Time is running out to sign up for the Global Game Jam this weekend, but there is still space. Anyone can participate, it doesn't matter if you have never made a computer game before.
This year, starting at 3pm we'll have presentations by Microsoft about developing for the Windows Phone (and some spiffy giveaways at the end of the weekend if you choose make a Windows Phone game).
The main event starts at 5pm, when we see the video keynotes by Will Wright, Baiyon, Gonzalo Frasca, Brenda Garno Brathwaite and John Romero, then we announce this year's theme and everyone starts brainstorming their best game ideas. If you've got a great idea, you present it, and try to build a team to build your game. For the rest of the weekend, you and your team build a brand new computer game around the theme. At 3pm on Sunday, you upload your final game, and from 3-5, we see what everyone accomplished over the weekend.
Thanks to generous sponsorship by Next Century, there's no registration fee and food will be provided all weekend. However, you DO need to sign up in advance, just log into globalgamejam.org and select UMBC as your site.