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About the Archives

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to GAMBIT in the Deadlines category. They are listed from oldest to newest.

Audio is the previous category.

Events is the next category.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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Want to know more about our Summer Game Development Program for Undergraduates?

home_banner_app_2012.jpg

We recently had an information session about our Summer Game Development program and how to apply. Watch this now and let us know if you have any questions!

Applications are open until February 13:


We're Looking For A Few Good Game Developers!

Program Dates: June 11th - August 10th, 2012
Where: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Local Area Applications Accepted: January 9th, 2012 - February 13, 2012

GAMBIT's Summer Program is a nine week, full time, intensive game development experience. Students from Singapore join students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create video games at the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Development teams are composed entirely of student interns, who are responsible for all aspects of the project -- production to programming, game design and art, music and sound, and of course, thorough testing to create a robust, engaging game.

    Eligibility Requirements
  • You must be a current college undergraduate; however, those graduating in the academic year 2011 - 2012 are still eligible to apply for our 2012 summer program.
  • Your home institution must be within 50 miles of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to be eligible to apply.
  • Please note that when selecting our local interns, the GAMBIT program strongly favors those students who have worked with us during the school year.
Call For Abstracts: Summer Program Projects, 2011

Call for Project Abstracts: Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab Summer Program, 2011. Abstracts are due October 13th, 2010

The Lab seeks researchers who are interested in seeing their mature research put into practice as a game. In particular, we seek research which poses questions best answered through games, or innovative designs or technologies which are uniquely demonstrated in a game. Participants must be able to devote several hours a week participating in the Summer Program at the MIT Campus Lab from June 6th through August 5th, 2011.

Eligibility:
Singaporean researchers, researchers funded by GAMBIT, and researchers at MIT are all invited to apply.

What is the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab?
The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the government of Singapore created to explore new directions for the development of games as a medium. GAMBIT sets itself apart by emphasizing the creation of video game prototypes to demonstrate our research as a complement to traditional academic publishing.

What is The GAMBIT Summer Program?
Interns from the Boston area and from Singapore collaborate on development teams each summer to create prototype games which demonstrate concepts based on accepted research topic proposals. Each team is required to create a 5-30 minute polished gameplay experience which demonstrates or explores a research topic. In addition, the game must target the production values of commercial casual games and be distributed online.

Depending on the research topic, the games created might apply some theoretical concept about design or development (e.g. new game design methods, new management methods), use a new technology that has not been used in games before, be an implementation of a specific set of innovative game mechanics (e.g. modeling a system that has not been implemented before), be an analytical tool to study players, or be an educational game to teach a topic.

Each development team will need an expert who can explain the core research and assess whether the game is effectively exploring it. Thus, research topic proposals will be required to select researchers to participate in the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab summer program for the entire duration of June to August. Researchers will be required to visit Boston for at least the first two weeks of the summer program; applicants who will be available on site for the entire 9 week program/development period at the MIT Campus will be given preference. Selected researchers are also expected to collaborate with GAMBIT towards publication of the finished product: be it in academic venues such as conference or journal submissions, or through the professional game industry via festival submissions, commercial development or licensing opportunities.

Application Process:
Download the abstract application here. Abstracts will be reviewed by the GAMBIT lab, and the applicants with the strongest proposals will be invited to work together with the GAMBIT staff to create a project proposal. Abstracts are due October 11th, 2010, with invitations to continue work on proposals going out October 25th, 2010. Final proposals will be expected by December 6th, 2010, and final selection of projects will be sent out on January 10th, 2011.

Contact akiru AT mit DOT edu with any questions or concerns.

Application Timetable & Deadlines:
Call for Abstracts: October 11th, 2010.
Written Proposals: December 6th, 2010.
Final Decisions: January 10th, 2011.

09/20/2010: MIT Holiday Greeting Card Contest!

From the MIT Alumni Association:

MIT students and community members, do you have a clever idea that combines MIT culture and the winter holidays? Submit a proposal before September 20 for an electronic holiday greeting to be selected by President Hockfield for her December 2010 greeting to the world and MIT community. Students, you may be eligible for class credit--ask your professors. And, there's money involved! The winner will walk away with $1000 cash; the runner up will receive $500!

