The time has come!
I’ve been working with indie developers Marlon Wiebe, Noel Berry and Jeff Lindsay on an idea hatched at the last Mini PegJam – creating a free-to-play, Winnipeg-based arcade machine dedicated to indie games! We call it:
The Winnitron will feature a WiFi card and the ability to connect to a server to download the latest featured games automatically. (no manual USB stick updating!) It uses a launcher built in Unity3D. The 1000 model will feature two player controls. (one joystick, and two buttons each)
Our new beast of a beta unit
Where Will It Be Located?
We’re really hoping to get the Winnitron installed at Red River College. It’s right in the exchange district, near a lot of other cool places to hang out. It also means a lot of students would check it out, which might be a really cool way to bring new younglings into the indie game community.
There’s also the option to tour the machine around at different events, and we’re looking into ideas for this.
What Will It Look Like?
A true retro arcade machine! We have a design in mind, and we’re either going to refurbish an old cabinet or build one from a kit. It’ll be a big, sexy beast. 
We Want Your Games!
Current we have the Winnitron loaded up with games by ourselves and other indie friends, but we want to pack this thing full of made-in-Winnipeg fun. To whit, we’re gonna hold a game jam specifically themed around building games for the Winnitron!
In fact: you can start right now. If you can restrict your game to 4 directional movement, and two buttons per player, you’re already halfway there. (we’ll get the details on the specific keybindings and high score stuff later)
You can build your game in anything that will run on a decently powered Windows PC. Flash, Unity and GameMaker are all good choices.
Dates for the JAM: The Weekend of October 23rd is looking good. Please fill out our Jam Survey over at the Winnitron site to keep us up to date on how many of you can make it! (let us know alternate dates if the 23rd doesn’t work for you)
Location for the JAM: To be Announced! It depends how many people are interested.
The Belly of the Beast
Why is this a Good Thing?
The WINNITRON 1000 will help build a creative and collaborative indie game developer community in Winnipeg. Having a strong, healthy and fun community is integral to honing our skills, learning new ideas, growing new teams and hopefully: keeping people in Winnipeg by making it slightly more awesome.
Update: We Built It!
We built the WINNITRON by refurbishing and old arcade cabinet. Check it out:
Click for more pics!
Support the Cause! Spread the Word!
Tell your friends, neighbors, grandparents, estranged pets – everyone should know about the Winnitron! It’s gonna be narbacular.
WIP Credits
Logo/Cab Design/Wiring: Marlon Wiebe
Website/Idea Guy: Noel Berry
Launcher: Alec Holowka
Winnitron Web App: Jeff Lindsay
Special Thanks: Michael Legary, Chrissy Chubala
Inspiration: The TORONTRON
Yousef wrote a Comment on September 30, 2010 at 11:15 pm
And tell your husband cuz they’re rapin everybody out here :O
Looks awesome! It’s unfortunate we can’t reach such awesomeness from down here at the US
Eileen wrote a Comment on September 30, 2010 at 11:15 pm
I’m excited for this.
Fernando Ramallo wrote a Comment on September 30, 2010 at 11:28 pm
This is awesome. I hope I can send my current awesome game when it’s finished if you’re interested in getting some international indie games in there.
Alec Holowka wrote a Comment on September 30, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Sweet! We’re definitely down with having a non-Winnipeg games selection as well.
Lady-Succubus wrote a Comment on September 30, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Unity can be used to write a launcher? D:
Alec Holowka wrote a Comment on October 1, 2010 at 12:00 am
5: Yeah! You have to use some .NET stuff, but it’s not too hard.
I might do a tutorial on it sometime.
Noel wrote a Comment on October 1, 2010 at 12:03 am
This is going to be swweeeettt when finished
Lookin’ forward to the game jam and seeing what we can get on it.
Lady-Succubus wrote a Comment on October 1, 2010 at 12:21 am
6: I have to get back to learning basic Unity first. I got distracted by a giant English paper I completely “forgot” about. :S
The Winnitron 1000! - feeblethemighty wrote a Pingback on October 1, 2010 at 3:08 pm
[...] We’re also hosting a jam to make games for the Winnitron right here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. If you are a motivated artist, coder, or musician interested in helping out, check out the full release on Alec’s blog. [...]
Greg wrote a Comment on October 3, 2010 at 8:37 am
Woah! Awesome stuff Alec; just another reason that I’ll have to stop by Winnipeg at some point.
Infinite Ammo » Blog Archive » The Winnitron Jam wrote a Pingback on October 4, 2010 at 10:15 am
[...] We’re organizing a game jam to build games for the WINNITRON! [...]
Liam wrote a Comment on October 4, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Yeah, totally gonna come to this. Gonna be saucesome!
The Winnitron Indie Arcade Machine | Breakdance McFunkypants - Indie Game Dev wrote a Pingback on October 6, 2010 at 1:14 pm
[...] around the fabulous WINNITRON 1000, a homebrew hardware project by fellow Canadian indie game devs, Alec Holowka, Noel Berry, Jeff Lindsay and Marlon [...]
New Media Manitoba’s Demo Camp ::: Aqua Books wrote a Pingback on December 31, 2010 at 5:49 pm
[...] Alec Holowka is an independent game developer, co-founder of independent game companies Bit Blot, and Infinite Ammo where he works as lead programmer, musician and game designer. He collaborated with Derek Yu to create the award-winning game Aquaria and freeware game I’m O.K – A Murder Simulator. He has also co-created the Winnipeg-centric arcade game, the Winnitron 1000. [...]