Frequently Asked Questions
Can't find the answer to your question? Send an email to jordan@gametrekking.com.
- Who are you?
- Why should I sponsor you?
- What countries will you travel to?
- How long will you travel for?
- What will my donation go towards, exactly?
- Will you blog about your trip?
- How many games are you going to make?
- Will the games you make be free to everyone?
- Will I get any rewards for funding you?
- What are some examples of games you have made?
Who are you?
My name is Jordan Magnuson. I am a tall person. Tall enough that I probably see the world from a slightly different vantage point than you do: I interact with the tops of refrigerators, high corner cabinets, and too-low ceilings. My heritage is Scandinavian, so I suppose that’s where I get my height, along with my pale skin, blue eyes, and red beard. I fit in well in Minnesota where I attended college, but I always feel that I shouldn’t, because my insides are filled with North African chili peppers: my father is an anthropologist, so I grew up in the rolling sand dunes of Tunisia and Egypt. My body is addicted to spicy hot food, which makes me happy, and high. More…
Why should I sponsor you?
Ultimately, the answer to that is, of course, up to you. If pressed to give a response, I would say that creativity and imagination are important aspects of the human soul, and of life, and that by sponsoring me you can become a partner in a creative venture that I hope will spur your imagination, and the imagination of others.
I want to use a fascinating medium (interactivity, computer games) in a way that has never been done before. Whether I succeed or fail in creating anything meaningful or memorable, I'm going to give it my sweat and blood, and I think the journey will be reward in itself. By sponsoring me, you become a part of that journey.
Plus, I'm offering some cool incentives if you choose to donate.
What countries will you travel to?
In October 2010 I successfully raised $5000 on Kickstarter to fund phase 1 of my trip. Starting in Korea, where I currently reside, I will fly to Vietnam, and explore Southeast Asia via land travel (bus, train, walking) over a period of 4-5 months: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar…
I will then venture into China, and make my way towards the coast, where I will depart for Japan sometime in the Spring, in time for the planting season, where I will most likely spend some time volunteering on organic farms. I'm scheduling about 6 months for the whole trip. More…
How long will you travel for?
See above. The first phase of my trip will probably last about 6 months. I would like to keep going, if I can keep finding funding.
What will my donation go towards, exactly?
Basic food, accommodation, and transportation, while I work on my games. As in: ramen noodles, hostel and campground fees, bus and train tickets. I'm going to be traveling as cheaply as I possibly can, with a backpack and tent. See my open budget.
Will you blog about your trip?
Yes, I plan to keep a video and/or written blog of my trip, which you will have full access to.
How many games are you going to make?
I would like to make one to two games for each country I visit, so we're looking at probably 10, maybe 15 games for phase 1 of the trip. There's no cookie-cutter mold for the games, though, so it will also depend on the size and scope of each individual game.
If I can raise more funding, I'll keep going, and make more games.
Will the games you make be free to everyone?
Yes. Every game I make for this project will be 100% free, open source, and cross-platform. Read on to see why.
Will I get any rewards for funding you?
Many Kickstarter projects for things like Writing a Book, or Making an Album, or creating a Piece of Art offer the finished product as an exclusive reward to backers: if you contribute, you can get a copy of that book, or that album, or that Piece of Art.
My philosophy is slightly different. I think we live in an age of abundance, where sharing is too often needlessly limited. And so the main fruits of my project, should it be successfully funded, will not be offered exclusively to backers, but inclusively to everyone.
Every game I make will be 100% free, open source, and cross-platform: for you, and for everyone else. Your reward for sponsoring is letting creativity breathe.
All of that being said, you will get some small additional tokens of appreciation should you contribute to this project, which you can see outlined above, in the sidebar to the right.
What are some examples of games you have made?
I've made three games specifically inspired by living in Korea, which you can check out here.
I've also made a number of other games, that you can check out in my portfolio at NecessaryGames.com.