About the Greeting
The 2010 holiday greeting will be electronic, like last year's. Typically this is implemented as a HTML email, which use embeds, scripting, and other common web technologies. It will be sent by MIT President Susan Hockfield and the Alumni Association to an audience of some 150,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends.



Eligibility
MIT students or other community members may participate. Contestants may work individually or in teams.



Prizes
Cash prizes of $1,000 and $500 will be awarded to the winner and runner up, respectively. The winner will also receive credit, wide exposure, and the opportunity to have his or her work viewed and approved by President Hockfield.



For details about the contest, including criteria, deadlines, and how to enter, visit http://alum.mit.edu/holidaygreetingcontest.
 


Good luck to the contestants!
 


2010-2011 MIT Postdoctoral Associate at the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab and Comparative Media Studies

The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab in Program in Comparative Media Studies at MIT is pleased to announce a postdoctoral teaching-research associate position for nontenured scholars and teachers in videogame research and development. Postdocs will be required to fulfill a combination of teaching, management, research, and publishing roles, working with faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students. The position is designed to encourage the academic growth of promising scholars with recent Ph.D. degrees. The appointment is for a one-year period beginning September 1st, 2010, with a salary of $49,000 and a competitive benefits package.

The Postdoctoral Associate position is available in one or more areas of specialization related to videogame studies, design, development or market analysis. Dossier evaluations begin July 1, 2010.

Click here for details about applications, qualifications, and areas of specialization.

Details for the IGDA Health Game Jam

The Boston Postmortem blog has details for the IGDA Health Game Jam we mentioned last week. From the website:

If you haven't been to a game jam, it is a gathering of people who are dedicated to creating a game in a short period of time. Attendees work individually or in teams and there's a general feeling of camaraderie as everyone works toward their end goal in a shared space.. Those interested in developing a game should bring a laptop to our site as computers will not be provided.

The event will be held this weekend, 5/21-23, at Microsoft New England Research & Development in Cambridge. To register and for directions, visit our registration page. The event will run Friday through Sunday at the following times:

5/21 5pm-8pm (dinner)
5/22 9am-6pm (breakfast/lunch/dinner)
5/23 9am-5pm (breakfast/lunch)

Healthy meals will be provided as indicated above, and beverages will be available.

Appropriate for a health game jam, the hours for the event make it easy for participants to get proper meals and a good night's sleep. Bravo!

Michelle Obama's Apps for Healthy Kids competition offers Student Awards

GE Healthymagination is putting forth $20,000 in prize money to recognize student participation in Apps for Healthy Kids, bringing the total prize purse to $60,000. Two GE Healthymagination Student Awards, $10,000 each, will be awarded to the best student-developed submissions: one in the game category and one in the tool category. GE will also provide travel for the winners of the GE Healthymagination Student Awards to a White House event honoring winners in Washington, DC (up to $500 for individuals and up to $1,500 for winning teams). In addition, all contestants will receive some form of acknowledgement thanking them for directing their creativity and innovative spirit to this important cause.

The Apps for Healthy Kids competition is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative aimed at ending childhood obesity within a generation. The purpose of the competition is to challenge software developers, game designers, and students to develop creative, fun, and engaging tools and games that drive kids and their parents to make more nutritious food choices and be more physically active. Submissions are being accepted through June 30, 2010. For more details and the official rules, please visit www.AppsforHealthyKids.com.

Intel announces Level Up Student Competition

The good folks at Intel have asked us to signal-boost this upcoming competition... note that there are both Professional/Hobbyist and Student categories!

4037_Intel_levelUp_Academic_banner_300x300.gifMore information can be found on Intel's Level Up site.

Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to get student game ideas in front of gaming luminaries and Intel game development experts, and to be part of a vibrant gaming community. Student prizes include cash, the latest hardware systems, the newest software packages, and a grand prize pass to the San Francisco Game Developers Conference (GDC).

We encourage student game developers to enter as often as they'd like, to participate, connect, and show their talents. Game concepts can be submitted until June 22, 2010.

Check out this sweet picture from the competition website... that is one badass aeronautical game developer! Alas, he is doggedly committed to his Melvillian quest to hunt down his nemesis, Unallocated Memory Exception.

Applications for the GAMBIT Summer Program 2010 are now closed.
Secondary tests are due January 29th!

