Hey folks, Phil here .. So we’ve talked about this project for years, but I think it’s time we took action.  Enough of us have been getting shape that I think it’s time we showed the world that game developers can be totally ripped.

Here’s the deal, I’ll get the calendar on cafepress or something, and all proceeds will go towards supporting the website.  If we make lots and lots of money, we’ll come up with something way cool to do with it.  Like fly everyone out to some tropical island and have a spectacular LD party for 48 hours sometime.

So the idea is to get your photo rounded up by October, so we can have the calendar available for sale in November.  Photos should include yourself in a swimsuit as well as game related stuff in the background or something of equal or greater awesomeness.  We may include some baseball card-like stats of “wins in LDs” or other such stuff somewhere.  And maybe a brief bio.  We’ll want these to be 300 dpi or some kind of hi-res image.  When we get closer to the deadline we’ll work out more details on exactly how we want the pages laid out.

In the case that we have more than 12 people submit a page for the calendar, the entrants who have competed in more LDs will get preference.

Fine print: make it a current picture.  No using a picture from 4 years previous when you were in shape.  The idea is to get yourself into shape NOW so that you’re ready for the calendar!!

-Phil

Final results for Ludum Dare 14 are now available.

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/category/ld14/…

Congratulations to all the winners.

A big thanks to everyone that participated. It was our largest turn out to date, with a final count of 123 entries. That’s nearly twice what we usually get. Wow!

Speaking of records, we also had a whopping 17 entrants record and share time-lapse videos during the compo. You can check those out here:

http://www.ludumdare.com/…/time-lapse-videos/

In addition, Hamumu produced 2 episodes of his internet video show Behind the Dumb from his footage. You can check out episodes 6 and 7 here, as well as the rest of the show archives here:

http://hamumu.com/behindthedumb.php

- - - - -

Ludum Dare 15 will be in August. Stay tuned for that. We have many ways now for you to do that.

RSS: http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/author/news/feed/
Mailing List: http://www.gamecompo.com/mailing-list/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ludumdare

And if you just can’t get enough of Ludum Dare, stop by May 22nd weekend for MiniLD #9, hosted by destroysound. Check out this teaser post for more information.

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2009/04/20/mini-ld-9/

- - - - -

After much deliberation and deep thought, we’ve realized we’re not perfect. With 123 entries to sift through, the faults of our current system have started show their ugly head. So in an effort to improve, we’ve started collecting feedback for next time. Post any thoughts you have in the comments of this post:

http://www.ludumdare.com/…/compo-process-feedback/

We may solicit some help in the next couple months on the site or in IRC.

Thanks again everyone that participated, and we hope to see you again in August.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

- - - - -

News Archive :: Theme :: Advancing Wall of Doom
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/ludum-dare-14-april-10th-12th/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/ludum-dare-14-date-change/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/theme-voting-has-begun/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/final-theme-selection-note/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/theme-advancing-wall-of-doom/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/record-number-of-entries/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/compo-process-feedback/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/shal-we-extend-voting/
http://www.ludumdare.com/…/three-more-days-to-vote/

Ludum Dare 14 Theme Voting
Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Final Round

Speaking of records, here are links to the 18 time-lapse videos from 17 entrants in Ludum Dare 14.

The majority of the videos can be found on YouTube. In addition, Hamumu produced two episodes of his internet video show Behind the Dumb from footage taken during the compo. Now that’s hardcore.

pythong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH7Z_QjAlrE
GBGames: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcCyGY5IGg
agj: http://www.vimeo.com/4235554
destroysound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY7vMrKf4Es
Fiona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6TqFZE7Y14
Covenant: http://www.spellcasterstudios.com/…Timelapse.mpeg
demonpants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGy94EFjw1k
Notch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abyL33Z6Z5I
ondrew: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLFC40lIRA4&fmt=22
sinoth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVchR1Yoiuc
Jpfed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMr1uQADtaI
scionkiller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlkXEnpBiX4
LunarCrisis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5iXb51buMs
noonat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IjsHysbTUk
Frimkron: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkbvkhGOR-0
Wiering: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YqyUk5sIsE
Hamumu: Behind the Dumb EP6 and EP7

As expected, people have asked for more time to download and vote for entries. And who can blame them with over 120 entries to pick through. But rather than make the winners wait an entire week to find out they won, we’re going to have only a 3 day extension.

