Earlier this year, the iPhone-based game Flappy Bird hit critical mass and frustrated millions with its easy to learn but hard to master mechanics of steering a barely-flying bird through obstacles. Within months, its lone wolf Vietnamese developer, Dong Nguyen, had a meltdown. Participants in the Phoenix Makes Games Jam on Friday, July 18, will fare better if only because of the team-oriented approach to creating fun.
Game CoLab has spent the past few years fortifying the independent video game development scene in town. Their latest effort, the Phoenix Makes Games Jam, calls together creatives of all stripes – artists, designers, programmers, storytellers, and more -- to team up to create a new game in under 48 hours. No experience is necessary to join, just a willingness to collaborate with others. The jamming runs through 4 p.m. on Sunday, when all teams should have a finished product to demo.
The Phoenix Makes Games Jam throws down at the ASU Digital Culture Studio, 950 South Forest Mall in Tempe. The festivities kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday and continues through Sunday afternoon. For more information, visit www.gamecolab.org.
Fri., July 18, 6 p.m.; Sun., July 20, 4 p.m., 2014