Thank you to everyone who applied to our Summer Program! We are reviewing applications and responding as quickly as possible. It may take a day or two to get all the applications sorted out and secondary tests emailed out.

Potential Artists, Audio Designers, Producers, Programmers and Quality Assurance Leads (Testing) will be sent a secondary test, due by or on January 29th. This year, there is no secondary test for Game Designer Applicants. If you indicated an interest for more than one role, you will be sent only one test, for your primary interest.

If you receive the wrong test, or if you need assistance, please contact gambitsummer AT gmail DOT com for assistance.

The Next Step:
After the tests are received, they will be reviewed by the GAMBIT Staff. Starting in mid-February, applicants will be contacted to arrange interview times. Interviews will occur during late February and early March. Once the interview process is complete, offers will start going out to successful applicants.

Thank you!


For Audio Design Applicants Only:

Click here to download audio_test_full.zip (19.1 MB unzipped)
Click here to download audio_test_large.zip (4.3 MB unzipped)
Click here to download audio_test_medium.zip (2.3 MB unzipped)
Click here to download audio_test_small.zip (1.9 MB unzipped)

Now Accepting Applications: The 2010 GAMBIT Summer Program!

Applications accepted until January 14th - Apply Now!

What is the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Summer Program?
The Summer Program at GAMBIT brings together students from Singapore, MIT, and other New England institutions to work on video games used for research at the lab. The program runs for nine weeks, from June 7th to August 8th, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

For further details, click here to go to our Summer Program page.

Who should apply?
We need interns to serve as: Artists, Audio Designers, Game Designers, Producers, Programmers, and Quality Assurance (Testing) Leads. Students currently enrolled in a Singaporean institution are eligible, and those with relevant skills, experiences, and course backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Applicants must also be at least 18 years old by June 2010.

How to apply:
All applicants must fill out and return the General Application and a copy of their resume on or before January 14th, 2010. Download the application from this site, and email the completed form to gambitsummer AT gmail DOT com. Include a version of your resume in the same email. Applicants for positions as artists or audio designers must also include a portfolio (details below), and programmer applicants need to complete and return our initial code test.

Once the general applications are received and processed, secondary tests will be sent out, due on January 29th, 2010. Not all positions require a secondary test, so not all applicants will receive one. After the tests are received and graded, interviews will be scheduled individually, but will likely occur in the second half of February and early March, with offers for positions being sent out in March.

Click here to download the General Application.

(Includes portfolio requirements and resume advice.)

Click here to download the Code Test, Part 1. (SpaceCode2010.zip)
Extract the files; instructions are included in the zip folder under the name "Read Me First - ProgrammerTestPhase1"

Artist and Audio Designer Portfolios:
As mentioned above, applicants for Artist and Audio Designer positions must submit an portfolio along with their General Application. Portfolio CDs or DVDs are also due by or on January 14th, and should be delivered to:


Maureen Chew
Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab
100 Beach Road, #23-07/13, Shaw Tower
Singapore 189702

Artist Portfolio Submission Instructions
Your portfolio should consist of between 10 and 20 examples of any type of two- or three-dimensional work you have completed recently. We suggest that your work reflect your interests, experience and abilities in the arts to date. It may be in any media, may be finished or in sketch form, and may be self-directed or from an assigned class project.
Your portfolio must be reproduced on a CD or DVD. We will not accept work posted on a website as your portfolio submission.

Each image should be submitted as a separate file in .jpg format. Individual file sizes should not exceed 3MB. Please do not affix any adhesive labels to your CD/DVD.

Time-based work or performance pieces may be submitted in video format or as QuickTime files on a CD or DVD.

Include a work description sheet. Number the examples you are submitting and on your description page list the corresponding number, medium, size, date of completion and title for each work. You should also include a contact sheet/thumbnail page of the images on your disk.

Please note: it is very important that your full name and address are clearly noted on your CD/DVD and your description and thumbnail pages.

Please note that we cannot accept physical original artwork, as these materials will not be returned to you.

