if the games were tested more thoroughly (though I believe that’s really part of this “42 hour” challenge XD)
Do you plan on continuing to develop your game?
The success of 42 in the Game Jam has motivated Charles to create an engine that will help build these quiz games faster. In fact, he’s already starting out a new set of 42, so expect new soupy antics from the game!
As for Puddi Puddi Invasion, we’ll have to further work onto balancing the game, and building a tutorial level for it. It seems that many of the players do not understand what to do, or struggle in the progress. The game was also made quickly, that it didn’t undergo enough playtesting to be properly balanced to the newer players.
How did you like the Game Jam, and will you join again next year?
The game jam was really fun. It’s really interesting to see what kinds of games developers can come up within a very short amount of time. With a not-so-friendly time limit of “42 hours”.
Written by ggjmanila
Leave a comment