So, 11 PM EST/8 PM PST Wednesday night is the new voting end date. Check the clock on ludumdare.com to get an idea when that is locally. I’ll flip the switch shortly after that hits zero.

Voters, keep an eye out for the entries with under 20 votes. When I last checked, we only had 28 entries with 20 or more votes. Some are very close to that, and if we can get half of the entries that high by the middle of the week, it’d be great. I understand some entries may have unusual setup requirements, but we ask that you do what you can.

Looking at final list, we had 123 total entries in Ludum Dare 14. I was chatting with one of the guys in #ludumdare today that’s reviewed over 100 entries in the past 2 weeks. As he put it, games “that don’t require me to install a bunch of stuff to run”. That’s a pretty impressive slice of playable games if I do say so.

Thanks everyone for helping out and participating in such a monumental compo.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

We seem to have some interest in extending the vote for another week.

Post “Yes” or “No” in the comments, with any thoughts you may have.

Also, a large graphic to get your attention.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Hey everyone.

Since you’re all busy busy playing and voting for entries, I thought I’d open up a thread to collect some suggestions. We’ve already seen many great ideas come up in IRC, but they should really be written down. So, any thoughts on the voting process, submission process, or anything to improve how we run a compo, drop a comment to this post.

With such an big turn out for April, it looks as if we’ll have to start taking things more seriously to manage the growth. If you’re a PHP+Database+Wordpress guy (gal) that wants to help us out, stay tuned.

For now, I’d like your thoughts. Respond away.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Wow, and that was Ludum Dare 14.

A humongous turn out this year, with a whopping 121 entries for the deadline. Easily a new record for us. A great way to kick off year 7 of the competition.

As usual, voting will last for 2 weeks. Hit the “View Final Ludum Dare 14 Entries” link at the top of the page to view and vote for entries. Only people that submitted an entry will have the option of voting. If we get enough demand on the last few days of voting, we may consider pushing the date back a few more.

If there’s anyone that was maybe unable to upload or link their entry properly, respond to this post or contact the administration inside the IRC chat room, and we’ll give you hand.

The next major competition will be in August this year. Subscribe to the mailing list, or follow our twitter to stay informed.

Looking for more? In the off months we also do monthly challenges called the “Mini LD”, where Ludum Dare veterans give you a theme to try making something from. They occur usually on the first weekend of every month, but do stop by to double check. See the Wiki for more information.

Congratulations, and thanks everyone for making Ludum Dare 14 a huge success.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Hey there sports fans,

The theme for Ludum Dare 14 is:

Advancing Wall of Doom

Voting Results: http://www.ludumdare.com/…

See you all in 48 hours.

Good luck!

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Hey there sports fan,

We noticed a little glitch in the voting this time around. We’re not sure if it’s a display bug or something more cruel. Phil normally does the theme voting for us, but I (Mike, AKA PoV) pushed the buttons this time. In doing so, I may have uncovered a minor bug in our voting system. If you want to see, take a look at exhibit A and B (days 3 and 4)

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ld-14-voting-round-3-of-5/

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ld-14-voting-round-4-of-5/

In the case of day 4, #6 has a funny display (which doesn’t matter since I was taking only the top 5). However, day 3 had one on #5. I took the theme anyways, adding it to the final 20.

Out of fairness, I don’t know how the results stand at the moment. But in the unlikely circumstance that this glitch shows it’s ugly head again, specifically on #1 spot, we may end up taking the next highest unglitched theme instead. It’s a judgment call we’ll make between the administration.

Of course, it should be fine, but I thought I’d give you all a heads up as we approach the deadline. Happy Compo’ing.

Hi everybody,

Theme voting has now begun! We usually prune the list, but since a few people asked for it, I’ve included nearly every suggestion. I did remove some that could be considered offensive, but almost every suggestion will get it’s chance. Stop by the site every day this week to make your choices heard.

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/

For Friday, I’ll be taking the best 5 entries each day Monday-Thursday to compile the final list. Then, as per usual, the theme will be announced Friday night (or whenever your timezone normally begins a compo).

