IAP Independent Activities Period
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IAP 2012 Activities by Category

Games, Gaming, and Tournaments

Alternate Reality Game (ARG) Creation Workshop
Scott Nicholson (Visiting Professor, CMS / GAMBIT), Remlee Green (MIT Libraries)
Mon Jan 30, 09am-01:00pm, 4-145
Tue Jan 31, Wed Feb 1, 10-11:00am, 4-145
Thu Feb 2, 10-11:00am, 4-265
Fri Feb 3, 10am-01:00pm, E14-633

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2012
Limited to 30 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

An Alternate Reality Game (ARG) is an activity where players enter a fictional world, discovering more and more of a hidden story, characters, and challenges as they move through the game. During this workshop, groups of students will develop an ARG for the MIT Libraries to use as an orientation activity. On Monday, we will talk about ARGs and present some basic ideas, and the constraints and resources for the game will be presented. Students will be working on their own throughout the week to plan out the ARG, and there will be a time each day for the class to meet and groups to present on their progress and get ideas. On Friday, each group will present their ARGs to each other, library staff, and other MIT faculty. By the end of the workshop, participants will understand what an ARG is, will have created the structure for an ARG, and will also know more about key resources in the library.

The focus in this workshop is on the game design and not the programming of game software, so no programming expertise is required. The final product will be a paper-based plan and prototype that may be accompanied by digital media as a demonstration.
Web: http://info-libraries.mit.edu/events/
Contact: Scott Nicholson (Please register at link above), NE25-369, x4-8973, scottn@mit.edu
Sponsor: Libraries
Cosponsor: Comparative Media Studies

Audio Design for Video Games and Other Real-time Media
Ben Houge MIT Visiting Artist, Gershon Dublon, Brian Mayton, Nicholas Joliat
Tue Jan 10, Wed Jan 11, Thu Jan 12, 10am-04:00pm, E14-525

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 06-Jan-2012
Limited to 20 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: Requirements: laptop and headphones Prerequisites: download

This course provides an overview of designing audio for video games, while exploring how game audio design techniques can be applied to other real-time digital experiences. Participants will become familiar with various approaches to organizing sound for this inherently indeterminate medium, trying out various scenarios in Max/MSP. We will review the Unity game engine and the Wwise audio engine, listen to precursors to game audio in the music of composers like John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and discuss sonification strategies for networked sensor data, including an overview of the DoppelLab project under development by the Media Lab’s Responsive Environments group http://doppellab.media.mit.edu. Participants will have an opportunity to “live patch” with MIT Visiting Artist Ben Houge as he presents the cell-based music system he designed for Tom Clancy’s EndWar (Xbox 360/PS3). Finally, participants will build a project while working with instructors one-on-one in a workshop/hackathon environment. Students must bring a laptop, headphones, download Max/MSP http://cycling74.com/downloads/, do the first 11 "Basic" tutorials, plus "MSP" tutorials 1-7 and 13-17.
Web: http://arts.mit.edu/va/artist/houge
Contact: Meg Rotzel, E15-205, x3-2372, mrotzel@mit.edu
Sponsor: Office of the Arts

Discovering Madden History
Abe Stein
Wed Jan 25, Thu Jan 26, 10am-04:00pm, NE25-373

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Limited to 20 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

"Are you ready for some football!"
In this two day course, participants will help to chart the history of the Madden videogame franchise. We will play every title of Madden, starting with 1988's John Madden Football for the Apple II and continuing to this years Madden NFL 12. Together we will chart significant features, design choices, platform specificities, and other aspects that have informed the development of the game in the 20 plus years of its existence. By the end of the session we will have developed a public collection of data about the history of the Madden franchise to serve as a starting point for further sports videogame research.
Contact: Abe Stein, NE25-384, x4-9072, adstein@mit.edu
Sponsor: Comparative Media Studies

GAMBIT Presents Two New Gaming Documentaries (with director Q &A)
Generoso Fierro
Thu Jan 12, 07-09:00pm, 10-250, "GOING CARDBOARD" screening
Fri Jan 13, 07-09:00pm, 10-250, "GET LAMP" screening

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

The Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab presents two new films about the world of gaming. Both screenings are with the directors in attendance who will run a Q and A after the completion of the film. On January 12th is Lorien Green's new documentary, "Going Cardboard" which takes you into the world of "designer" board gaming, from the community of enthusiastic fans to the publishers and self-publishers, and of course, the designers. On January 13th is the documentary by Jason Scott entitled "Get Lamp" Get Lamp is a documentary that will tell the story of the creation of "computer adventure games", in the words of the people who made them.

"Going Cardboard" trailer: http://vimeo.com/30215745

"Get Lamp" trailer: http://www.getlamp.com/trailer/
Contact: Generoso Fierro, NE25-385, x3-5038, generoso@mit.edu
Sponsor: Comparative Media Studies

IAP Speed Go Tournament
Alexander Siegenfeld
Sat Jan 28, 11:45am-03:00pm, Coffeehouse, W20-308

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

The IAP Speed Go Tournament will be an exciting event (with prizes!!), open to everyone who would like to play some go. Even if you would not like to play in the tournament, you are still welcome to stop by to watch some games or to learn more about go and the MIT Go Club.

The tournament will have two divisions: one open division (in which the games will not be handicapped), and one division for players with a rating below 1 dan (in which the games will be handicapped). There will be prizes for each division. For each division, the tournament will be a single-elimination bracket, with side games for those who are eliminated.

