"F*ck This Jam" Pushes Developers Into Unfamiliar Genres

[Fanghawk]

"F*ck This Jam" Pushes Developers Into Unfamiliar Genres

Vlambeer's Rami Ismail and indie developer Fernando Ramallo want game creators to start working outside their comfort zones.

You may consider yourself to be a gamer, but let's be honest: most of us don't play all of the games. There's usually always one or two genres you'll pass on because you can't get into them, or they rub you the wrong way. (Mine are RTS games. Want to love them, but just can't bring myself to beat a single one.) Super Crate Box's Rami Ismail and indie dev Fernando Ramallo think it's not just gamers that do this, it's game creators themselves. Developers are also human and creatures of habit after all, and can be just as loathe to craft a game outside their comfort zone. That's why Ismail and Ramallo hope to shake things up with "Fuck This Jam", a week-long online game jam challenging creators to design games for genres they normally wouldn't touch with a twenty-foot pole.

"Fuck This Jam is a call to developers to entirely rethink the kind of games they create and explore genres they would usually discard," Ramallo explains. "We're simply not sure of what this jam will bring, but it'll definitely teach a lot of us developers things we otherwise would've simply never considered. Hopefully, we will be pushing genres past their preconceived notions and the individual developers to challenge themselves out of their comfort-zone."

There should be no shortage of games to play once Fuck This Jam is complete; according to the official website, over 700 people have already signed up. Since the event is open to anyone in the world, we'll hopefully see a mix of big names from the developer community and smaller indie devs all looking to try something new. If all goes as planned, Fuck This Jam will be be a fun event that brings fresh ideas to the genres we've become increasingly dissatisfied with. And if I'm especially lucky, maybe someone will make an RTS I'll play through right to the end.

Fuck This Jam will run from November 9th to the 17th.

Source: Joystiq
Image: Vlambeer

Permalink

 

[AMMO Kid]

Maybe someone will make an FPS or turn-based RPG that I can enjoy. This could be worth keeping an eye on...

 

[CJ1145]

Personally, if I was given the reins of these things, I would just challenge every triple-A developer to create a visual novel, in the vein of Fate/Stay, Katawa Shoujo, etc.

It wouldn't quite be the same without Cliffy B's input, but Epic Games' contribution would be a sight to see, I'm certain of it.

 

[WorriedSandwich]

I expect a whole lot of strategy games, and this pleases me.

 

[The Random One]

Personally, if I was given the reins of these things, I would just challenge every triple-A developer to create a visual novel, in the vein of Fate/Stay, Katawa Shoujo, etc.

It wouldn't quite be the same without Cliffy B's input, but Epic Games' contribution would be a sight to see, I'm certain of it.

yessssss

Even a text adventure. Can you imagine every big dev creating a text adventure? What would a big dev house known for explosive eyegasms of military shooter do with text and maybe a picture? That would be awesome.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Maybe someone will make an FPS or turn-based RPG that I can enjoy. This could be worth keeping an eye on...

I'd love to see Peter Molyneaux's take on Call of Duty! Actually no, he'd probably manage to make it worse by channelling all his budget into perfecting real-time tree growth and scope lens refraction or some nonsense.

Some genre-mashing is always good for a laugh, and who knows, maybe some good innovations and mechanics will come out of it!

 

[Keltzar]

Am I the only one that could see good companies die trying to do this? Some companies are good in certain areas and no other.

I don't think any of the companies in that situation are going to participate in the jam.

 

[ColdBlooded]

Oohh, how about a small scale RTS where you control a team of 4 thieves pulling off heists, and the core of the game is pulling off many actions and objectives simultaneously. That's my kind of RTS. You could also use intelligence of the map before hand to plan how would it all go, where the distractions should be, where focal points should be and where the getaway driver should be.

 

[jollybarracuda]

This sounds like a really neat idea, looking forward to seeing how it goes for all the participants and their games!

 

[Keepeas]

Oohh, how about a small scale RTS where you control a team of 4 thieves pulling off heists, and the core of the game is pulling off many actions and objectives simultaneously. That's my kind of RTS. You could also use intelligence of the map before hand to plan how would it all go, where the distractions should be, where focal points should be and where the getaway driver should be.

Ooo....and the multi-player where the opponent controls the security force and the police response team.
Sounds like an interesting idea.

 

[surg3n]

Would be cool if they asked people for game ideas, then a developer takes one of the ideas and makes it so - that way nobody get's to secretly favor a genre that they have experience in. People might get to see their game ideas take shape, indi developers would get experience with working towards someone elses vision.

Sounds more fun to me than developers just making obscure games - what about the obscure game ideas that gamers come up with. Indi developers concentrate on their own ideas, which are limited and maybe even tainted by experience - I'd rather see an untainted, pure, mad game idea take form.

 

[Monsterfurby]

Oohh, how about a small scale RTS where you control a team of 4 thieves pulling off heists, and the core of the game is pulling off many actions and objectives simultaneously. That's my kind of RTS. You could also use intelligence of the map before hand to plan how would it all go, where the distractions should be, where focal points should be and where the getaway driver should be.

You mean, like a remake of The Clue [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clue!]?

Uh, a non-crappy one [http://www.ign.com/games/the-sting/pc-16816].

 

[Evil Smurf]

colour me interested. I need a new rpg after finishing Bastion and finding Torchlight a little bit disappointing.

 

[surg3n]

colour me interested. I need a new rpg after finishing Bastion and finding Torchlight a little bit disappointing.

Ditto. I thought Bastion was great - even the naration was pretty cool, but the story is too short. Torchlight is good for a the first while, then it just get's grindy and rediculous - like you'll all of a sudden be fighting enemies that are way overpowered for your character, spawn somewhere with 20 enemies, die within a few seconds. It doesn't have a difficulty curve, it has a difficulty brick wall!

Have you tried Binding of Isaac?
That's pretty good if you want a game that you can just play and get a different experience each time.

Grimrock is worth a look as well, it's old school and will actually make you think about how to deal with the puzzles etc. Not easy, but definitely a game for people who expect a challenge, and aren't afraid to have to take notes now and then.

 

[Evil Smurf]

colour me interested. I need a new rpg after finishing Bastion and finding Torchlight a little bit disappointing.

Ditto. I thought Bastion was great - even the naration was pretty cool, but the story is too short. Torchlight is good for a the first while, then it just get's grindy and rediculous - like you'll all of a sudden be fighting enemies that are way overpowered for your character, spawn somewhere with 20 enemies, die within a few seconds. It doesn't have a difficulty curve, it has a difficulty brick wall!

Have you tried Binding of Isaac?
That's pretty good if you want a game that you can just play and get a different experience each time.

Grimrock is worth a look as well, it's old school and will actually make you think about how to deal with the puzzles etc. Not easy, but definitely a game for people who expect a challenge, and aren't afraid to have to take notes now and then.

the naration was especially cool.

And I might even have the binding of issac, but if not it is only $10 on steam right?

 

[surg3n]

the naration was especially cool.

And I might even have the binding of issac, but if not it is only $10 on steam right?

Isaac is really cheap, I think it's about $4 - I've never put in so many hours on a $4 game before.