GameLoop Virtual 2021, presented by BostonFIG and GameLoop Montréal
Event Information
About this event
What is GameLoop?
GameLoop is a user-generated conference on game development. It is open to professional game devs, hobbyists, students, critics, and journalists. We especially encourage groups typically underrepresented in game development to please attend.
The best compliment we've gotten is that GameLoop is like a day full of all the best hallway conversations you'd have at GDC, but without the giant price tag and hit-or-miss sessions.
For $10 (plus the Eventbrite fee) you get:
- Great conversations with other knowledgeable game devs about topics you want to discuss
- The half day unconference
What's a User-Generated Un-Conference?
An unconference is an event where, first thing that morning, people discuss what topics they want to cover. People then pitch those topics as sessions. The moderators then curate all the proposals, creating the schedule for the day.
The sessions are usually in a free-form roundtable discussion format. There's a lot of back and forth. And if you want to keep talking about that topic after the session ends, you just move the conversation to the virtual hallway.
Is GameLoop worth it?
This will be the 11th GameLoop that we've run and the first digital-only version; usually we have about 125+ participants. Many of those folks are repeat attendees. Devs from as far away as San Francisco attend, and we've had devs from big-name studios like Harmonix, BioWare, and Bethesda Game Studios; we've also had devs from super-awesome indie studios like Dejobaan, Owlchemy Labs, and The Molasses Flood.
This year, we've partnered with our colleagues at GameLoop Montréal to bring GameLoop online, making it far more accessible - and safer, in these pandemic times - than it's ever been before.
This year’s GameLoop is setting aside passes exclusively for women, non-binary, genderqueer and/or trans people, indigenous, biracial and/or people of color, and neurodivergent people, and/or persons living with disabilities. We want to make space for traditionally marginalized, undervalued, and invisibilized identities in the games industry in order to create a safe, welcoming, diverse, and inclusive event. We want to hear your voices and this is a small way we can make that happen.
If you'd like to know more about what it's like to attend GameLoop (physically), check out David Evans' blog post. There are also some great pictures here and GameLoop Montréal here.
What kind of sessions usually happen?
We’ve had sessions about:
- Ethics in rulesets
- Distributed version control
- Dealing with mental health issues as a game dev
- iPhone shaders
- Indie marketing
- Illusionary gameplay
- Prototyping
- Outsider games
- Asymmetric multiplayer
- Narrative design
- ... and a lot more!
Ticket Tiers
General Pass
- A one-day general pass to GameLoop! Open to all.
Inclusivity Pass
- A one-day pass set aside for women, non-binary, genderqueer and transgender people, indigenous, biracial and people of color, neurodivergent and/or person living with disabilities/impairments (non-visible included).
Sponsor A Pass!
- Buy a general pass for someone in financial need! The pass will be given out to an underprivileged person to attend GameLoop! By contributing, you directly help bring new voices to the event who could not otherwise attend.
- You can apply for a sponsored here.
Donate!
- Make a donation to help fund the upcoming and future GameLoop events!
Logistics
- Date: Saturday July 17th, 2021
- Location:
- Schedule
- 10:30am: (Digital) Doors open! (Please show up as close to here as possible, we get cracking at 11:00am.)
- 11:00am-12am: Opening meeting where we getting to know each other's shared interests, propose and informally vote on sessions, and put those on the Big Board
- 12:15am: First session!
- 4:15pm: Last session ends. We have a wrap-up meeting, head out for dinner. Maybe even games later that night.
Harassment
PLEASE NOTE: By registering for GameLoop, you agree to our abide by our Anti-Harassment Policy.
GameLoop Virtual 2021 is presented by BostonFIG!
...and presented by GameLoop Montréal!
Organizer BostonFIG
Organizer of GameLoop Virtual 2021, presented by BostonFIG and GameLoop Montréal
BostonFIG | celebrating indie games | www.bostonfig.com
BostonFIG is a registered non-profit, dedicated to fostering the next generation of game developers and strengthening the game development industry in New England and beyond.