The tournament will be short (only 3 hours), fast-paced, and fun, so everyone who is at all interested in go should come play! If you would like to attend, it would be very helpful to us if you could email mitgoclub-staff@mit.edu and tell us your approximate rating (if you know it), although it is also fine if you just show up on the day of the tournament. Please arrive between 11:30 and 11:45am for registration.
Web: http://mit.edu/go
Contact: Alexander Siegenfeld, asiegenf@mit.edu
Sponsor: Go Club

Integration Bee
Abhinav Kumar
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

See individual session descriptions below.
Contact: Abhinav Kumar, 2-169, x3-4057, abhinav@math.mit.edu
Sponsor: Mathematics

Integration Bee Qualifying Testing
Abhinav Kumar
Stop by at any point during the session, for a quick test of your single variable integration skills. Top scorers qualify for the Integration Bee. No knowledge beyond 18.01 necessary.
Fri Jan 13, 04-06:00pm, 4-149

Integration Bee
Abhinav Kumar
No enrollment limit. No advance sign up (but contestants must qualify, see Friday, Jan. 14th). Single session event. Come watch your fellow students match wits and single variable integration skills for prizes and the title of "Grand Integrator."
Tue Jan 17, 06:30-09:00pm, 10-250

Introduction to Contract Bridge
Brian Duran, Gloria Tsoi
Mon, Thu, Jan 9, 12, 19, 23, 26, 30, 2, 07-09:30pm, 4-149

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

Come and discover the fun and intellectual challenge associated with contract bridge! In this course, we explore the fundamentals of the game, including bidding, declarer play, and defense. The lessons are based on The Club Series by Audrey Grant, published by the American Contract Bridge League.

Each session will consist of a lecture, several examples, and supervised play. By the end of this seven-session course, the student will have learned enough to play bridge socially, and start exploring the exciting world of duplicate bridge.

There will also be an individual tournament at the end of the course, with prizes for the winners.

Please bring $10 for a book deposit on the first day of class. We will return your $10 at the end of IAP and you get to keep the book.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/mitdlbc/www/index.html#IAPBridge
Contact: Brian Duran, iapbridge@mit.edu
Sponsor: Mathematics

LAN Party for a Cure!
Louis Lamia, Fangdi Sun
Sat Jan 14, 01-06:00pm, 32-141

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event
Prereq: None
Fee: 8.00 for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society

Colleges Against Cancer and Starleague are collaborating to host the CAC-Starleague LAN Party for a Cure! All proceeds go to MIT's Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. Don't know what a LAN Party is? Check it out at (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAN_party). Come join your fellow students for a tournament and an afternoon of gaming, friends, and fun!
Contact: Louis Lamia, loulamia@mit.edu
Sponsor: Colleges Against Cancer

MIT Mystery Hunt
Jeff Jakubowski
Fri Jan 13, 12pm-??:00am, Lobby 7

No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 13-Jan-2012
Single session event

The MIT Mystery Hunt is an annual puzzlehunt competition. As one of the oldest and most complex puzzlehunts in the world it attacts over 1000 people for a full weekend of puzzles.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/puzzle/www/
Contact: Jeff Jakubowski, Lobby 7, puzzle@mit.edu
Sponsor: Mystery Hunt

Make a Game in 48 Hours! Global Game Jam 2012 at GAMBIT
Rik Eberhardt
Fri Jan 27, 06pm-12:00am, NE25-Lounge
Sat Jan 28, 08-12:00am, NE25-Lounge
Sun Jan 29, 08am-06:00pm, NE25-Lounge

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 15-Dec-2011
Limited to 15 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: People must register at the form listed and that there is ro

The Global Game Jam is a cooperative gathering of game developers to encourage experimentation and innovation. Participants will work with current industry professionals and independent game developers to create games of all kinds: digital games for Windows, Mac OS X, and the web; and non-digital games of all types including board, card, and dice games. Other sites around the world will run game jams with similar rules and limitations, as ours with one unique constraint at each site. There are 15 spots reserved for MIT affiliates, which will be given on a first-come, first serve basis.

PREREQUISITES: We are looking for people with prior experience in either 2D art, programming, audio designers, or game design. You need not have skills in all 4 domains, but you should have some ability in one. Participants should plan to arrive well before 5pm on Friday, January 27, 2011 and to participate for the full duration of the event, which should conclude by 6pm Sunday, January 29, 2011

REGISTER HERE: http://gambit.mit.edu/ggj2012-iap
Web: http://globalgamejam.org
Contact: Rik Eberhardt, NE25-383, x4-2173, reberhar@mit.edu
Sponsor: Comparative Media Studies

Want To Make Games at the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab? Info Session for Students
Rik Eberhardt
Fri Jan 13, 02-04:00pm, GAMBIT Lounge NE25 3rd Floor

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 10-Jan-2012
Limited to 60 participants.
Single session event

Come visit the GAMBIT Lab on Friday, January 13th from 2-4pm to find out how you can work at the GAMBIT Game Lab this Spring and Summer. Program Dates: June 11th - August 10th, 2012 Local Area Applications Accepted: January 6th, 2012 - February 13, 2012. GAMBIT's Summer Program is a nine week, full time, intensive game development experience. Requirements:

- You must be a current college undergraduate; however, those graduating in the academic year 2011 - 2012 are still eligible to apply for our 2012 summer program.
- Your home institution must be within 50 miles of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to be eligible to apply.
- Please note that when selecting our local interns, the GAMBIT program strongly favors those students who have worked with us during the school year.
Start your application EARLY! Sign up after January 6th here:
http://gambitapp.mitcms.org
Web: https://gambitapp.mitcms.org/node/682
Contact: Rik Eberhardt, NE25-383, x4-2173, reberhar@mit.edu
Sponsor: Comparative Media Studies


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Comments and questions to: iap-www@mit.edu Academic Resource Center, Room 7-104, 617-253-1668
Last update: 7 Sept. 2011