During the conference I recorded a couple of interviews, so besides the keynotes I got to hang out with some cool people and talk games. One of those cool people was (well is, I am sure he is still cool...) Eitan Glinert. Eitan and others have been working on a game that is equally playable for sighted and visually impaired people. Having low vision myself, this game is pretty interesting to me. The game is called Audiodyssey, it is available now as a free download, check it out.
He is also getting going on a startup in May called Fire Hose VIdeo Games, so if you need a job in May or so, perhaps you should contact Eitan....
Music in this episode is from Uncle Seth, (whose bass player I hung out with at the Toronto Podcast Meetup on Thursday, November 15) and The Mark Harold Band.
Listen Now.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
T6 Flashback 12 - Mia Consalvo
I did not get a chance to go to Mia's talk yesterday, as I was off to the Toronto Podcast Meetup (which was cool BTW, thanks to Scarborough Dude, John Meadows, Mark Blevis et al). However, I interviewed Mia on T6, episode 52, so I thought I would post that.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.
John Lester's Keynote
John Lester spoke yesterday at lunch (so you will hear some plates etc in the background...)
John is Linden Lab's Boston Operations Director and Academic Program Manager, oh and his SL name is Pathfinder Linden.
His talk was a lot of fun, check it out.
John is Linden Lab's Boston Operations Director and Academic Program Manager, oh and his SL name is Pathfinder Linden.
His talk was a lot of fun, check it out.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Constance Steinkuehler's Keynote
Constance Steinkuehler opened the show today, WOW. (I mean WOW both as like 'wow' and the gaming way....).
It turns out the playing MMO RPGs helps kids with literacy and scientific reasoning!
Enjoy the talk
It turns out the playing MMO RPGs helps kids with literacy and scientific reasoning!
Enjoy the talk
Share Your Game Stories
Diane Devenyi, an MA student in education at York is distributing flyers around the conference. I just interviewed her for T6, and it sounds like a cool project. Basically she is trying to put a book together on the 'Chicken Soup' model.
Do you have game stories? Has gaming changed you? Has it changed your friends? Let Diane know at fearlessmaster@hotmail.com.
Do you have game stories? Has gaming changed you? Has it changed your friends? Let Diane know at fearlessmaster@hotmail.com.
Don't forget to tag your posts and photos...
Well I gave a few introductory remarks at FuturePlay, asking everyone to tag their posts and photos. (Sadly I forgot my camera cable...).
Listen Now
Listen Now
Monday, November 12, 2007
Let's Make FutrePlay More Social
FuturePlay is a great event, and I know I always have a great time meeting new people, be they academics or industry types. One of the greatest things about FP (and frankly any other conference) is the social part. You meet new people, you end up going for a beer or a coffee, you go for dinner, or you just hang out between sessions.
OK, so it is social too, let's use this whole new fangled web 2.0 to be more social. How you might ask.. Well, I have learned a few things from some buddies of mine at events like Podcasters Across Borders, Podcamps, Barcamps etc. First off we have twitter. Let's twitter where we are going for a beer, where we are hanging out, or even just simple things like 'I want to go for dinner in Chinatown, anyone interested?' On twitter I am dbrodbeck So we can track tweets from each other, why don't we put FP07 at the start of each post?
I have the same name on Pownce (which has the added bonus of file sharing and friends lists).
We have a facebook group (two actually..) so feel free to post on the wall there or start some threads.
Another cool thing to do is to upload your pics to flickr and your vids to youtube. Please add the tag FuturePlay2007 to all pictures and videos from the conference. Oh yeah, if you are blogging or podcasting from the conference or about it, add that same tag.
As it has been said before, welcome to the social, and let's have a great conference.
OK, so it is social too, let's use this whole new fangled web 2.0 to be more social. How you might ask.. Well, I have learned a few things from some buddies of mine at events like Podcasters Across Borders, Podcamps, Barcamps etc. First off we have twitter. Let's twitter where we are going for a beer, where we are hanging out, or even just simple things like 'I want to go for dinner in Chinatown, anyone interested?' On twitter I am dbrodbeck So we can track tweets from each other, why don't we put FP07 at the start of each post?
I have the same name on Pownce (which has the added bonus of file sharing and friends lists).
We have a facebook group (two actually..) so feel free to post on the wall there or start some threads.
Another cool thing to do is to upload your pics to flickr and your vids to youtube. Please add the tag FuturePlay2007 to all pictures and videos from the conference. Oh yeah, if you are blogging or podcasting from the conference or about it, add that same tag.
