No More Sweden

[Erik Svedäng]

Me and some pals will run yet another No More Sweden event this summer. It's a place for indie game developers from all over the world to meet up (without us Europeans having to travel to San Francisco).

Here's the website: www.nomoresweden.com

Previous years we've had a big focus on the game jam and making stuff. This year we will try another approach and have people present their previous work or talk about something game creation-related close to their heart. I'm thinking about maybe talking about the notgames initiative since I think a lot of people are interested and/or suspicious of it. If so I will probably post some ideas for my presentation here to see what you guys think.

If anyone here's interested in attending you're very welcome! (more info about registering at the website)

[Utforska]

Seems interesting, I'm in the right country at least. It's free to go? What kinds of attendees are typically there - mostly Swedish indie game developers, or other people too? Would someone who isn't a game developer feel lost?

[Michaël Samyn]

Hope notsweden likes notgames!

[Erik Svedäng]

It's going to be free! It's not an event for fans, you should be interested in actually making stuff. But you are, right?

[Henrik Flink]

Oh i really want to go, last year was fun meeting all the people. And as you said this year should be more talk and less just making games, which sound awesome. To far to go this year though.

[Erik Svedäng]

Just wanted to report that I gave a presentation "What is Notgames" this weekend. It was very short but I think it resonated with some people there (Jonatan/Cactus said it made a lot of sense). I think some people will start lurking here at least We actually had to cut the discussions afterward because people were asking a lot of questions. Maybe the talks will be put online so that you all can see it.

[Kjell]

http://bambuser.com/channel/nomoresweden/broadcast/881027 @ 59:00

[Michaël Samyn]

Excellent. Thank you for doing the presentation in English.
And of course for presenting the idea to the Swedes.

I wonder if notgames is a European thing...
Or if it should be, given that we somewhat missed the boat of the high-commercial videogame industry.

[Erik Svedäng]

Thanks! Yeah there were a bunch of Europeans there (+1 Canadian dude, Michael Todd). I think Finland, Denmark, Germany and Italy were also represented. I have also thought about how there is a slight European kinda feel to this forum.
For a couple of years I have seen part of my goal as a game creator to be a counter force to the American way of making video games, which is the same kind of "negativity" (as a creative force) that is behind notgames I think...

Is that a motivation that anyone else here recognizes? (And of course you could have that motivation even if you're actually American)

[Michaël Samyn]

(And of course you could have that motivation even if you're actually American)

Half of Tale of Tales is (or was).

[ghostwheel]

Thanks! Yeah there were a bunch of Europeans there (+1 Canadian dude, Michael Todd). I think Finland, Denmark, Germany and Italy were also represented. I have also thought about how there is a slight European kinda feel to this forum.
For a couple of years I have seen part of my goal as a game creator to be a counter force to the American way of making video games, which is the same kind of "negativity" (as a creative force) that is behind notgames I think...

Is that a motivation that anyone else here recognizes? (And of course you could have that motivation even if you're actually American)

What is the American way of making games exactly?

[Erik Svedäng]

Well, to me commercial video games are American. Even if they are made in Sweden or Japan or wherever, they still are trying (desperately) to be American. To make a successful video game is to make it the American way.

[Michaël Samyn]

American games are "awesome" or "fucking cool".

[ghostwheel]

Well, to me commercial video games are American. Even if they are made in Sweden or Japan or wherever, they still are trying (desperately) to be American. To make a successful video game is to make it the American way.

So even if it's not American, it's still American. That's stupid. Sounds to me like you just want to hate on Americans.

[Michaël Samyn]

Don't worry, ghostwheel. This is not about individual people, American or European. But more about a -very general- difference in culture.

Commercially successful entertainment products tend to be either American, or made according to the American model. That's one of the reasons why the European games industry (as well as its film industry) are much smaller -"we"'re just not very good at doing things "the American way". But rather than seeing this as failure, I think Erik and I are suggesting to see this as an opportunity. Perhaps the commercial failure of Europe provides for a space in which artistic, creative development can bloom.

And as much as commercial European developers are welcomed by the American industry, maybe Europe can open its arms to artistic American developers.