January 2019
IAP 2019: Writing for Videogames: It’s Almost as Fun as it Sounds
IAP class, limited enrollment: My first video game writing job was a year-long stint with an iOS company that wanted to start a game franchise. They had a concept: mercs with guns. They had a genre: sci-fi. They didn’t have a game title, a universe, bad guys, weaponry, spaceships, or a plot. So I gave them what they needed (SHADOWGUN) and they paid me for it, and thus began my somewhat-lucrative job as a video game writer. In this one-day, three-hour seminar, I’ll tell you what I’ve done right in my career, what I’ve done wrong, and I’ll offer suggestions on both world-building and character-building. Questions from the audience are both expected and needed.
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Global Game Jam 2019 at MIT
The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is the world’s largest game jam event taking place around the world at physical locations. Think of it as a hackathon focused on game development. It is the growth of an idea that in today’s heavily connected world, we could come together, be creative, share experiences and express ourselves in a multitude of ways using video games – it is very universal. The weekend stirs a global creative buzz in games, while at the same …
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Find out more »February 2019
BostonFIG Talks & Learns 2019
This year, BostonFIG is excited to present two back-to-back days of content for the independent game creator communities! Join us on Saturday, February 9, and Sunday, February 10th for BostonFIG Talks and BostonFIG Learns!
Find out more »Boston Indies: February, Demo Night
Sponsored by the MIT Game Lab The MIT Game Lab is happy to host the Boston Indies group this February for their monthly meeting. This month features Demo night!! Bring your unfinished work, and we will give feedback. It's a very freeform event; imagine long rows of tables full of laptops with people mingling in the room. If you need any sort of advice (general, specific, whatever) on something you're working on, this is a great way to get it. …
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Find out more »January 2020
IAP 2020: DJ History and Technology
DJ: disk jockey
Selector, crate digger, musical host, turntablist
This series looks at the evolution of music, technologies, and practices of the modern dancefloor DJ. Join us every Friday afternoon in January for discotheque history and classic grooves!
Find out more »IAP 2020: Playing Counter-Colonialism in the Americas
Independent Activities Period 2020 Enrollment: 16 participants: Advance sign-up required Participants can sign up for either, or both, days. Sign-up by 01/17 Location: 9-255 City Arena Play is used as a way to fortify the status of those who control the play or are its heroes. The Western colonial mindset still permeates games and gaming culture. The MIT Game Lab and MIT COLAB works to challenge these ideas and create alternative narratives. In this two-day workshop, we will meet artists and academics …
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Find out more »April 2020
Explore the Minecraft Institvte of Technology with our Creating Videogames class!
We’re opening our Creating Videogames class for a day on Twitch! As part of our unit on spectation, streaming, and moderation, join research scientist Philip Tan explore the new Minecraft Institvte of Technology at http://twitch.tv/MITGameLab on Wednesday, April 29th, from 2-2:45pm EDT!
Find out more »September 2020
Break this Code: “Tmb’a uism i xchhtm qv iv pwcz!”
Participants will leave this session with a puzzle of their own design to stump their friends! We will learn about different kinds of puzzles, how puzzle designers approach puzzle creation, and the challenges of making a puzzle difficult but solvable.
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Playing in Extreme Environments: What space health research can teach us about adapting to life during pandemic
Panelists will discuss their work in designing and studying living spaces for astronauts and we’ll connect this to the stressors affecting our current living situation. Astronauts also face the challenge of living and working in extreme environments. Surrounded by danger, extreme heat or cold, poisonous gases, or a lack of oxygen, they live in small living quarters, closed off from the outside world and with only tenuous connections back to their loved ones at home. But throughout all of this, not only do they find opportunities to play, they make it an important factor in their lives.
Find out more »January 2021
IAP 2021: DJ History, Technique, and Technology
This series looks at the evolution of music, technologies, and practices of the modern dancefloor DJ. Join us every Friday afternoon for discothèque history and classic grooves!
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