As it has been said before, welcome to the social, and let's have a great conference.
T6 Flashback 11 - Clint Hocking Keynote from 2006
As promised, here is Clint Hocking's keynote from FuturePlay 2006. This should give you a taste of what we have had in the past at FP.
Clint talked about getting a demo beyond the Male 18-34 bracket, there are a lot of other humans out there that could get entertained, and perhaps more from video games.
(As a side note, I think I was the only one in the room that did not fall for the 'look under your chair for you 3D glasses' bit).
Listen and enjoy
Clint talked about getting a demo beyond the Male 18-34 bracket, there are a lot of other humans out there that could get entertained, and perhaps more from video games.
(As a side note, I think I was the only one in the room that did not fall for the 'look under your chair for you 3D glasses' bit).
Listen and enjoy
Paper Sessions - An Example
Now we have keynotes (I will post one of them later today) at FuturePlay each year and then there are the paper sessions. I recorded some guy presenting a paper on experimental psychology and game design last year in London at FuturePlay 2006.
This talk should give you a good feel for the paper sessions.
If you check this dude's blog you can get the paper and the powerpoint slides....
Listen Now.
This talk should give you a good feel for the paper sessions.
If you check this dude's blog you can get the paper and the powerpoint slides....
Listen Now.
Friday, November 9, 2007
T6 Flashback 10 - Interview with CLint Hocking of Ubisoft
Episode 41 of T6 is flashback number 10.
From FuturePlay 2006 an interview with Clint Hocking. Clint has been working for Ubisoft in Montréal for five years. Most recently he worked as scriptwriter, lead level designer and creative director on SPLINTER CELL: CHAOS THEORY. Before games he worked in the web industry and experimented with independent filmmaking while earning a masters’ degree in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He lives happily in Montréal with his fiancé and his dog.
Clint and I talked about the future of game design and the fact that games need not just be fun, they could also be what Clint calls 'engaging'. There is a whole other market out there beyond the 18-34 year old males.
Clint is working on a project currently for Ubisoft, but I could not get it out of him. Perhaps Sam Fisher knows....
Music in this episode from The Rantings of EVA and Battery Life.
Listen and enjoy....
From FuturePlay 2006 an interview with Clint Hocking. Clint has been working for Ubisoft in Montréal for five years. Most recently he worked as scriptwriter, lead level designer and creative director on SPLINTER CELL: CHAOS THEORY. Before games he worked in the web industry and experimented with independent filmmaking while earning a masters’ degree in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. He lives happily in Montréal with his fiancé and his dog.
Clint and I talked about the future of game design and the fact that games need not just be fun, they could also be what Clint calls 'engaging'. There is a whole other market out there beyond the 18-34 year old males.
Clint is working on a project currently for Ubisoft, but I could not get it out of him. Perhaps Sam Fisher knows....
Music in this episode from The Rantings of EVA and Battery Life.
Listen and enjoy....
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
50 Bucks off Your Registration, and a 30 Dollar Gift Certificate (and that is in Canadian Money...)
OK, this just came across the tubes to my email....
The Future Play Conference 2007, November 15-17, at the Novotel in Toronto, Ontario, is just a week away. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to improve your skills, expand your business, leverage academic research for game design, and network with potential partners and prospective employees.
We only have a few spots left at Future Play 2007, and we really want a full house, so help us help you (…and we’ll show you the money):
Already registered? Tell a friend, and when they register before the deadline (and type your name in student id number slot on the registration form) we’ll refund $50 of your registration fee, or give you a $30 gift card from Future Shop, or email you
a $25 electronic gift certificate from Chapters. Get five friends to register and you have some nice spending money coming your way for Christmas!
Not registered yet? Register before the deadline and we’ll refund $40 of your registration fee or email you a $25 electronic gift certificate from Chapters.
Get out of your office or cubicle and we’ll see you at Future Play! Who else will you meet? Game development experts and researchers from across Canada, the US, the UK, Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand. You’ll meet people from Microsoft, Garage Games, Groove Games, MIT, UOIT, Western, the MARS Discovery District, Carleton University, Michigan State University, Silicon Knights, Artificial Mind and Movement, and many other keen minds from in and around the gaming world.
Special note: a Pre-Conference Seminar, on November 14, geared towards game production professionals, will teach attendees about ways to improve their production processes and management skills, will allow for networking with other like-minded professionals, and will provide participants their personal copy of "The Game Production Handbook". (Sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre). Details are on the website.
