On Saturday the 23rd February game developers from all over will gather together in Farset Labs, Belfast , to pour forth their creative juices in an extravaganza of game development talent that hasn’t been seen since…well, since the las GameCraft in November, or another game jam :D . That’s right, it’s time for Belfast GameCraft!

This time around, participants, either individually or as a team, have a whole 8 hours to create a game centered around a random theme to be announced on the day.

It will be exciting, it will be intense, it will be…slightly pungent, frankly. But it will be worth it! After 8 hours, a panel of highly trained judges (at least, they look highly trained, they are all wearing monacles) will examine each of the submitted games and select a few stand out entries to be awarded some awesome prizes.

While the games are being pinched, prodded, and poked, we’ll all have some well deserved refreshments and a bit of time for the all important networking. Participants are free to use whatever game creation platform they like, be that Unity, UDK, GameMaker, Construct2, XNA, or one of the myriad other fine platforms available today. Good luck and may the most ridiculous game win!

What happens on the day?

1. You with your team need to build a game from scratch, you have about 8 hours.
2. You can come with a team formed or form your team there
Platform agnostic
3. We announce a topic during breakfast
4. Early start, then, at 5pm judging starts. There is a people’s choice so we all get to play each others games
5. People and Judges vote .. there are prizes yay!
6. Everyone learns
7. People meet other people

This event is free but all members of your team need a ticket … REGISTER at http://belfastgamecraft.eventbrite.com/#

Organization

Andrea Magnorsky (@roundcrisis on twitter)
Matt Johnston (@cimota on twitter)
Greg Maguire
Andrew O’Connor (@bravesirandrew on twitter)

Belfast Gamecraft – 23rd February 2013

When: 23rd February 2012, 9AM
Where: Farset Labs, Weavers Court, Linfield Rd, Belfast, Antrim BT12 5GH, United Kingdom

See more at http://dublingamecraft.com/2013/01/30/belfast-gamecraft-23rd-february-2013/

The Irish School of Animation with support from the Irish Film Board, Enterprise Ireland and Animation Ireland has announced details of the upcoming animation/vfx event: ISA CON 2013.

The event will take place on Friday 15th February from 7-10pm in
Printworks at the Morrison Hotel.

Guests speakers at the event include renowned anatomy consultant Stuart Sumida (‘Ratatouille’ and ‘Life of Pi’), animation story artist/director Fergal Reilly (‘The Iron Giant’ and ‘Hotel
Transylvania’), motion capture specialist Simon Kay (‘Total Recall’
and ‘Iron Man 2’), and visual effects guru Ciaran Crowley (‘Inception’ and ‘The Dark Knight’).

Tickets cost 5 Euro and are available from the Administrative Offices of Ballyfermot College of Further Education. Tickets will also be available for purchase/collection on the door of the venue on the evening of the event.

For more information see:
http://bcfeisa.ilikecake.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ISA-CON-2013.pdf

Want to know about ‘serious games’ or games used for non entertainment purposes? Well, the third Irish Symposium on Game-Based Learning (iGBL2013; http://igbl2013.wordpress.com) will be hosted at the Dublin Institute of Technology between the 6th and 7th June 2013.

The purpose of this symposium is to:
· report on the use of GBL in primary, secondary and third-level education
· define the roadmap for GBL in Ireland
·provide evidence of the effectiveness of GBL to motivate and learn
·identify how GBL can be included and facilitated in instructional settings

This symposium will bring together teachers, lecturers, students and researchers, and provide insights from different perspectives such as education, sociology, educational psychology, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), artificial intelligence, game design, game development and instructional design.It will also be a great opportunity to network and share ideas with other researchers and practitioners.

Important Dates
———————-
8th March: Abstract submission deadline
8th April: Notification of abstract acceptance
19th April: Earlybird registration deadline
3rd May: Registration deadline
31st May: Final submission of presentations

Submission types
————————

This year the programme will include presentations, workshops and pecha kucha sessions as well as interactive poster presentations. All submission types require that you submit a 300-500 word abstract to be received by 8 March 2013. For further details see the conference website athttp://igbl2013.wordpress.com.

Topics
————————————–
We are seeking contributions on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to:
· Pedagogical/learning theories for game based learning
· Evaluation of game based learning
· Assessment in game based learning
· Integrating game based learning with the curriculum
· Use of narrative/role-playing in game-based learning
· Designing games for learning
· Gamification
· Serious games
· Technologies, tools and platforms for developing games for learning
· Technologies for mobile and multi-user games for learning
· Location-based technology for game-based learning
· Social and collaborative aspects of game-based learning
· Organisational issues when implementing games within educational settings
· Gender/age/cultural issues

Submission Procedure
———————————

All submission types require that you submit a 300-500 word abstract to be received by 8 March 2013. Submissions must be made online form athttp://bit.ly/W4XnIH. Submissions must include the proposed title for the submission, the full names and affiliations of all authors, and the contact details of at least one author. In the case of multiple authors, please specify who will be the presenting author at the symposium. The abstract should clearly explain how the submission will meet the objectives of the symposium. Authors will be notified of the status of their proposal by 8 April 2013.

