enchant.js goes to GDC, MIT and beyond!

Greetings!

The enchant.js team just returned to Japan after a rollicking overseas road trip that sent us to the opposite of the globe, and then criss-crossing the entire length of the United States. Words cannot describe the rolling waves of jet lag that ensued.

First up was a stop in Boston to present as part of the MIT Cool Japan lecture series. Professor Ian Condry graciously invited us to share our work with his undergraduate students, who peppered us with shrewd and insightful questions. Here we are, delighted to have survived their penetrating minds:

Then we hopped on a plane for the opposite side of the continent, trading snow for ocean foam in San Francisco. Our goals were twofold: to exhibit at the Game Developers Conference, and to host a memorable Silicon Valley tour for the three grand prize winners of the 9leap contest.

Of course these talented programmers enjoyed seeing Google, Apple, and other Silicon Valley staples, but of special note was a trip to the headquarters of Couchbase hosted by Chris Anderson. Chris candidly shared his experiences working to get a startup off the ground, and inspired us all with a real-time enchant.js hack.

GDC proved no less thrilling. We vowed to create a booth experience that was just a little bit different…and with that goal in mind, we proudly presented a series of 9 minutes coding battles!

3-5 times each day, we gathered attendees ’round to watch as our programmers…including the three 9leap winners…each attempted to create a complete game in just 9 minutes. Themes selected by the audience included “Bouncing Balls,” “Cheeseburger Boxing,” “Hell,” “Hot Date,” and “Four Legged Animals.”

Most audience members were content just to watch, but a few brave souls like Bocoup‘s Boaz Sender jumped into the ring to try and create their own games in 9 minutes or less. Needless to say, many gasps and giggles were shared by all.

But that wasn’t the end of our trip…the following Sunday we hopped on a plane and shot off to Austin, Texas where we exhibited at SXSW 2012. Jet lag had addled all of brains considerably by this point, but a generous dose of barbecue softened the blow.

And that’s it…until the next trip! Stay tuned…