This has been an exciting year for web developers, with all the new features being made possible by HTML5 and browsers getting faster by the day. One of the big surprises has been the rise of HTML5 gaming, with the open technology stack of HTML, CSS, and Javascript becoming a viable platform for games on the web. That’s why, next month, SPIL Games and Google will be running an HTML5 Game Jam event on both sides of the Atlantic, and you’re invited!
In the Netherlands, we’ll be hosting a sleepover event at the Hilversum headquarters of SPIL Games. SPIL recently converted their 47 mobile portals to work on mobile HTML5, and is running a $50,000 HTML5 games contest. Hilversum is a quick train journey from Amsterdam and the spacious premises are the perfect setting for hardcore games hacking, which means we’ll be coding HTML5 games all weekend. Participants will be able to sleep over on-site. In which case, please bring a sleeping bag, change of clothes, and don’t forget your toothbrush! We’ll also mail out a list of hotels in the Hilversum area for those who’d rather book a room instead (at your own cost).
Meanwhile, we’ll be running a parallel event at Google’s office in downtown San Francisco. We won’t quite be pulling an all-nighter like our friends in the Netherlands, but we will keep our doors open till midnight.
This will primarily be a hands-on hackathon in both locations, which runs from Saturday October 9th, 10am to Sunday October 10th, 6pm. We’ll kick off with short talks on the technology, followed by pitches from anyone with ideas on a great game. Then it will be hacking all day. We’ll pick up again on Sunday at 10am, and wrap up at 6pm with presentations and judging. There will also be chillout areas with games and diversions, and food and drinks to fuel your frenetic hacking.
The event is free of charge and places are limited. Sign Up here, and we’ll mail back with confirmations soon. We’re looking forward to see what games you can build using HTML5!
Just beware the terms and conditions of the contest rules, where you basically surrender all rights to your submissions as a function of entry:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.html5contest.com/rules
http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/dbmuy/send_a_game_to_a_contest_and_lose_all_your_rights/
It occurs to me that it will be impossible for google to find any partner in the games space who isn't, utterly evil.
ReplyDeleteSPIL group is rather evil BTW, in case you where wondering.
I do not deny the need to something like HTML 5 to address the changes in how multimedia content is delivered. But so far I have only seen tech demos which are very nice but seem as relevant as 3D movies in terms of actual sure they are pretty but they are all style over the substance.
ReplyDeleteCool Gadgets
Just to be clear, all IP developed at the game jam will belong to the developers.
ReplyDeleteAny news about the delivery of confirmation mails?
ReplyDeleteThe SPIL post about this indicates it will start at 10am sat and go till 6pm sunday:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spilgames.com/presscenter/releases/spil_enUS_html5_gamejam.php
Also you can keep up to date with the twitter:
https://twitter.com/html5gamejam
More details in case anyone needs em:
ReplyDeletehe event will take place at SPIL GAMES’ headquarters in Hilversum, the Netherlands on the weekend of 9-10 October, 2010 and will give developers the chance to share best practices and create games in a fun environment. We recommend following @html5gamejam on Twitter for updates prior to, and during, the event.
This is primarily a hacking event, running from Saturday 10:00 am to Sunday 6:00 pm with optional sleepover, so please bring a laptop and some ideas on games you’d like to build. We’re going to suggest you build games around one of the following general themes:
Connections
Make and Break
Frenemies for Life
Hopefully, these will provoke some thinking, and you can feel free to interpret them however you see fit. “Connections”, for example, could be social connections, geometric connections, or many other things - have fun and experiment with the idea!
On Saturday, we will kick off with short talks on the technology, followed by pitches from anyone with ideas for great games. This will be followed by team-building, where participants group themselves into teams and decide on what they’ll be making. Or you’re welcome to go solo too if you prefer. Teams can include 1-4 people, and the idea of the pitches is to help with team building - pitchers will be able to explain what kind of game they have in mind and optionally what kind of skills they’re looking for. Then it will be coding all day, with a special keynote on Saturday evening from Tino “Crisp” Zijdel, the creator of the original DHMTL Lemmings game back in 2004! There will be chill-out areas with games and diversions, food to fuel everyone and a few surprises along the way.
On Sunday, we’ll be serving breakfast from 8am-11am and continue coding. We’ll wrap the event up with short presentations and announce the winners. We’ll be offering prizes and announcing winners in follow-up blog posts. We’ll finish up by 6pm on Sunday.
SPIL GAMES address : Arendstraat 23 / 1223RE HILVERSUM