Don't miss out. Register Now (this offer expires 9 am Friday Nov 9th)! http://www.futureplay.org
The Future Play Conference 2007, November 15-17, at the Novotel in Toronto, Ontario, is just a week away. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to improve your skills, expand your business, leverage academic research for game design, and network with potential partners and prospective employees.
We only have a few spots left at Future Play 2007, and we really want a full house, so help us help you (…and we’ll show you the money):
Already registered? Tell a friend, and when they register before the deadline (and type your name in student id number slot on the registration form) we’ll refund $50 of your registration fee, or give you a $30 gift card from Future Shop, or email you
a $25 electronic gift certificate from Chapters. Get five friends to register and you have some nice spending money coming your way for Christmas!
Not registered yet? Register before the deadline and we’ll refund $40 of your registration fee or email you a $25 electronic gift certificate from Chapters.
Get out of your office or cubicle and we’ll see you at Future Play! Who else will you meet? Game development experts and researchers from across Canada, the US, the UK, Sweden, Norway, and New Zealand. You’ll meet people from Microsoft, Garage Games, Groove Games, MIT, UOIT, Western, the MARS Discovery District, Carleton University, Michigan State University, Silicon Knights, Artificial Mind and Movement, and many other keen minds from in and around the gaming world.
Special note: a Pre-Conference Seminar, on November 14, geared towards game production professionals, will teach attendees about ways to improve their production processes and management skills, will allow for networking with other like-minded professionals, and will provide participants their personal copy of "The Game Production Handbook". (Sponsored by the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre). Details are on the website.
Don't miss out. Register Now (this offer expires 9 am Friday Nov 9th)! http://www.futureplay.org
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Constance Steinkuehler Keynote
As our (why do I say that, there is just me typing these things...) coverage of the upcoming Keynotes at FuturePlay 2007 continues, let's move on the talk by Constance Steinkuehler. Constance's talk can be summarized below (from an abstract of one of her papers).
"For those with a vested interest in online technologies for learning, the knowledge and skills that constitute successful participation in massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) places them squarely among the most promising new digital technologies to date. In this paper, I broadly outline the qualitative results of a two and a half year cognitive ethnography of the MMO Lineage and describe the current trajectory of research we are now pursuing, based on those findings: (a) the empirical investigation of focused research questions in order to document and analyze those core practices that constitute gameplay in virtual worlds, and (b) the development of educational activities for after school clubs that capitalize on those capacities found throughout our research. This essay concludes with a reflection on the multiple relationships between games and education, highlighting the potential for such technologies to transform not only the means of education but also perhaps the goals."
This one sounds very cool, as a psychologist, and a gamer, I am not missing this one.
"For those with a vested interest in online technologies for learning, the knowledge and skills that constitute successful participation in massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) places them squarely among the most promising new digital technologies to date. In this paper, I broadly outline the qualitative results of a two and a half year cognitive ethnography of the MMO Lineage and describe the current trajectory of research we are now pursuing, based on those findings: (a) the empirical investigation of focused research questions in order to document and analyze those core practices that constitute gameplay in virtual worlds, and (b) the development of educational activities for after school clubs that capitalize on those capacities found throughout our research. This essay concludes with a reflection on the multiple relationships between games and education, highlighting the potential for such technologies to transform not only the means of education but also perhaps the goals."
This one sounds very cool, as a psychologist, and a gamer, I am not missing this one.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
T6 Flashback 9 - Interview with Linden Lab VP of Product Development and FuturePlay 2007 Keynote Speaker Cory Ondrejka
If you are coming to FuturePlay 2007 you probably know that one of our keynotes will be Cory Ondrejka of Linden Lab
Episode 23 of t6 featured am interview with Cory Ondrejka, VP of Product Development for Linden Lab of San Francisco, the creators of Second Life.
Glyn Heatley and I sat down via Gizmo (to phone) with Cory Ondrejka and talked about everything Second Life. We discussed academic applications of this virtual world, research applications, and even UFO abductions (virtual ones...).
The folks at Linden lab are visionaries, no question about it and you can tell talking to a guy like Cory.
This is just another example of how games are not only entertaining but can have emergent properties of their own. Thanks Cory!
(note: Glyn had some mic problems, he may have actually turned off the mic... so Dave had to do a lot of signal processing to get this one out, so there may be some points that are a bit rough).
Enjoy the interview.
Episode 23 of t6 featured am interview with Cory Ondrejka, VP of Product Development for Linden Lab of San Francisco, the creators of Second Life.