Audio Designer Portfolio Submission Instructions
Please send us a portfolio of your best work on either a CD or a DVD. Include a brief description of each asset, describing what you were trying to accomplish when you created it. While we will accept audio designed for any medium, keep in mind that this is part of an application for a video game audio position. Things that would be particularly relevant are

  • Different types of audio (e.g. looping music, sound effects, voice)
  • Interactive samples (any games or software that use your audio assets)
  • Breadth in style (e.g. whimsical kids game, epic fantasy RPG, and serious war game)
1/1/2010: Vote for games for MIT's 150th anniversary!

MIT will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2011, so the MIT Museum is running a poll to select 150 objects to represent the institute's history. Students, faculty members, alums, staff and other interested parties may vote for up to 10 items that have been nominated for the exhibition until January 1, 2010.

MIT's role in the development of videogames (and the role of games in MIT) should not be forgotten! Here are some of the game-related "things" that were nominated.

Spacewar!
Zork
Eliza
Tech Model Railroad Club
Mystery Hunt
Assassins' Guild
Metafield Maze
The Lurking Horror

If you agree they should be immortalized, vote for them! If searching for your favorite bit of MIT game history doesn't yield any results, you can make a new nomination. (I'm looking at you, Harmonix...)

2/5/2010: CFP: Research Topic Proposals for GAMBIT's Summer 2010 Game Development Program

Call for Proposals:
Research Topic Proposals for GAMBIT's Summer 2010 Game Development Program

The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab is seeking research topic proposals for its Summer 2010 game prototype development program. The Lab seeks researchers who are interested in seeing their mature research put into practice as a game and who are able to devote a few hours a week towards this end at the MIT lab from June 7th through August 6th.

Interns from the Boston area and from Singapore collaborate on development teams each summer to create prototype games which demonstrate concepts based on accepted research topic proposals. Each team is required to create a 5-30 minute polished gameplay experience which demonstrates or explores a research topic. In addition, the game must target the production values of commercial casual games and be distributed online.

Depending on the research topic, the games created might apply some theoretical concept about design or development (e.g. new game design methods, new management methods), use a new technology that has not been used in games before, be an implementation of a specific set of innovative game mechanics (e.g. modeling a system that has not been implemented before), be an analytical tool to study players, or be an educational game to teach a topic.

Each development team will need an expert who can explain the core research and assess whether the game is effectively exploring it. Thus, research topic proposals will be required to select a researcher to participate in the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab summer program for the entire duration of June to August. The selected researcher will be required to visit Boston for at least the first two weeks of the summer program at a minimum. Selected researchers are also expected to collaborate with GAMBIT towards publication of the finished product: be it in academic venues such as conference or journal submissions, or through the professional game industry via festival submissions, commercial development or licensing opportunities.

SUBMISSIONS

Interested researchers should fill out this questionnaire and send it to Sara Verrilli (akiru AT mit DOT edu). All researchers currently receiving funding from GAMBIT should apply in this way as well.

Priority will be given to researchers funded by GAMBIT, Singaporean researchers, and researchers at MIT.

DEADLINE: 5 February 2010.

GAMBIT Summer Program application details

Singapore students interested in applying for the 2010 GAMBIT Summer Program should check out our Join Game section. We've put up some details about what the program is all about, as well as what you'll need to prepare for your application. GAMBIT will only accept submissions from January 1st through January 15th, 2010, but you can start preparing today!

Time to start assembling those portfolios and resumes!

10/30/09: Reminder - Student Explorer Grant

Turn your ideas into a business venture -- Receive up to $50,000 funding
Presented by the SMART Innovation Centre

Do you have an exciting game or web application? Do you want to be an entrepreneur? The Explorer Grant will assist individual students or groups of students explore further development and commercialization of innovative games and web applications originated by them. The Explorer Grant will provide up to $50,000 in funding to develop commercial prototypes, evaluate go-to-market strategies so that your game or web application can be licensed to an existing company or form the basis of a start-up company.

The Explorer Grant recipients will also be provided with business expertise, guidance on intellectual property, and networking opportunities with the Singapore and international venture capital community.

US teams may receive up to US$50,000, Singapore teams may receive up to S$50,000.

Eligibility

Full time undergraduate or graduate students at:

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Nanyang Technological University
  • National University of Singapore
  • Singapore Management University
  • Nanyang Polytechnic
  • Ngee Ann Polytechnic
  • Republic Polytechnic
  • Singapore Polytechnic
  • Temasek Polytechnic
  • Other Singapore institutes and recent graduates can be considered

You must identify a faculty member at your institute to act as a Faculty Mentor.

