---
title: Adaptability of the Global Game Jam: A Case Study in Japan
tags: 
author: [Shinji R. Yamane (山根信二)](https://www.docswell.com/user/s-yamane)
site: [Docswell](https://www.docswell.com/)
thumbnail: https://bcdn.docswell.com/page/87DLQL6YEG.jpg?width=480
description: Presented at Workshop on the Global Game Jam in FDG2013 Crete (http://www.fdg2013.org/program/workshops/). Later this workshop became ICGJ(International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons and Game Creation Events), https://dl.acm.org/conference/icgj
published: August 22, 13
canonical: https://www.docswell.com/s/s-yamane/ZWWYDX-2025-04-13-173806
---
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Adaptability of the Global Game Jam
A Case Study in Japan
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Shinji R. Yamane
IGDA Japan / Aoyama Gakuin Univ.
FDG2013, GGJ Workshop
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S. Yamane (IGDA.jp)
Adaptability of GGJ
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2013
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Contents
. Introduction
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. GGJ: Deign Theory and Strategy
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. Case Study in Japan
3
. Future of Game Jam approach
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. Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
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. After the Jam
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. Summary
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Introduction
Phaistos Disk: The oldest movable type
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Introduction
Innovation and Social condition
Gutenberg Revolution
Innovation requires the culturall condition
The Global Game Jam require any social condition?
What is the Global Game Jam?
Take a look at the recognition and design of GGJ.
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GGJ: Deign Theory and Strategy
Recognizing what is /isn’t Game Jam
“jam session” by game developers
short–period team development
death march myth: each roles has own cycle
not a contest, not for a win
everybody is welcome
not beginners but professionals also can learn
download freely, public/peer review, version–up
Understanding characteristic is not so easy.
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GGJ: Deign Theory and Strategy
Why can we recognize Game Jam?
Multidisciplinarity
Concurrent
Development
Aesthetics &amp;
Technology
New Product
Development
Participatory
Design
Lightweight
Construction
Game Jam
Product-Value
Focused
Rapid
Experience
Prototyping
Game Jam elements outlined by Musil(2010)
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GGJ: Deign Theory and Strategy
What we experienced in Global Game Jam
!
?
Game Jam
jammer
Local organizers and jammers are not familier for some
elements.
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GGJ: Deign Theory and Strategy
GGJ organizers’ challenge
design
Game Jam
jammer
jam
designer
Local organizer can emphasize some unfamilier
elements to jammers.
Designing jam sites by achievements and challenges.
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Case Study in Japan
IGDA Japan and Global Game Jam
IGDA Japan promoting GGJ by:
Following GGJ since January 2010
translating GGJ keynote videos,
supporting GGJ organizers in Japanese,
promoting GGJ to the academia in Japanese or
English,
providing live talk streaming, open play party, etc.
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Case Study in Japan
Encounter to game jams in Japan
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Case Study in Japan
Encounter to game jams in Japan
Before the Global Game Jam, nobody knows about
Indie Game Jam, Nordic Game Jam.
Indies and Universities joined experimentally
Translating keynotes with backgrounds was helpful
for reflection.
IGDA Newsletter (Game education issue, August
2010) was useful.
GGJ2010 report
Game Prototyping Curriculum
IGDA Curriculum Framework
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Case Study in Japan
What Succeeded and Failed
Major success in GGJ2011 in Japan
University–Industry collaboration
grass–rooted game community
public awareness and discussions via USTREAM and
Twitter
“Featured Game for Global Game Jam” in IGDA
Newsletter
Missing elements in GGJ2011 in Japan
Participatory Design?
working in diverse teams
switching roles or polyvalency
rapid prototyping with reflections
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Case Study in Japan
Game development in the social context
In Final Fantasy XIII postmortem (2010):
not only game engine, but game development
method in crisis
until they made an playable demo, the development
team had lacked a shared vision
the demo was for a game show, not included in the
original development plan
The game prototyping process was featured in Japanese
major game industry — at the almost same period when
Global Game Jam started.