Glyn Heatley and I sat down via Gizmo (to phone) with Cory Ondrejka and talked about everything Second Life. We discussed academic applications of this virtual world, research applications, and even UFO abductions (virtual ones...).
The folks at Linden lab are visionaries, no question about it and you can tell talking to a guy like Cory.
This is just another example of how games are not only entertaining but can have emergent properties of their own. Thanks Cory!
(note: Glyn had some mic problems, he may have actually turned off the mic... so Dave had to do a lot of signal processing to get this one out, so there may be some points that are a bit rough).
Enjoy the interview.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Frans Mäyrä Keynote
The paper sessions are great at FuturePlay, and so are the keynotes. Over the next week or so I will shine the spotlight on the different keynote speakers. Here is a short summary of Frans Mäyrä's upcoming keynote at FuturePlay 2007, his title is"The Role of Digital Play in a Society: The Case of Finland"
During the last few decades, we have witnessed fast-paced changes taking place in contemporary societies, much of them related to the adoption and use of information and communication technologies. Digital games often appear to play a particular role in this development, taking the everyday use of computers beyond the more restricted work-related functions and opening ways for interactive media to become a truly popular cultural, global phenomenon. Yet it is hard to make any precise claims about the exact role computer and video games currently hold in a society. Many of the most commonly quoted demographic figures are produced by entertainment industry organisations and are not based on reliable academic studies. As the methodologies used in producing such core data are not open for peer-review, it is difficult to say whether our perception of games and digital play in a wider societal context is tilted or accurate.
In his Future Play conference keynote professor Mäyrä will present some of the findings from a nation-wide survey carried out in Finland by the University of Tampere Games Research Lab. Focusing on such fundamental issues as how many and what sort of people are actually playing digital games, what kind of playing styles or use of time for gameplay are common among them, and which games are most popular in different age and > gender groups, he will paint a picture of a Western, late industrial society and its involvement in digital play. Mäyrä will also discuss the methodological challenges related to gathering and analysing such data, and point out further directions for study into the socio-cultural research of games and players.
During the last few decades, we have witnessed fast-paced changes taking place in contemporary societies, much of them related to the adoption and use of information and communication technologies. Digital games often appear to play a particular role in this development, taking the everyday use of computers beyond the more restricted work-related functions and opening ways for interactive media to become a truly popular cultural, global phenomenon. Yet it is hard to make any precise claims about the exact role computer and video games currently hold in a society. Many of the most commonly quoted demographic figures are produced by entertainment industry organisations and are not based on reliable academic studies. As the methodologies used in producing such core data are not open for peer-review, it is difficult to say whether our perception of games and digital play in a wider societal context is tilted or accurate.
In his Future Play conference keynote professor Mäyrä will present some of the findings from a nation-wide survey carried out in Finland by the University of Tampere Games Research Lab. Focusing on such fundamental issues as how many and what sort of people are actually playing digital games, what kind of playing styles or use of time for gameplay are common among them, and which games are most popular in different age and > gender groups, he will paint a picture of a Western, late industrial society and its involvement in digital play. Mäyrä will also discuss the methodological challenges related to gathering and analysing such data, and point out further directions for study into the socio-cultural research of games and players.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
T6 Flashback 8 - An Interview With Jim Parker
For episode 20 of t6 I interviewed FuturePlay attendee Jim Parker.
Dr. Parker is a specialist in computer perception (vision, hearing) for intelligent interfaces. His special interest is the use of perceptive interfaces in interactive video games, especially for teaching. His research includes vision and hearing, gesture, and gaze, and he has designed and built computer games for teaching. Jim initiated the computer games concentration and the computer game programming class at the University of Calgary.
Two of his current projects are the I'powahsin project. (Teaching aboriginal langauges using computer games) and Turtle Island a Massively Multiplayer online game (virtual universe) modeling the aboriginal world of a thousand years ago.
Dr. Parker heads the digital media lab at U of Calgary.
Enjoy.
Dr. Parker is a specialist in computer perception (vision, hearing) for intelligent interfaces. His special interest is the use of perceptive interfaces in interactive video games, especially for teaching. His research includes vision and hearing, gesture, and gaze, and he has designed and built computer games for teaching. Jim initiated the computer games concentration and the computer game programming class at the University of Calgary.
Two of his current projects are the I'powahsin project. (Teaching aboriginal langauges using computer games) and Turtle Island a Massively Multiplayer online game (virtual universe) modeling the aboriginal world of a thousand years ago.