You can work in student teams or individuals. If working as a team, a team leader must be identified. Teams from multiple institutes/universities can be formed.

Submission Process

The proposal must be submitted electronically to explorergrants@smart.mit.edu by 30th October, 2009, 5pm, Singapore time.

Grant application form is available at http://web.mit.edu/smart/explorer

Important Dates

  • 14 September 2009: Grant submission opens
  • 30 October 2009: Grant closes, 5pm (Singapore time)
  • 30 January 2010: Award Grant

For inquiries about the grant program, contact Howard Califano at howard.califano@smart.mit.edu or visit our website at http://web.mit.edu/smart/innovationcentre for more information.

Utrecht University is hiring game studies faculty

The Department of Media and Culture Studies at Utrecht University has a vacancy for an Assistant Professor New Media and Digital Culture.

Job description

MCS offers an interdisciplinary and open atmosphere with a young, dynamic team. Courses are taught in Dutch and English, but non-Dutch speaking candidates are required to be able to teach in Dutch after one year.

You will teach Bachelor's and Master's courses, particular courses in the field of new media and digital culture. You will supervise Master's theses and participate in the administration of the department.

Further details

For more information, please contact Prof Dr Joost Raessens, e-mail J.Raessens@uu.nl or tel. (+31) 30 253 6270. You can also have a look at the department's website.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send their application by e-mail, including a curriculum vitae, to the Personnel Department of the Faculty of Humanities, to humanitiesjobs.gw@uu.nl (specify your name and vacancy number: 68926-E in the message) or by mail to Mrs. Drs M.H. de Windt, Kromme Nieuwegracht 46, 3512 HJ Utrecht, The Netherlands. Please refer to vacancy number 68926-E on the envelope.

The deadline for applications is 19 October 2009.

The interviews and mini-colleges will take place in Utrecht on Thursday the 12th of November 2009.

Continue reading "Utrecht University is hiring game studies faculty" »

We're hiring a research executive to work in Singapore!

The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab (GAMBIT) is looking for a research executive who will be responsible for building relationships between researchers/Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) in Singapore, and coordinating various research activities. As the key liaison person, he/she will drive the call for proposals (research in games), as well as, evaluate proposals and recommendations.


Major Responsibilities

  • Key liaison person between research institutions/organizations, and GAMBIT Singapore to coordinate visiting graduate students researchers between Singapore and MIT labs
  • Strengthen existing relationships and build collaborations between institutes of higher learning in Singapore and MIT
  • Research coordinator in charge of managing research activities under the Singapore lab and overseeing various research proposals (including the call for proposal, selecting good proposals, and evaluating recommendations from a review panel)
  • Propose and implement plans to create a systemic and sustainable network of game researchers to develop GAMBIT as a research and development hub regionally by 2011
  • Communicate GAMBIT mission and work closely with local and overseas researchers to form strategic partnerships to steer research efforts


Qualifications and Skills

  • Degree holder in Computer Science is preferred
  • Research knowledge in areas of games or gaming technology, with technical background and understanding of the role of game in research, education etc.
  • Good analytical and organizing skills, with the ability to multi-task on various projects and work independently
  • Independent team-player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Strong interest in games a plus


How to Apply

The closing date for this position is 1 February 2010.

Interested applicants should submit the relevant documents:

  • Cover letter and resume
  • Expected salary and earliest start date
  • Demo materials/portfolio/links showing related work experiences in games or media
  • References and testimonials
Please note that GAMBIT is not responsible for the return of any sample submissions (ie. video tapes, CDs, portfolios, etc.).

Please send all submissions to the following address:

Email gambitsg AT gmail DOT com
Mail1 Coleman Street #09-06
The Adelphi
Singapore 179803

Please indicate job position desired in your application email/mail package.

Successful applicants will be notified within one month of application. Thank you!

10/30/09: Student Explorer Grant for games

Turn your ideas into a business venture -- Receive up to S$50,000 funding
Presented by the SMART Innovation Centre

Do you have an exciting game or web application? Do you want to be an entrepreneur? The Explorer Grant will assist individual students or groups of students explore further development and commercialization of innovative games and web applications originated by them. The Explorer Grant will provide up to S$50,000 in funding to develop commercial prototypes, evaluate go-to-market strategies so that your game or web application can be licensed to an existing company or form the basis of a start-up company.

