Scottish Game Jam 2012 – The Circle of Life

As the motif, and we mean motif, of the Global Game Jam 2012 subject matter was revealed the hall went silent. On the screen was the picture of a snake eating its tail.

The image used, from the Wikipedia page for Ouroborus, and bearing the PDF name Ouroborus-simple, causing a million minds to ponder and a selection of judges to grin.

There are many interpretations of the symbol but it was also one of the vaguest directives that the Global Game Jam had given. Deliberately so with the Global Game Jam stating, “Very importantly the image is to be shown with no explanation (including what it is or where it can be found).” With that vagueness came a certain degree of difficulty, or ease, and as the teams panned out into their separate groups it was clear the broadness had, mildly, dumbfounded them.

Not that they were not quick to act on arriving in the hall, the clarion call of people calling out, for artists, for programmers, people with a purpose and that being to succeed. Thoughts flew out, some teams left the building to clear their heads but all missed a fundamental and salient point. What the Global Game Jam had given us was a black and white image but many had instantly looked at the name on the PDF and chosen Ouroboros as the subject. It ponders an interesting question in psychology, why the word seemed more important, to most, than the image but, with a need to pin something down, it was the word most people hung on: The fact the image was black and white and its source being largely missed.

If we can accept the word Ouroboros was part of the image then surely the nature of the image itself and the word simple could also be used? The source of the image from Wikipedia was also a point of consideration and given the nature of that websites stand against both SOPA and PIPA the potential subtlety wasn’t lost. As the Global Game Jam had wanted to consider accessibility (gaming for those with disability), clearly shown in the diversifiers (take time to really consider them), then surely how we consider the image given as a whole says something about us?

It’s easy to think too far beyond a concept when you have the time on your side but my work with Digital Adaptations, as well my Welfare Rights work, made some of these thoughts instantly come to mind. The snake of the world was the lead the teams decided to take; the circle of life and rebirth to continue on the same track again and again. Much like PiL song: The Order of Death.

It was enough to form a myriad of ideas and move forward with them, potentially giving the judges a nightmare about what was acceptable in such a broad subject scope. It was also clear, from an early point, that teams had listened to the speakers and judge’s advice. Keep it simple, get something working and then build on that. There are only 48 hours and the satisfaction of knowing that you have something solid and working under your belts by the half way stage means that you can try and polish it up to a shine. Along the way there is the opportunity for movement but that room should be tempered quickly to produce a solid product so the group understands how they are progressing.

That’s how I left them after my first pass, not two hours in, and then sat with Emma and engaged the world on the live feed. We did a lot too, managing to speak about games, both old and new, whilst also engaging with some of the jammers, answering some more serious questions concerning design and device and managing to entertain our audience. (At least that’s what they told us). It’s quite hard holding people’s attention for such a length of time but the positive feedback was welcomed.

Returning to the floor it was nice to see many positive teams with different ideas starting to take shape. One person was even developing a board game and the general buzz was healthy and optimistic. Some teething problems had been overridden, some were starting to rear their ugly heads but in general there was a healthy optimism.

I was personally surprised that no-one took the Viking meaning of the symbol, the word Ouroborus, although tiny on the screen, seeming to have decided many teams fates. Surely Ragnarok would have been a good subject to jam about?