Dr. Parker heads the digital media lab at U of Calgary.
Enjoy.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Arcademy Games Awards Prize Packages Annoucned
This stuff just keeps on showing up in my inbox, and, well, I am passing it on to you, cuz well, that is just what I do...
Category: Future Indie Games
Arcademy Games Awards 1st prize: Total value more than $5,000
A one-day usability session and analysis by the Microsoft Games User Research group, just like that used for games such as Halo 3 and Mass Effect. Your game will benefit from the same scientific testing techniques in Microsoft Game Studios’ state-of-the-art research labs.
An analysis of game ergonomics and playability provided by Bug-Tracker, providing proven quality assurance and testing for functionality, localization and compatibility.
Software package from Groove Games, a unique Internet publishing label for independent games and game makers. “We are a band of professional game makers committed to publishing truly original and exciting titles on our own terms. We want to give any and all game makers the opportunity to publish their games, find their audiences - and perhaps make their fortunes.”
SSMIC – ½ day consultation and review of business plan by the award-winning IT Incubator and Algoma U partner. SSMIC is an internationally recognized catalyst for growth in the information technology (IT) and knowledge based sectors.
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Arcademy Games Awards 2nd prize
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Hardware prize package from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Algoma U.
Category: Future Serious Games
Arcademy Games Award 1st prize: Total value more than $5,000
An analysis of game ergonomics and playability provided by Bug-Tracker, providing proven quality assurance and testing for functionality, localization and compatibility.
Software package from Groove Games, a unique Internet publishing label for independent games and game makers. “We are a band of professional game makers committed to publishing truly original and exciting titles on our own terms. We want to give any and all game makers the opportunity to publish their games, find their audiences - and perhaps make their fortunes.”
SSMIC – ½ day consultation and review of business plan by the award-winning IT Incubator and Algoma U partner. SSMIC is an internationally recognized catalyst for growth in the information technology (IT) and knowledge based sectors.
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Arcademy Games Awards 2nd prize
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Hardware prize package from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Algoma U.
Category: Future Student Games
Arcademy Games Awards 1st prize: Total value more than $5,000
An analysis of game ergonomics and playability provided by Bug-Tracker, providing proven quality assurance and testing for functionality, localization and compatibility.
Software package from Groove Games, a unique Internet publishing label for independent games and game makers. “We are a band of professional game makers committed to publishing truly original and exciting titles on our own terms. We want to give any and all game makers the opportunity to publish their games, find their audiences - and perhaps make their fortunes.”
SSMIC – ½ day consultation and review of business plan by the award-winning IT Incubator and Algoma U partner. SSMIC is an internationally recognized catalyst for growth in the information technology (IT) and knowledge based sectors.
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Arcademy Games Awards 2nd prize
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Hardware prize package from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Algoma U.
Category: Future Indie Games
Arcademy Games Awards 1st prize: Total value more than $5,000
A one-day usability session and analysis by the Microsoft Games User Research group, just like that used for games such as Halo 3 and Mass Effect. Your game will benefit from the same scientific testing techniques in Microsoft Game Studios’ state-of-the-art research labs.
An analysis of game ergonomics and playability provided by Bug-Tracker, providing proven quality assurance and testing for functionality, localization and compatibility.
Software package from Groove Games, a unique Internet publishing label for independent games and game makers. “We are a band of professional game makers committed to publishing truly original and exciting titles on our own terms. We want to give any and all game makers the opportunity to publish their games, find their audiences - and perhaps make their fortunes.”
SSMIC – ½ day consultation and review of business plan by the award-winning IT Incubator and Algoma U partner. SSMIC is an internationally recognized catalyst for growth in the information technology (IT) and knowledge based sectors.
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Arcademy Games Awards 2nd prize
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Hardware prize package from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Algoma U.
Category: Future Serious Games
Arcademy Games Award 1st prize: Total value more than $5,000
An analysis of game ergonomics and playability provided by Bug-Tracker, providing proven quality assurance and testing for functionality, localization and compatibility.
Software package from Groove Games, a unique Internet publishing label for independent games and game makers. “We are a band of professional game makers committed to publishing truly original and exciting titles on our own terms. We want to give any and all game makers the opportunity to publish their games, find their audiences - and perhaps make their fortunes.”
SSMIC – ½ day consultation and review of business plan by the award-winning IT Incubator and Algoma U partner. SSMIC is an internationally recognized catalyst for growth in the information technology (IT) and knowledge based sectors.
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Arcademy Games Awards 2nd prize
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Hardware prize package from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Algoma U.