The Explorer Grant recipients will also be provided with business expertise, guidance on intellectual property, and networking opportunities with the Singapore and international venture capital community.

Important Dates

  • 14 September 2009: Grant submission opens
  • 30 October 2009: Grant closes, 5pm (Singapore time)
  • 30 January 2010: Award Grant

Continue reading "10/30/09: Student Explorer Grant for games" »

2009 Call for Research Proposals

Faculty and post-doc researchers from Singapore and MIT are invited to submit proposals for consideration to the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab. Funding is available for projects to be run between September 2010 to September 2011, inclusive.

Researchers participating in GAMBIT-funded projects will be expected to encapsulate and present their work within an academic context, such as presenting at conferences or publishing in respected journals, websites, or magazines. Research projects must also include an applied component to be used in game development during the GAMBIT summer program in 2010 or 2011. Proposal requirements are explained in greater detail in Join Game.

PDF submissions for research collaborations seeking funding through the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab must be sent to gambit-proposal@mit.edu by 30 November 2009 for consideration by the Projects Steering Committee. Proposal submitters may be contacted after the deadline for revision requests and clarifications. Approved projects will be announced in February 2010 to begin funded research in Fall 2010 at the latest. Approved projects may be able to get an early start by nominating a Singaporean researcher to participate in the GAMBIT Summer Game Development Program in 2010, allowing collaborators to meet regularly at MIT for the summer.

IndieCade Call for Submissions (Updated)

Updated - note the new deadline of May 15th!

Attention students, academics, artists and industry professionals! We'd like to call your attention to the upcoming submission deadline for IndieCade, the upcoming festival of independent games and interactive art being chaired by friend-of-the-lab Celia Pearce. Here's the official CFP.

IndieCade

IndieCade Call for Submissions

IndieCade invites independent game artists and designers from around the world to submit interactive media of all types - from art to commercial, ARG to abstract, mind-bending to mobile, serious to shooter, as well as academic and student projects - for consideration. Work-in-progress is encouraged.

A diverse jury of creative and academic leaders will select entries for top prizes at the IndieCade 2009 Festival. All entries for the Festival will also receive consideration for presentation at all 2009 IndieCade international exhibitions including:

IndieCade 2009 Events:
IndieCade @ E3, Los Angeles (June 2-5)
IndieCade Asia TBA
IndieCade @ SIGGRAPH, New Orleans (Aug 5-7)
IndieCade 2009 (Oct 1-10)
IndieCade Europe, GameCity, UK (Oct 26-29)

Submissions Deadline: April 30, 2009 May 15, 2009 at Midnight PST.

For more information and to enter: www.IndieCade.com.

IndieCade's successful flagship 2008 festival held last October at Open Satellite contemporary gallery in Bellevue, Washington, was the first major intertaional exhibition of independent videogames and videogame art in the area. Event organizers include IndieCade Founder Stephanie Barish, Chair Celia Pearce, and Festival Director Sam Roberts.

GAMBIT is looking for an Audio Director

GAMBIT is now accepting applications for a new research and development staff position beginning in March 2009. The Audio Director will:


  • direct conceptual design, composition, and engineering of sound requirements for game prototypes;

  • assist and mentor multiple game development teams of graduate and undergraduate student research assistants over the summer to help them design and develop small game prototypes;

  • liaise and coordinate with audio and music students and faculty from other institutions to further support development of small game prototypes;

  • work with teams of graduate students, postdocs, and professional research associates developing individual casual games to be deployed over online channels or mobile devices, participating in meetings over fall, winter, and spring;

  • coordinate maintenance and use of musical instruments, audio recording, and editing equipment with technical staff;

  • make recommendations for new equipment procurement with systems administrator; establish, teach, and refine best practices in game development, audio design, and music composition with multiple teams on ongoing research projects;

  • host discussions on audio tools and aesthetics;

  • conduct instructional seminars with students and researchers.

Click here for more requirements, estimated pay rates and application instructions.

MIT is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women and members of minority groups.

