Andy Moore » Beer http://www.andymoore.ca Game Design and Programming Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:57:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 The VDevs Live! http://www.andymoore.ca/2010/07/the-vdevs-live/ http://www.andymoore.ca/2010/07/the-vdevs-live/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:12:32 +0000 Andy Moore http://www.andymoore.ca/?p=423

Picture by Navaboo

I’ve met up with a lot of game developers in the past few months, and seen awesome local-develpment-hangouts, gamejams, and general community cohesion. It seems every major city in Canada has a vibrant Indie Game Development community!

I’ve also lived in Victoria for 10 years, where we have the University of Victoria and it’s awesome Computer Science department. We have a few game studios in town, and even a branch of Disney up island a bit. I don’t know a single developer here. It feels like I’m a monitor with no computer to connect to (see image).

My friend Fieran and I discussed it over a pint, and we’ve decided we’re going to get things moving, instead of waiting for it to happen!

WELCOME TO VDEV. I founded a Meetup.com group, we’re using our University contacts to secure some computing space, and we’re going to have monthly beer-and-games meetups, and a GameJam in September. I’m really trying to get the local university folks involved, because so many students graduate and immediately move to Vancouver. Vancouver surely has more jobs than Victoria (it is a bigger city after all), but most are completely unaware of how fun Indie Game Making is, and I’m hoping to make a few converts!

VDev's current logo.

Don’t get me wrong; I miss all my international friends, and hope to attract a few to the larger events. I hope a bunch from Vancouver will come out. And most of all, I hope all those quiet Victoria devs finally come out of the woodwork and I get to meet you all!

So take a look at the Meetup group. It’s free to join and you’ll be notified (optionally) of any events we hold. I’d love it if you did!

We’re currently aiming to have our first big GameJam on September 17th-19th. Just waiting on space confirmation; already have a few big ticket guys on the line!

(And for those that might have to travel: Victoria is hosting the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival on September 10th and 11th. It might be a good month to visit!)

]]> http://www.andymoore.ca/2010/07/the-vdevs-live/feed/ 0 Nirvana for the Content http://www.andymoore.ca/2009/04/nirvana-for-the-content/ http://www.andymoore.ca/2009/04/nirvana-for-the-content/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:16:00 +0000 Andy Moore http://www.andymoore.ca/2009/04/nirvana-for-the-content/ At the pub tonight I had enough beers that would normally place me firmly in the grips of “drunk.” However, the quantity of food I devoured (well over average) counter-acted the results and placed me in the ultimate perspective of contentedness.
I did not feel dizzy or lightheaded; I did not feel any lack of judgement; I did not feel any dampening of my motor functions; I did not slur my speech. In fact, if I woke up feeling this way I would have no problem getting behind the wheel of a car. If it were for not one little side effect.
Everything we glance at, we analyze – we spot a painting, we note it’s size and shape. We spot a bottle and we note in our head that is it brown and contains beer. We glance at people and silently assign names or pointers in a split second of scanning recognition.
And I had lost all of these abilities.
I scanned the pub, the crowd, the things on my table, and I just saw shapes. The only things that concerned me where that who I was talking to and the pint in my hand. I had lost any ability to care for or note my surroundings.
The experience was in full force for around 10-15 minutes but quickly began tapering off to normality. I was really quite pleased with the experience and hope to have it again sometime!
Needless to say I did not touch the squids today. I am completely content with their progress from yesterday.
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