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[MCRgamejam]

Hi TiGSource!

Just a quick one in case any of you folks are interested, we're kicking off a fun informal indie meet / jam event in April, in sunny Manchester.

The first meet will be a weekend hosted by Madlab, over the Ludum Dare weekend. We've timed it to co-incide with the Ludum Dare, but if people are doing their own thing then that's great too. If there's interest, we might do some smaller short jams (3-4 hours), perhaps as groups (we've had great interest off non-devs too, Madlab is quite a varied community of geeks and creatives from all walks).

This is the first event of this kind we've tried to organise, so we're making it up as we go along really: hopefully a few folks will turn up and we can use that meeting to get heads together and organise a proper regular event.

As an excellent side-bonus, the local hackspace folks (HAC Manchester) have restored a vintage arcade cab (it's now a MAME box) that's going to be up and running at the jam too, so we can run whatever you come up with in a classic upright cab. Cool, eh?

For more info on all this, please do give us a shout on twitter: https://twitter.com/MCRgamejam

Or, we've also set up a Google group until we find a more permanent home online: http://groups.google.com/group/MCRgamejam

Alternatively drop me an email: hellodanhett at gmail dot com.

It'd be lovely to see some of you folks there.

Thanks!

Dan / MCRgamejam

[MCRgamejam]

Here's a pic of the MAME cabinet, almost finished: fancy playing your jam games on this thing? I certainly do

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tbsliver/6878199881/

[Oddball]

I'm based in Manchester. I may pop in on this. I'm glad you didn't call it ManJam, but kinda wish you'd gone with Jamchester. You might want to mention it to RockPaperShotgun.com or IndieGames.com as some of their journos are Manchester based and they might be interested in covering it.

[MCRgamejam]

"Manchester Game Jam" is sort of the default name we've gone for, we're entirely open to suggestions on all fronts really! The idea is basically that we can get people together for LD48, and use that gathering as a bit of a forum to see what people want to do with it all as a regular event.

But yes, "ManJam" is definitely off the list!

[Draknek]

+1 for Jamchester.

[Claw]

Sooooooo in for this. 

[MCRgamejam]

Kinda tempted to go with ManJam just for the awkwardness factor. Best not though.

Still up in the air about the actual format of the weekend, I like the idea of a few short quick-fire jams too, maybe a couple of group ones. Lots of designer types asking about the event, be great to have them involved.

What do you guys think?

[MCRgamejam]

Tickets going up this week. It's all free of course, it's just so we have a handle on numbers. Would be great to have some of you folks on board

[DrDerekDoctors]

I AM FACKIN' THERE!

Um, so where are the tickets?

[Oddball]

Great! Then I'll be able to pester you all weekend to start doing the Arsecast again.

[JMickle]

i'm only coming if its called jamchester

[DrDerekDoctors]

Great! Then I'll be able to pester you all weekend to start doing the Arsecast again.

Haha! Once I get the spare room set up for recording stuff I'm genuinely tempted. There's been a lot of stuff making me angry of late.

[MCRgamejam]

Hi folks! Tickets are going up this week, I'll post back here when they're up.

We made some lovely artwork too. Yay! http://blog.danhett.com/2012/02/gamejam-posters.html

EDIT - Just realised I said "tickets going up this week!" last week. I do mean this week this time. The venue is sorting the tickets, so I'll give them a nudge. They're also thinking that tickets will be a token couple of quid now, as they've had free ticket events in the past that had skewed numbers: if the tickets are totally free then people don't tend to cancel if they can't make it, which means it looks like loads of people are coming and then nobody turns up... that won't happen though... will it?

[DrDerekDoctors]

Hell no! I'll be there! It's in the calendar already.

[MCRgamejam]

Wahey! Welcome aboard.

[capn.lee]

Unfortunately I'm busy that weekend or I'd love to go
Best of luck and I'll see you at MCRgamejam 2

[MCRgamejam]

Hi all

Just a quick one to let you know that all systems are still most definitely go, we've been in talks this evening with the venue and there are some big, exciting plans afoot!

Keep 'em peeled for updates, the second the tickets go up I'll post back here so you guys have first dibs.

Dan

[DrDerekDoctors]

Cool! Can't wait! If I miss out on a ticket I shall me most distraught. :\

[MCRgamejam]

You guys will definitely get first shout, don't worry. If you want to be double sure, drop an email to MCRgamejam [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll mail you directly when tickets go up, just in case you don't see the message here or online somewhere.

[Oddball]

Excellent stuff! I guess I'd better dust off my laptop and check it's still working then.