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Case Study in Japan
Local design of GGJ in Japan
To emphasizing the missing elements by design:
rapid prototyping: Alpha, beta, complete
presentation on–air schedule sharing
participatory design: public review, inviting citizens
encourage opportunity for failure
GGJ site organizers can design game jam with the local
achievements or local awards.
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Future of Game Jam approach
Future of Game Jam approach
Inspired by Global Game Jam, other game jams will be
held everywhere.
Global Game Jam globally distributed event for general
purpose
Mega–region game jam Localized Global Game Jam or
nation–wide event with social purpose
Local game jam in–house, stand–alone event for a local
purpose
The success of GGJ leads to many other game jams with
new actors.
(In Japan, there are the game jams in every month. )
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Apps for Healthy Kids game jam (2010)
Fukushima Game Jam (2011–)
NASA International Space Apps Challenge (2012–)
Game Accessibility Challenge (2012–)
GGJ mainly held at the universities with broadband
Mega–region game jam can expand the
collaboration not only schools but broader citizens,
with a low cost.
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Fukushima Game Jam
East Japan earthquake desease occured March 11,
2011.
IGDA Japan started Fukushima Game Jam in
August 2011.
Fukushima Game Jam 2012 in 1 minute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apdF6Ri7RE
Interactive Map in English:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/static/
mapping-fukushimas-impact-on-japan
Minamisoma city in Fukushima is located at the
edge of low–level radiation zone.
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Design strategy 1: Process
Alpha, beta, public play test, and final release are
scheduled in 30 hours
Tokyo team also experienced the bus trip with a local
guide to the edge of the evacuation zone just before
starting design.
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Design strategy2: Participatory Design
Public play–test and kids workshop
Focusing the users’ needs sometimes changed the game
design.
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Design strategy 3: Listening to users
Some observation from Minamisoma bus trip and
live–streaming program during the game jam:
No IT industry: agriculture and services for nuclear
power station
No university
Public awareness concerning
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Design strategy 4: Team
Each team has 5–7 person
Jammers should registration with their profile
Professional/semi-professional lead developer for
each team
Beginner/student for each team
Separate developers from a same organization
Sometimes too many programmers and less manual
writers
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Design strategy 5: satellites
More than 100 developers took part in Fukushima Game
Jam 2011:
Main site: 44 (25 from Tokyo, 19 from Tohoku
region)
Tokyo: about 40 (2 sites including part-time
attendee)
Fukuoka: about 30
Sapporo: 7
SHIPS (Sympathy, Interest, Participation, Share)
expanded overseas in FGJ 2012.
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Rise of Mega–region Game Jam
Design strategy 6: achievements
Announce themes and achievements:
Collaboration with local kids
Include the specialties from Tohoku area
Five minutes limit
...
Creative recovery and place–making after 3.11
earthquake, tsunami, and atomic meltdown
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After the Jam
FGJ and Lessons from Global Game Jam
According to IGDA Newsletter, the lesson from GGJ
includes below:
1.
Rapid prototyping experience
2.
Opportunity for failure
3.
Working in diverse teams
4.
(Professional) Tools assessment and selection
5.
Research and user studies
6.
Promotion
these characteristics were also observed in FGJ (expect
for avoiding failure).
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Summary
Conclusion
Recognizing Global Game Jam from depends on the
cultural condition.
For adaptability, Global Game Jam site organizers
can emphasize the design elements of game jam.
Global Game Jam can bring the prototyping culture
or participatory design worldwide. (In Japan, those
all movements appear in the very short time!)
Inspired by Global Game Jam, the mega–region
game jams are rising in diﬀerent scales.
more collaboration among new actors!
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Summary
See you in our next game jam.
. Fukushima Game Jam 2014, next August 3rd to 4th.
2.
http://fgj.igda.jp/?cat=3 (tag: English)
3.
local satelite site registration is wellcome.
1
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