Food for Thought: Jam On!

The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is coming up this weekend and I'm getting nervous, and excited, as the weekend approaches. It'll be a good and informative experience for me though, because I will learn a ton during those condensed days of making a game. I think it's important and valuable to participate in a game jam, if you're a developer, for several reasons.



You are older therefore wiser -  It will make you a better developer overall. It is a very stressful and grueling weekend to live through, but it will make your skills level up. So when you go back to doing something you normally do, then it'll seem easier because you have something harder to compare to. It could therefore make your work easier on your psyche, taking pleasure in the slower pacing of normal work compared to a game jam.

Plug into the network - Networking is super super important in today's world, and especially so in the game industry. Who you know and who you talk to can make or break careers. The GGJ is an opportunity to get to know strangers and talk to them. You never know who you'll encounter at a jam! Personally I go into jams alone so that I am forced to work with people I don't know. Relationships can potentially form out of this, so there's no excuse to pass up the opportunity.

Give me a break - Participating in the GGJ is also a good way to break from your normal routine. It's a weird way to relieve stress with stress. That might sound bad, but in reality it's really fun coming up with an idea on the spot and then spending the next 48 hours making it with strangers. You'll run into obstacles and you'll have to deal with them on the fly. It's good training. 

gamePortfolio += 1 - Even if you get nothing out of talking to new people, or getting better at your craft, at the very least you will have one more game to add to your portfolio. It's always good to add to your portfolio to show what you've made, because it's one more reference point people have to understand your abilities.

Join your local jams! If you are a gamer, you should follow the GGJ on twitter for updates and seeing how people are when they work! You'll also have tons of games to play from around the world by the time Sunday evening rolls around. Happy Jamming everyone!