Category: Future Student Games
Arcademy Games Awards 1st prize: Total value more than $5,000
An analysis of game ergonomics and playability provided by Bug-Tracker, providing proven quality assurance and testing for functionality, localization and compatibility.
Software package from Groove Games, a unique Internet publishing label for independent games and game makers. “We are a band of professional game makers committed to publishing truly original and exciting titles on our own terms. We want to give any and all game makers the opportunity to publish their games, find their audiences - and perhaps make their fortunes.”
SSMIC – ½ day consultation and review of business plan by the award-winning IT Incubator and Algoma U partner. SSMIC is an internationally recognized catalyst for growth in the information technology (IT) and knowledge based sectors.
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Arcademy Games Awards 2nd prize
Copy of the Game Production Handbook, written by the lecturer Heather Chandler.
Hardware prize package from University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Algoma U.
The Arcademy Games Awards at Future Play 2007
Future Play 2007 is proud to host the first annual Arcademy Games Awards, to recognise new and emerging talent in game design.
The Arcademy Games Awards will be awarded to the first and second place selections in the Future Play 2007 International Games Competition, in the following categories:
Future Indie Games-- this category is for games that experiment with new game technologies or design concepts.
Future Serious Games-- this category is for games that are not necessarily built for pure entertainment purposes (i.e. Serious Games), such as games that are for learning purposes.
Future Student Games-- this category is for students who have built an original, entertainment game title and wish to show off their talents, earn publicity for their school, gain personal recognition, and perhaps even find a publisher for that game.
Thanks to new sponsors who have offered generous support, Future Play 2007 is pleased to offer the Arcademy Games Awards to participants in the Future Play 2007 Games Competition.
Winners will be selected at the International Judging Reception on Friday, November 16th, at the Novotel Toronto.
The Arcademy Games Awards will be awarded to the first and second place selections in the Future Play 2007 International Games Competition, in the following categories:
Future Indie Games-- this category is for games that experiment with new game technologies or design concepts.
Future Serious Games-- this category is for games that are not necessarily built for pure entertainment purposes (i.e. Serious Games), such as games that are for learning purposes.
Future Student Games-- this category is for students who have built an original, entertainment game title and wish to show off their talents, earn publicity for their school, gain personal recognition, and perhaps even find a publisher for that game.
Thanks to new sponsors who have offered generous support, Future Play 2007 is pleased to offer the Arcademy Games Awards to participants in the Future Play 2007 Games Competition.
Winners will be selected at the International Judging Reception on Friday, November 16th, at the Novotel Toronto.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
More On The Student Experience at FuturePlay
Gavan Acton is a graduate of Algoma's Computer Science programme and has been to each and every edition of FP. He has also been a frequent guest on T6. I emailed Gav the other day and asked him a few questions about his experiences at FP 05, 06 and his hopes for the 07 conference in Toronto. Currently, Gav is a grad student in Computer Science at UWO.
Dave Brodbeck: Gavan what are your best memories of past FuturePlay conferences?
Gavan Acton: My first Futureplay experience was completely insane. Futureplay 2005 - I went down not really knowing what to expect from the speakers. I was blown away by the keynotes. Their depth of knowledge, clarity of ideas and perspectives really got me thinking. When I left the conference, my head chewed on their ideas for weeks.
I still remember the ride home after the conference vividly, I sat in the back seat of the van thinking of how to apply so much of what I had heard over the last couple days into a new gaming experience. The result was some of the fundamental game mechanics that we later used in a game called Flux( that won a few awards at Dare to Be Digitall and Futureplay 2006.
Presenting and pitching a game to Clint Hocking was pretty dam cool. I also really enjoyed the games competition and not because I had a game in it. There is always so many interesting games that make you look at gaming differently. Last year there was this one game made for the blind that blew me away. You basically had to ski down this mountain only using your ears to guide you. I found the experience very visceral and left me thinking about a whole set of new game mechanics that could make use of senses other then the visual. Very interesting stuff and definitely not conventional.
DB: What are you looking forward to this year?
GA: What you are looking forward to
More of the same from the last two years. That would be spectacular. I am really looking forward to the panel "Players Gaming the Play, Toolsets, and Creativity in and around Games". I love the possibilities of new online worlds that seriously engage a player with a gameplay but also with content provide by both the game studio and players themselves. Online gaming communities have so many possible avenues of interesting entertainment, it's future is exciting. This panel looks to talk about some of these issues. I am also reading a fantastic book by one of the panelists(Katherine Isbister), it should be interesting to hear her speak.
