Hello fello bgdf'ers. I am currently working on starting a game designers club. The idea is to have semi regular meetings to play test each others designs, have talks about game design, and promote and publish our own designs together. I am currently talking to the Gamers Sanctuary (a game store in Flint Michigan) about holding a bi-monthly playtesting event for the group. I am also talking to another local venue that promotes artistic endeavors in the area. They want to help with grants, getting speakers, and various other promotions of the fine art of game design. I know there are a few Michigan residents floating around on these boards who might be interested in this kind of thing so please either email me or join our facebook group if you are interested and I'll keep you updated with developments!
facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_177870342256841&ap=1
email: zmobie@gmail.com
Excellent! Any time you can make it would be great. Feel free to join the facebook group where we are mainly sharing links and stuff. Right now we are just sort of reaching out to see who is interested and if this idea has legs.
I plan on going to Protospiel this summer and I hope to go there with future guild members! We'd like to make Michigan designers a presence in the greater gaming community, and attending protospiel will help with both finding new michigan game designers who want to join our group and becoming more of a presence.
I am somewhat copying protospiel's format for playtesting for our own group. Basically you have to give what you get as far as playtesting is concerned. We want to have a good pool of designer/testers to rely on for quality game feedback. We'd also like to find ways of helping designers get published, having experts in the industry speak at group events, getting tables for self-publishing members at conventions, and whatever else we can do to help.
I know that every gamer has a game design in them, and I want this group to coax that one great game out of everyone. I also want michigan to be known as a home for great games. Maybe my goals are lofty, but I'm totally into it. Hope to see you soon!
-Andy