That’s it from me. See you all this weekend.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Hey everyone,

Just a reminder that Phil Hassey and I will be at the Game Developers Conference all next week. Wednesday to Friday, you can catch us exhibiting our respected games at the IGF Mobile pavilion (unless we get bored of that). Do stop by if you’re at the conference.

We should both be back by March 30th (perhaps a little sooner). Try not to break the site in our absence.

Ta ta,

Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Hey hey,

Apparently that’s what we get for announcing the compo early.

It seems April 10th-12th weekend is Easter weekend this year, which is sort of a big deal holiday in North America.  So to avoid conflicts with various family get togethers, we’re going to push the compo back a weekend.

Ludum Dare 14 will now take place on April 17th-19th weekend.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

- Mike Kasprzak (AKA PoV)

THEME: MASH-UP!
Select two previously existing LD entries ( see them here: The Grid ), and make a game that combines them!  One of the two may be your own entry if you wish, but they can’t both be.

What does it mean to mash up two games?  That’s up to you!  Maybe you’ll have the player from one game face the enemies and world of the other game, or you’ll combine gameplay elements from both, or you’ll steal the theme and setting from one game and the gameplay of the other.  It’s up to you!  Use whatever you want from the two games to create a horrifying two-headed freakbaby! Your game can be remarkably similar to one of them, a perfect blend of both, or nothing like either, as long as deep in your heart you were intending to combine them.

Standard LD rules apply, so even though you are working from someone else’s ideas, you’ll have to create all the art, sound, and code yourself rather than stealing theirs.  So find your two favorites, and get to work!

You have until 3pm PST on Sunday to get ‘er done!

Hey there sports fans!

With April coming up fast, I figure now is as good a time to make things official.

Ludum Dare 14 is coming up April 10th-12th weekend.

The compo will be at the usual time (whatever that is in your timezone).  I’ll set up the countdown clock shortly.  You can suggest themes on the Wiki.

http://ludumdare.com/wiki/ld14:themes

Phil and I are off to the Game Developers Conference to exhibit our IGF Mobile nominated games this month.  If you’re also attending, stop by IGF Mobile pavilion and say hello.

Theme voting will take place after we get back, during the week of April 6th-10th.

And coming up this weekend, Mini LD #8 hosted by Hamumu.

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2009/02/17/mini-ld8-announcement/

A great way to get back in the LD groove.

That’s it for now.  See you there.

- Mike Kasprzak (AKA: PoV)

Prepare your socks, possibly with masking tape or some kind of velcro straps, if you wish to prevent them from being blown off.  It will soon be time for MINI LD #8, hosted by Hamumu!

This Mini-LD will take place on Friday, March 6th at 3:00 PM PST, ending that Sunday at 3:00 PM PST.  Standard rules.  You have 48 hours.  You have your mind, your computer, some caffeine, and three angry chihuahuas.  You have no backup (and probably no backups).  Be ready!

The theme will be announced at start time, and for teasing purposes, I will tell you that, like my last hosting job, checking out previously made LD entries by other people might help get you ready for the action!  History is a part of what this is all about, so let’s make some history.

That’s the theme.  You’ve got all weekend to do this, no set start or end time.  But it’s “honor system” that you pick 48 hours within the weekend to do your stuff.  The regular “strict” rules of the LD are relaxed, so do whatever it takes to make a cool game!

Have fun!

-Phil

Well it looks like some of us woke up to some pretty awesome news this morning.

To start, Phil Hassey’s Ludum Dare favorite Galcon (now on iPhone) was nominated for the “Innovation in Mobile Design” award at this year’s IGF Mobile.  Go Phil!

Next, Ludum Dare regular tonic’s companies game (Secret Exit) Zen Bound was nominated for two awards.  “Audio Achievement” and “Best iPhone Game“.  Contratz!

Finally… well… it seems I’m in the running for “Best Game” with Smiles.

Here’s the complete list.

