next »

[marcus]

Ahoge is a small Osaka-based 24 hour game dev competition. It's the spiritual successor to the regularly held Tokyo-based Murige competition that sort of petered out because the organizer (babara) mysteriously stopped organizing it.

Ahoge literally means "stupid game" and that's what this competition is about, to make a stupid game based on a theme that's announced at the start of the competition by the previous Ahoge winner. You can see a list of the previous entries here - last time the theme was "Albatross" (or "ahodori" in Japanese, lit. "stupid bird"). Nora Shishi, one of the participators, also did a write-up in English

The 2nd Ahoge Game Development Competition will start 9/16 21:00 (Japan Standard Time) and the deadline for submitting your game is 24 hours later, 9/17 21:00. 24 hours after that we have a drink-up and go through all the entries (and I think maybe crown the winner) which will be broadcast live at this url.

If there's any interest, just let me know and I'll post a translation of the game submission form.

Cheers

[JWK5]

That means it starts in about 1 hour... What the hell, I am feeling froggy so I'll give it a go. I've got a few questions first:

(1) When they announce the "theme" will you be able to post it here in English?

(2) I know some Japanese games require you to have certain language packs installed or other   
    such software, if I make the game in Game Maker 8.1 (which works for Windows) will it
    run ok on a Japanese computer?



EDIT: Yeah, a translation of the submission form would be nice. Thanks.

[marcus]

Hi, sorry, got the dates wrong in the post, it's the 16th, tomorrow. Yes, I can post the theme here once it's been announced.

I'm not sure whether Game Maker games work or not but I think it's probably fine (I have a Japanese computer and I don't think I've ever had a problem)

The submission form:
HN(全角10字以内)       handle name (less than 10 chars)
メールアドレス※1       e-mail
サイトURL               website url
作品名(全角20字以内)  name of the game (less than 20 chars)   
作品URL               URL to the game
サムネイル用URL※2       URL to game thumbnail (200x200)
作品紹介文           game description (less than 150 chars)

[moi]

most of the previous games seem to be in flash

[JWK5]

Then I will be the GM8.1 rebel.

[J. R. Hill]

I am so there!!!  I don't need a translation though

[JWK5]

I do believe it has started. Can anyone (who speaks Japanese) tell me what the theme is?



I got Google to translate this bit, which seems to indicate the contest is meant for browser games but then there is this line "Downloading games but you can" (which Google has clearly butchered) that suggests you can have downloaded games (such as GM games) it is just not recommended...

作品の許容範囲
基本的に、PCのブラウザで閲覧出来る作品であれば何でも可能です。
（ダウンロードゲームは可能としていますが、プレイ出来ない環境の方も居る為、ブラウザゲームの製作スキルをお持ちの方はブラウザゲームにてご参加頂ければと思います）
但し、以下の点にご注意下さい。
・極度に 残虐な作品、グロテスクな作品、不謹慎な作品、アダルトな作品に関しては運営側の協議によって掲載出来ない可能性が御座います。
・版権物の取り扱いに関しては自己判断でお願いする事になります。
取り扱いの際は十分にご注意下さいませ。



Tolerance works
basically, anything is possible if the work can be viewed in a browser on a PC.
(Downloading games but you can, how to fold the environment can not play well, people with production skills of the browser game browser would be appreciated participation in the game)
, but the following points in your Please note.
Works extremely cruel · grotesque work, work unscrupulous, for the adult's possible work in consultation and the company can not find space.

This must be the competition theme, but I am not sure I trust Google's translation of it...

24時間で「あほなゲーム」を作るイベントです。

24 hours, "nappy-headed game" is to make the event.

[J. R. Hill]

The theme is: ORANGE
(either the fruit or the color, just like in the Queen's English)

The competition deadline is 9:15pm Sept 17, Japan time (click and then find your timezone)

Also, yes you can make downloadable games, but they recommend browser-based games just for accessibility's sake.

[marcus]

yah, it's orange! (though it's specifically the fruit, but if you want to base it on the color that's fine too)

(or vitamin c)

[JWK5]

Okay, thanks a lot guys! I will get right to work!

Also, for future reference (for myself) I've got till 5:15 AM tomorrow to get this game done.

[J. R. Hill]

Well JWK5 and I worked together on a game and I guess it didn't get finished...  I also made this ORANGE SENTAI WARRIOR while I was at work, but obviously didn't get as far as submitting a game either.  Definitely going to keep the site bookmarked though.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

side note, but one day i want to make a game that will teach you japanese

there exist currently only two major ones

"knuckles in china land" (which uses knuckles from sonic and knuckles as the main character and isn't particularly about japanese, but can be used to teach you chinese, german, or other languages as well)

and "slime forest adventure" which is a rpg-style game where you need to remember kanji in order to kill slimes

both are pretty terrible, with bad graphics and copyrighted sprites. despite those drawbacks both are very popular and sell well (i don't know how they get away with selling them if they have copyrighted sprites and characters)

so i figured imagine if i made a good one, with the skills of (ahem) an experienced indie team like my own team -- i'd like to try it one day

i figured i'd make it like a jrpg where to get to higher levels / kill harder enemies you would have to know japanese, but it wouldn't be a "quiz game" like the ones above where it just asks you questions, but involve good gameplay, with characters, stats, spells, etc.

but all the spell names, weapon names, skill names, etc., would be in japanese, so you'd need to remember them to use them (you'd need to select them from a randomly ordered list to cast them). and more powerful spells would use more complex kanji / kanji compounds

and the intro to the game would teach you kana, etc., by forcing you to use it to advance (you might have to spell out spells in kana at first)

different 'chapters' or 'areas' or 'dungeons' of the game would be themed, so there'd be a dungeon where there are a bunch of color puzzles and you learn all the color names (because the clues or controls to solve the puzzles would use the japanese names for the colors), and so on

it would also have mini-games integrated into it, so perhaps a variant on the SRS flash card system (like anki) would be used in a bonus game to gain rewards

[J. R. Hill]

I'd be down to help.

[JWK5]

Well JWK5 and I worked together on a game and I guess it didn't get finished...  I also made this ORANGE SENTAI WARRIOR while I was at work, but obviously didn't get as far as submitting a game either.  Definitely going to keep the site bookmarked though.

Yeah, real life called and then 5am approached faster than I could finish it. Hopefully the next one starts on a day where nobody has to go to work and we can start closer to the starting time, then we can fuckin' own it!

[marcus]

both are pretty terrible, with bad graphics and copyrighted sprites. despite those drawbacks both are very popular and sell well (i don't know how they get away with selling them if they have copyrighted sprites and characters)

It doesn't seem like Knuckles in China Land is for sale, but do you know for a fact that the other one sells well?