Come hither, wannabe astronauts, the European Space Agency are doing a Spaceship Game Jam

Open to all, but particularly the Finnish

Earlier this week, Hideo Kojima reiterated that he'd truly similar to marque a video crippled successful space, overmuch to Mark's despair and outrage. Perhaps "how bash we nonstop Hideo Kojima into outer space" tin beryllium 1 of the problems they lick successful the Spaceship Game Jam, a collaboration betwixt the Finnish Game Jam and the European Space Agency, successful which starry-eyed developers "design and prototype games oregon playful concepts inspired by real-world abstraction issues".

The lawsuit runs August 29th to August 31st. You tin articulation the proceedings in-person astatine specified sites astir Finland, oregon enactment online. There's nary introduction fee, nor bash you request to cognize what "outer space" is to apply. "Curiosity and a tendency to research are the lone requirements," the organisers explicate (yes, I'm alert this website's fiendish autotagging bundle has conscionable linked "curiosity" to Peter Molyneux's smartphone-chiselling abomination; no, I bash not cognize however to halt it). I deliberation "cosmic dread" should beryllium 1 of the introduction criteria arsenic well. I mean, fractional the abstraction games connected Steam are fearfulness games.

Why not conscionable big my ain damn spacejam, you imperiously enquire, alternatively than waiting for those stuffed shirts astatine the ESA to springiness their blessing? Well, "participants volition summation exclusive entree to a affluent postulation of information and assets generously provided by ESA," according to the project's website. "This postulation volition see information from satellites, probe missions, telescopes, and more, to animate and enrich your games."

I find the Spaceship Game Jam absorbing inasmuch arsenic I'm funny successful the overlap betwixt backstage oregon nationalist assemblage abstraction exploration and the video games industry. I wrote a spot astir that for Eurogamer, backmost successful the day, though frankly, I deliberation the portion successful question is simply a sanctimonious blatherfest, truthful fto maine extract immoderate highlights: NASA person a sideline successful video games improvement oregon partnerships with developers arsenic portion of their run for greater nationalist consciousness and, thereby, funding.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was designed with input from NASA consultants, and NASA has besides teamed up with Blackbird Interactive, developers of Hardspace: Shipbreaker, to conception a simulation of a hypothetical 22nd period Martian colony successful the Gale Crater. NASA person besides made usage of acquisition games for astronaut training.

As for the European Space Agency, they've hosted stands astatine Gamescom successful a bid to enlistee the adjacent procreation of geeks, and are presently moving with Life Is Strange developers Don't Nod connected sci-fi escapade crippled Aphelion. Perhaps if you instrumentality portion successful their crippled jam, you'll beryllium capable to reboot yourself arsenic a nonrecreational rocket idiosyncratic and assistance poor, befuddled Kojima flight the tyranny of gravity. He'll get his arse to Mars someday.