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Update: A new website has been set up for those taking part in the GDC Plane Jam. Game industry trade body UKIE has also donated some space for developers to meet up at GDC and show off their games.
Original story: This year UK indie developers Byron Atkinson-Jones and Andrew Roper are challenging themselves and other devs to make a game on the flight to GDC.
The friendly ‘Plane Jam’ contest came about through a Twitter conversation between Xiotex Studios boss Atkinson-Jones (pictured) and Lazurus Game developer Roper, and now the pair are keen for others to join them in their air bound game jam.
"Plane Jam started when I had to go on a long haul flight to the Canada one year," explains Atkinson-Jones. "I snore like an asthmatic wart-hog so I always fear falling asleep on the aircraft – seriously, there was some serious debate as to which was louder, me or the engines? Anyway, to stop myself going loopy with boredom while trying to stay awake I decided that on this one flight I would just make a game. It didn’t matter what it was as long as I had fun making it. Ever since then whenever I am flying I do a Plane Jam."
This year Atkinson-Jones is opening up his personal project to everyone travelling to GDC, and welcomes those interested to craft a computer game, a card game or a board game on their flight.
"It’s great because there’s nothing to help focus the mind than constraints and you can’t get bigger constraints than being sat on an aircraft with no internet and very limited resources," concluded Atkinson-Jones. "You will be amazed at just how creative you can be under those circumstances."
Atkinson-Jones and Roper hope to enable those involved to compare their projects during the week of GDC.
To find out more about the casually organised jam, join in the conversation with Atkinson-Jones (@xiotex) and Andrew Roper (@arndreth) on Twitter, or use the comments thread below.
Entrants do not need to travel on the same flight. The flight must, however, be a flight taken to attend GDC.