The other panel that looks awesome is "Games for Immersive Learning in other Subjects". The panelist line up looks fantastic. The conversations will definitely be interesting.
Did I mention Keynotes? I am pumped.
DB: Do some name dropping, who have you met at FuturePlay?
GA: Ha. I am terrible with names. Let me dig up some business cards. ;-)
Clint Hocking (Ubisoft - Splinter Cell anyone?)
Micheal Mateas ( Co-Creator of Fascade - Ranked third most influential AI game according to aigamedev.com )
Ernest Adams ( The man with the insane hats! and a ton of game design books)
Ken Perlin ( Inventor of Perlin Noise - used in Half Life 2 a so many other games for NPC character motion and emotion expression).
Ricardo Rademache (Insane Physicist meets creator of WOW type learning world)
I really could keep going but wont. Futureplay has always pulled amazing people from both the industry and Academe. Luckily not many of them have rabies, so you can just go talk with them. Its not like GDC were its almost impossible to talk with anyone because your all crunched like sardines. It definitely has a relaxed feel.
DB:What was your experience like as an undergraduate at FuturePlay 05 and 06?
GA:My experience as an undergrad was fantastic. I walked around like a tourist, taking in as much as I could and all the while being a little awestruck. Although I have played video games my whole life, I had no idea the depth of creative thought that goes into them. Everything from the player experience, to the economics, to the legal, psychological and moral issues are all discussed. Futureplay definitely got my feet wet to the gaming world.
DB: Now you are a graduate student, do you expect your experience to be any different this time around?
GA: Ha good question. It will definitely be different in that I have much more experience in games now. Having been had the opportunity at Dare to be Digital to apply what I learned at Futureplay, I can listen with the experience of real game development. This will help me get a better understanding of the possible application of the speakers ideas. More then that, now that I have a very specific research area in AI for games, I will definitely be attending specific research presentations within my field.
Other then that, my guess is that I will be as blown away as I have been previous Futureplay conferences.
DB: At FuturePlay 2006 you spoke about your experience at Dare to Be Digital, was that a little scary?
GA: Public speaking can be scary. I always try to use coping mechanisms like drinking and/or dressing up in a Halo Master Chief suit. For whatever reason, I find imagining the crowd naked to be terrible distracting...Honestly, having presented the game 200 times over the course of 10 weeks at Dare, speaking in public becomes much easier. My nervousness fades after the first 20 seconds or so and then... i just look awesome in an armor suit. ;-)
Dave Brodbeck: Gavan what are your best memories of past FuturePlay conferences?
Gavan Acton: My first Futureplay experience was completely insane. Futureplay 2005 - I went down not really knowing what to expect from the speakers. I was blown away by the keynotes. Their depth of knowledge, clarity of ideas and perspectives really got me thinking. When I left the conference, my head chewed on their ideas for weeks.
I still remember the ride home after the conference vividly, I sat in the back seat of the van thinking of how to apply so much of what I had heard over the last couple days into a new gaming experience. The result was some of the fundamental game mechanics that we later used in a game called Flux( that won a few awards at Dare to Be Digitall and Futureplay 2006.
Presenting and pitching a game to Clint Hocking was pretty dam cool. I also really enjoyed the games competition and not because I had a game in it. There is always so many interesting games that make you look at gaming differently. Last year there was this one game made for the blind that blew me away. You basically had to ski down this mountain only using your ears to guide you. I found the experience very visceral and left me thinking about a whole set of new game mechanics that could make use of senses other then the visual. Very interesting stuff and definitely not conventional.
DB: What are you looking forward to this year?
GA: What you are looking forward to
More of the same from the last two years. That would be spectacular. I am really looking forward to the panel "Players Gaming the Play, Toolsets, and Creativity in and around Games". I love the possibilities of new online worlds that seriously engage a player with a gameplay but also with content provide by both the game studio and players themselves. Online gaming communities have so many possible avenues of interesting entertainment, it's future is exciting. This panel looks to talk about some of these issues. I am also reading a fantastic book by one of the panelists(Katherine Isbister), it should be interesting to hear her speak.
The other panel that looks awesome is "Games for Immersive Learning in other Subjects". The panelist line up looks fantastic. The conversations will definitely be interesting.
Did I mention Keynotes? I am pumped.
DB: Do some name dropping, who have you met at FuturePlay?
GA: Ha. I am terrible with names. Let me dig up some business cards. ;-)
Clint Hocking (Ubisoft - Splinter Cell anyone?)