	IGF Mobile Best Game: Cubic Republic (IKS Mobile) – Flash Lite Smiles (Sykhronics Entertainment) – iPhone/iPod touch Fieldrunners (Subatomic Studios) – iPhone/iPod touch Edge (Mobigame) – iPhone/iPod touch Wardive (And-or) – Nintendo DS
	Innovation in Mobile Game Design: Wardive (And-or) – Nintendo DS Galcon (Hassey Enterprises) – iPhone/iPod touch Eliss (Steph Thirion) – iPhone/iPod touch
	Achievement in Art: Fieldrunners (Subatomic Studios) – iPhone/iPod touch Dizzy Bee (Igloo Games) – iPhone/iPod touch Ruben & Lullaby (Song New Creative) – iPhone/iPod touch
	Technical Achievement: Football Tycoon (Dynamo Games) – Java Real Racing (Firemint) – iPhone/iPod touch Wardive (And-or) – Nintendo DS
	Audio Achievement: Radio Flare (Studio Radiolaris) – iPhone/iPod touch Zen Bound (Secret Exit) – iPhone/iPod touch Edge (Mobigame) – iPhone/iPod touch
	Best iPhone Game — Presented by ngmoco: Edge (Mobigame) – iPhone/iPod touch Dizzy Bee (Igloo Games) – iPhone/iPod touch Fieldrunners (Subatomic Studios) – iPhone/iPod touch Zen Bound (Secret Exit) – iPhone/iPod touch Frenzic (The Iconfactory) – iPhone/iPod touch

http://www.igfmobile.com/02finalists.html

Congratulations to all the finalists (which is a little strange to say being one of them).  We’ll keep you posted.

Stay tuned for MiniLD next week.

- Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

Not much more to say.  Starts and ends usual times.  The theme is going to be the most totally bzawesome thing you’ve ever heard in your life.  So start preparing yourself for this moment.

-Phil

Hey hey,

This isn’t Ludum Dare news per se, but I figure it’s right up everyone’s alley.  I’ve been asked by the organizers to let you know about Global Game Jam, taking place on January 30th 2009.

http://www.globalgamejam.com

Unlike Ludum Dare, this is an actual event taking place in 49 (currently) locations all around the world.  RSVP, show up, meet some new people, form a team, and build something in a weekend.  True to the spirit of the compo.

Thanks,

Mike Kasprzak (PoV)

PS: Mini LD #6 is next weekend, hosted by matrin

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2008/12/21/minild6-collab/

http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/2008/12/22/minild-6/

Be there!

Congrats to increpare, bluescrn, PsySal and to all the rest!  And a big thanks to those who stuck around to vote on every entry.

Get the results here!

Congratulations to PsySal and increpare for getting their LD#13 entries listed among IndieGames.com’s Indie Games of the Week!

- GBGames

Since I end up downloading everything anyway, I once again built the ludum dare megapack.

The pack weights at about 227 megs and includes everything that I could download from each entrant. This is meant as a kickstart, not a definitive package. Some people may still be posting ports to new platforms, as well as windows executables for python entries. I hope so, anyway. Some people still haven’t even posted sources.

Anyway, to make things more fun, I’ll post the link to the pack as a reply to this post. That way people who may mirror it (or make torrents or whatever) may also post their links as a reply. Isn’t technology wonderful?

Anyway, it’s still uploading. Curse you, puny DSL upstream! I’ll post the link as soon as it’s done. Which should happen in about 40 minutes, if scp is to be believed.

You’ve now got two weeks to judge them entries! Also be sure to pass out a few trophies!

Have fun! If you think your game has potential for additional awesomeness, please release a post-compo “deluxe” version for everyone! Just make it clear to people that they aren’t supposed to judge your post-compo version.

If you need to port your game to windows, or whatever, you can do that post-compo and people can still judge it. In fact PLEASE port it to windows, that’ll ensure that more than 3 people will be able to vote on it. Include all DLLs and other windows stuffs.

If you have any ultra-critical bugs you can fix those post-compo. But you MUST mention it on your “final” page and confess that you are inadequate and should have spent more time bugfixing during the contest and that you will do better in the future.

If you need an extra 30 minutes, well .. whatever .. just be ashamed of yourself for a few years and we’ll forgive you. Again, mention it on your “final” page.

-Phil

The flash based uploader has now been disabled.  Image uploading should now work for everyone.

Back to the roads.