Inquiries can be forwarded to igbl2013@gmail.com and you can follow us on twitter @igbl2013.

Pulse College in association with Windmill Lane Studios are offering a free 33 week Game Development and Project Management Course funded by Momentum, aimed at re-skilling those on the live register for the game industry.

It is a high-level course, aimed at those who already possess a degree, or genuine interest in the industry. The aim is produce work-ready graduates who can be an asset to companies.

Additionally, they will all undertake work placement for 10 days. I have secured internships with companies like Riot, BatCat, Bitsmith etc., but the college is seeking additional companies. Contact Naomi Moore at pulse@pulsecollege.eu

There are 90 places available and Proposed Start Date is the
11/02/13 running until the 16/09/13.

Attendance is free if you fulfill the criteria.
– Be unemployed for 12 months or longer and Be in receipt
of Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit or be signing on
for Social Insurance Contribution Credits for 12 months or
longer
– Be actively seeking work.
– You must apply through Employment Services at the Department
of Social Protection

See more at http://www.pulsecollege.eu/freecourse/

(Lest we be seen as favouring one college over another – please note that Clane College is also offering an introduction to game development course via the Momentum scheme – in Kildare, Limerick and Galway – See http://www.gamedevelopers.ie/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7002)

Another week, another game!

Gd.ie are delighted to announce that Irish independent game studio, Brighthead Games, have today launched their first title for PC.

The Adventures of King Croc is a retro puzzle platform series, created with stunning art and detailed game mechanics.

” King Croc is a re-imaging of platforms, we wanted to combine our love of old school platformers like donkey kong and bubble bobble, along with our passion for physic puzzles like portal” said a spokesperson.

Avaliable on Indievania for $ 1.00 – http://www.indievania.com/games/adventures-king-croc

Available on IndieCity for €0.70 – http://store.indiecity.com/projects/kingcroc

King Croc

King Croc is a puzzle platformer game that re-imagines how 2d games work. In this game, the player assumes the role of the eponymous hero, as he travels through different worlds to restore his crown and rescue his princess from the clutches of the evil Professor Plumber.

The levels in King Croc are very diverse. Some are more action-based, while others require the player to use puzzle-solving skills. What makes the game of King Croc different from others of this type is the fact that he cannot directly harm any of his enemies.

Instead, he must rely on his gun’s ability to alter the environment to create portals, jump-pads… etc. The levels in each world become progressively more difficult, and careful planning and resource management become a must in the later stages of the game.

For those players who enjoy a challenge, once the game is beaten, 2 new game modes become unlocked which offer a whole new gaming experience and make the game much more difficult.

The origins of King Croc was the result of a demo which we had created for the Dublin Game Craft in 2012, which we successfully completed and won. As a result of overwhelming excitement from both Judges and competitors we decided to release a fully developed game.

About the company

Brighthead Games is based in Dublin developing for Facebook, IOS and Android Games. The company was founded in 2012. The team met through game design competitions. The team is formed by Edward Mc Elroy, Mariano Di Murro & Zafer Balbous.

See http://brightheadgames.com/

We are delighted to announce that Irish independent studio, bitSmith Games, have today launched their first title for iPad on the App Store.

Ku: Shroud of the Morrigan is a Celtic-Punk Action-Adventure series, brought to life through beautifully painted hand-drawn pencil sketches.

“We’ve built a rich and intriguing universe to contain our re-imagining of the classic Irish epic; The Táin – set in future Ireland following economic collapse. This chronicles the adventures of Ireland’s greatest warrior-hero, Cú Chulainn.” said a spokesperson.

FEATURES

* Celtic-punk – a fusion of Celtic and Steampunk aesthetics

* A rich and intriguing world, brought to life by beautiful hand-drawn sketches, lovingly painted and animated in high resolution

* Timeless narrative – a re-imagining of the classic Irish epic, The Táin, which tells the story of Ireland’s greatest warrior-hero Cú Chulainn

* Full Irish translation of the game

* A lush world populated with strange creatures and vicious enemies, born in the cauldron of war

* Fast-paced combat and epic boss encounters

* Solve puzzles by repairing and interacting with ancient mechanisms with the aid of your trusty ‘Árgatlam’ gravity glove

* Original soundtrack featuring music from independent Irish electronic artists

bitSmith Games is based in the incubator space provided by Digit Gaming, on Princes Street South, Dublin along side fellow game devs Bat Cat Games. The team is formed by Owen Harris, Basil Lim, Ralph Croly, Paul Conway and Robby Becker.

The game is available for purchase at – https://itunes.apple.com/ie/app/ku-shroud-of-the-morrigan/id581362461?mt=8&ls=1

A new mini-site for the game – www.KutheGame.com

www.bitSmithGames.com
www.facebook.com/bitSmithGames
www.facebook.com/kuthegame
www.twitter.com/bitSmithGames