Research Proposal Deadline Extended to Dec 31, 2008

Faculty and post-doc researchers from Singapore and MIT are invited to submit proposals to GAMBIT for collaborative projects starting in Fall 2009. In previous funding cycles, proposals were due at the end of September and investigators received responses at the beginning of the following year. To reduce the wait between submission, approval, and funding, note that the deadline this year has been moved to December 31, 2008.

Before the deadline arrives, interested researchers are encouraged to email gambit-exec AT mit DOT edu for inquiries, support in finding collaborators, and feedback on draft proposals. More information on the proposal format and requirements can be found on the Research Proposals page.

Now Hiring: Art Director, Technical Director

GAMBIT is now accepting applications for two new positions beginning in Q1 2008: Art Director and Technical Director.

The Technical Director will serve as lead programmer in designing, coding, testing, and debugging prototypes and preparing them for public or commercial release, as well as establish, teach, and refine best practices in software engineering with multiple teams and a spring class of students. Other duties include hosting software engineering and programming discussions and seminars with students and researchers.

The Art Director will serve as lead artist in designing, creating, and optimizing art for game prototypes and help prepare them for public or commercial release, as well as establish, teach, and refine best practices in visual, character, and environment design with multiple teams and a spring class of students. Will also host discussions on art tools and aesthetics and conduct instructional seminars with students and researchers.

Both positions will assist and mentor multiple game development teams of graduate and undergraduate student research assistants over the summer to help them design and develop small game prototypes, and participate in meetings over the fall, winter, and spring with a team of graduate students, postdocs, and professional research associates developing individual casual games to be deployed over online channels or mobile devices.

For more requirements, estimated pay rates and application instructions, please visit the following links:

MIT is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women and members of minority groups.

OLPC Game Jam in Needham, MA, June 8-10 2007

Applications are due 11:59pm EST May 12. Apply here!

From the OLPC Game Jam website:

The OLPC Game Jam is a game design and programming event designed to encourage (simultaneously) experimentation and innovation in the game industry and kick off development of open-source games for the OLPC platform (the XO). A group of game developers will get together over a three-day period to make as many innovative games as possible for the laptop, which is being distributed to children in developing countries around the world. Our goal is not just some great games and experimentation for the XO Laptop but also to bring the unique constraints and output of this project to next years GDC Experimental Gameplay Workshop. Code will be released on SourceForge under the GNU General Public License so everyone can freely experiment with the source and games.

FuturePlay 2007 Call for Papers

FuturePlay 2007: The International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology

www.futureplay.org
November 15-17, 2007
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

FuturePlay evolved from the former Computer Game Technology (CGT) Conference initiated and run by Algoma University College since 2002. The goal of FuturePlay is to bring together academics, industry, and students to advance game design and technology through peer-reviewed research, creative and experimental game design and development, and formal and informal discussion on academic and industry-related topics.

Continue reading "FuturePlay 2007 Call for Papers" »

StarCraft live-action SIK Game

EDIT: Note the change of date! The game is now running on sunday.

Some old friends are running a SIK (Society for Interactive Killing) game on the MIT campus in two weeks. SIK games are a genre of live-action games run by the MIT Assassins' Guild. They're basically tactical indoor paintball, only with plastic discs and rubber darts instead of paint. Expect it to have lots of reasonably complicated mechanics, but it's a fun experiment in thinking about how computer game rules and systems would translate into a game where people are really running around.

Zerg vs. Protoss vs. Terrans! You played the computer game, now play the SIK game!

StarCraft will be running several short games in a single evening, giving people time to explore their favorite strategies in LARP format. It will run on Sunday 2/25, starting at 5pm.

Version 1.21 rules and stats are online at:
http://web.mit.edu/jakebeal/Public/starcraft-rules.pdf
http://web.mit.edu/jakebeal/Public/starcraft-units.pdf

Fair warning: if you play, an Ultralisk may hit you with a boffer.

In case you've forgotten what it's all about, go check out...
http://www.battle.net/scc/
http://www.blizzard.com/starcraft/

StarCraft is written and GMed by Jake Beal, Jeff Cohen, and Joe Foley,
under the auspices of the MIT Assassin's Guild. Props and legal
trademark recognition to Blizzard.

To apply, answer the questions below and send to starcraft-gms (AT) mit.edu. Please respond by the night of Friday, Feb 16th. Thank you.

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