Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus to Host Bay Area Game Jam Competition

Wild Pockets, Crispy Gamer and Microsoft are sponsoring The Bay Area Game Jam, a game development competition to be held at Microsoft's Silicon Valley Campus on April 4th and 5th. During the competition, teams of developers will have 24 hours to create and submit a game project designed using the web browser-based Wild Pockets 3D game engine and platform. The competition's winning team, as judged by a panel of industry experts from Electronic Arts, ngmoco, and Microsoft, will receive $2,500 and XNA Creator Club Premiere Memberships. The winning project will additionally be published, distributed, and promoted at the independent gaming website Crispy Gamer. Starting at 12 PM on April 4th, entrants will begin coding their submission for the competition, and may continue to work throughout the event's next 24 hours. Participants must bring their own PC-compatible laptops or desktop computers to the coding section, along with speakers or headphones if sound design is required. Art assets, audio, and design documents may be created beforehand, though all coding must take place at the event. A number of activities are scheduled during the 24-hour coding period, including gaming tournaments, giveaways, and concerts. The game jam will additionally feature panel sessions hosted by industry speakers and recruiters. More details, rules, and guidelines can be found at http://www.wildpockets.com/gamejamrules.