TIFF Nexus’ first Creative Jam, The Peripherals Initiative, is underway! Participants from a game design background and a hardware hacker/ DIY electronics background came together in the TIFF Bell Lightbox Learning Studios for an afternoon of brainstorming focused on developing unique interfaces and innovative video game control schemes. Amidst the exciting ideas unleashed at this first Jam were discussions of anti-grav controllers, arguments over the merits of Tower Defence, and whether or not it was possible to re-create the disc-throwing game from TRON in real-life! Be sure to check out the TIFF Nexus Innovation Day on October 28^th during Toronto Digifest where the results of The Peripherals Initiative will be presented.

The Jam is being led by Emilie McGinley of the Hand Eye Society and co-founder of BigPants, with support from media artist and Assistant Professor David Bouchard of the Image Arts, New Media Option at Ryerson University. Participants in this Jam will also have full access to the many design tools and mentors of other TIFF Nexus Partners including DDiMIT, Site 3 coLaboratory, Ryerson University and TIFF Bell Lightbox.

If you know of or have a built a unique game interface or gameplay element we’d love to hear from you. Send in links or pics and we’ll share it on this blog or on our Twitter feed.