The games of the DEI were showcased at the TIFF Bell Lightbox last month as a part of the Women in Film, Games and New Media Conference. If you missed it, you can watch the keynote and other videos here.

Wednesday November 23rd (doors at 7pm, start-time 7:30)
CSI Annex (720 Bathurst St., south of Bloor)
Free

The second round of the Difference Engine Initiative, a six week gamemaking incubator for women, is nearly over and we will be presenting the games that they made at the Centre for Social Innovation. The gamemakers will be presenting lightning talks about their games and their experiences making them. Una Lee, who co-facilitated the incubator with Sagan Yee, will be introducing them.

Check out some photos to see what the first round game presentation was like, and the first round games themselves here. It’ll be a great way to gear up for Gamercamp on the weekend!

The first and second rounds of the Difference Engine Initiative are part of the OMDC-funded TIFF Nexus.

DEI co-coordinator Mare MC'ed the evening...

...where the participants presented their games...

...and people enjoyed them.

Special guest Erin Robinson did a talk that ended with a demo of her new secrit game project...

...and bountiful applause.

Delightful Socializing ensued.

Want more? Check out Arun’s full photoset of the event!

Curious to see what what went down in the actual incubator sessions? Check out participant recaps of sessions one, two and three!

Monday October 3rd, 7pm
Ballroom of the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street W.)
Free

The first round of the Difference Engine Initiative, a six week gamemaking incubator for women, is nearly over and we will be presenting the games that they made at this Hand Eye Society Social for the community to play!

Most of the creators will be in attendance and Mare Sheppard, co-coordinator of the DEI, will be hosting the evening. In addition to the usual drinking and chatting, this Social also features a special guest from Chicago, Erin Robinson, who will be doing a presentation touching on her experiences as a game developer (including Puzzle Bots and the freeware Nanobots) as well as her role helping highschool girls make games.

The first and second rounds of the Difference Engine Initiative are part of the OMDC-funded TIFF Nexus.

By introducing new gamemakers from under-represented groups into our community, the Difference Engine Initiative aims to diversify what kind of videogames are made.

Our first focus is women, and so we have named this version of the Difference Engine after Ada Lovelace.

As part of the OMDC-supported TIFF Nexus, the Hand Eye Society will be running two gamemaking incubators for women in Toronto, one in August-September, and one in October-November.

We are accepting applications for this free program now. To be considered for the first incubator you need to apply by midnight on Sunday July 31st. UPDATE: We received 65 applications! We have chosen the participants for the first incubator, but you are still welcome to apply at the above link to be considered for a future program.

We are having an optional info session Tuesday July 26th at 7pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox for potential participants looking to meet the coordinators or people of any gender looking to help out with the initiative. Please RSVP.

The Incubators

Each incubator has a maximum of six participants. Participants will attend a 3 hour session once a week for six weeks.

These sessions will provide participants with:

• experience with several point-and-click gamemaking tools that do not require programming;
• feedback and support on their gamemaking process from experienced gamemakers;
• a peer-mentorship atmosphere that has more in common with crafting circles or writers’ groups than a traditional classroom setting;
• snacks, drinks and good times.

Between sessions, participants will have required assignments generally needing 2 to 4 hours.

[Note: The Difference Engine is modeled after the Artsy Games Incubator, so applicants might want to check out the assignments, a session report, or take a look at the games that were produced.]

The Incubator Coordinators

Mare Sheppard is the president of Metanet Software and the co-creator of indie phenomenon N (free download for PC/Mac) and N+ (XBLA/Nintendo DS/Sony PSP). Jim Munroe makes comic books, lo-fi sci-fi movies and novels as well as games. Both are founding board members of the Hand Eye Society. For more on their perspective on game culture, you might like to listen to them being interviewed for CBC Radio’s Spark (scroll down to the “Games As Art” segment).

FAQ

Is there an age restriction?

Not specifically, but we will probably be consuming adult beverages and discussing adult themes and subjects.

Do you need a background in IT or programming skills?

No, though some computer familiarity is good. If you can use Photoshop a bit then you can learn the tools we use.

I am on Mac/Linux — is that a problem?

Nope, there are a few point-and-click gamemaking tools that are cross-platform. You will need some kind of computer access to do the assignments between sessions.

I am a dude — can I participate in the incubators?

Sorry, these two incubators are women only. But if you’re interested in helping the project in other ways you’re welcome to come out to the info session and maybe we can figure out a way for you to be involved!

More questions? Email Mare, Jim or both of us.