so to answer all of this
48 hours was just something stupid to put into one of the answers the rules are not set yet it could be a weekend thing could be a week long thing don't take the 2 days thing so literally you'll give yourself a heart attack
anyone that thinks the point of a game jam is to create a game in 2 days is laughably stupid. Most of the time it is usually to make a single level or even just a concept and on the face of it most of the time it is to not only test yourself but to test the technology. Torque 4.0 is nearing closer and closer and therefore it needs testing and put through as much stress as possible to show potential flaws and or features that need to be added for 4.1.
"Game jams usually produce primitive garbage games" some of the games that have came out of jams have better gameplay and look better than some of the shit that has took years of development.
"because you cannot control how much time someone really spend on it" this is why these discussions happen, az jeff and i are talking about possible themes that would be announced when the jam starts not months in advance. Not only that but how many game jams are just about artwork? Practically none tbh because a game can look as nice as anything but if it doesn't have good gameplay it would be shit and wouldn't win. Visuals most of the time aren't even marked or counted let alone praised.
If you don't like the idea of a game jam, you don't need to take part its that simple. Everyone else that is interested in it can and hopefully will. Its very easy with the new engine to get something up and running rather quickly and there will be modules and assets in place to help people too. Hell one of the ideas might be to do with using certain assets only so that takes your art out of the question.