Micheal Mateas ( Co-Creator of Fascade - Ranked third most influential AI game according to aigamedev.com )
Ernest Adams ( The man with the insane hats! and a ton of game design books)
Ken Perlin ( Inventor of Perlin Noise - used in Half Life 2 a so many other games for NPC character motion and emotion expression).
Ricardo Rademache (Insane Physicist meets creator of WOW type learning world)
I really could keep going but wont. Futureplay has always pulled amazing people from both the industry and Academe. Luckily not many of them have rabies, so you can just go talk with them. Its not like GDC were its almost impossible to talk with anyone because your all crunched like sardines. It definitely has a relaxed feel.
DB:What was your experience like as an undergraduate at FuturePlay 05 and 06?
GA:My experience as an undergrad was fantastic. I walked around like a tourist, taking in as much as I could and all the while being a little awestruck. Although I have played video games my whole life, I had no idea the depth of creative thought that goes into them. Everything from the player experience, to the economics, to the legal, psychological and moral issues are all discussed. Futureplay definitely got my feet wet to the gaming world.
DB: Now you are a graduate student, do you expect your experience to be any different this time around?
GA: Ha good question. It will definitely be different in that I have much more experience in games now. Having been had the opportunity at Dare to be Digital to apply what I learned at Futureplay, I can listen with the experience of real game development. This will help me get a better understanding of the possible application of the speakers ideas. More then that, now that I have a very specific research area in AI for games, I will definitely be attending specific research presentations within my field.
Other then that, my guess is that I will be as blown away as I have been previous Futureplay conferences.
DB: At FuturePlay 2006 you spoke about your experience at Dare to Be Digital, was that a little scary?
GA: Public speaking can be scary. I always try to use coping mechanisms like drinking and/or dressing up in a Halo Master Chief suit. For whatever reason, I find imagining the crowd naked to be terrible distracting...Honestly, having presented the game 200 times over the course of 10 weeks at Dare, speaking in public becomes much easier. My nervousness fades after the first 20 seconds or so and then... i just look awesome in an armor suit. ;-)
Sunday, October 14, 2007
T6 Flashback -7 Video Games Are Good For You
After the FuturePlay 2005 Conference in Lansing Michigan I was fortunate enough to interview Dr. Jim Gee, who presented at FP 05.
Dr. Gee received his Ph.D in linguistics from Stanford University in 1975. He started his career in theoretical linguistics, working in syntactic and semantic theory, and taught initially in the School of Language and Communication at Hampshire College in Amherst Massachusetts. He went on to do research in psycholinguistics at Northeastern University in Boston and at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Holland.
As his research focus began to switch to studies on discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and applications of linguistics to literacy and education, he took a position in the School of Education at Boston University, where he was the chair of the Department of Developmental Studies and Counseling. From Boston University, he went on to serve as a professor of linguistics in the Linguistics Department at the University of Southern California and, later, served as the first Jacob Hiatt Professor of Education in the Hiatt Center for Urban Education at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In 1998, he became the Tashia Morgridge Professor of Reading in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. From 1989-1992, Prof. Gee was a co-director of the Mellon Foundation funded Literacies Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, an organization that sponsored joint teacher and researcher research on language and literacy. From 1995-1998, he was co-director of a Spencer Foundation funded research project at Clark University that ran a community-based after-school science project for culturally diverse urban middle-school children.
Prof. Gee’s work over the last decade has centered on the development of an integrated theory of language, literacy, and schooling, a theory that draws on work in socially situated cognition, sociocultural approaches to language and literacy, language development, discourse studies, critical theory, and applied linguistics. Prof. Gee’s recent work has extended his ideas on language, literacy, and society to deal with the so-called "new capitalism" and its cognitive, social, and political implications for literacy and schooling.
More recently, he has engaged in research on learning and literacy in video and computer games. He has published widely in journals in linguistics, psychology, the social sciences, and education and is a member of the editorial board of twelve journals. In 1989, the Journal of Education, one of the longest running journals in education in the United States, published a special issue devoted to reprinting his early essays on literacy.
His books include Sociolinguistics and Literacies (1990, Second Edition 1996); The Social Mind (1992); Introduction to Human Language (1993); The New Work Order: Behind the Language of the New Capitalism (1996, with Glynda Hull and Colin Lankshear); and An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method (1999); and Power Up: What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (to appear in 2003).
Direct Download Link
Dr. Gee received his Ph.D in linguistics from Stanford University in 1975. He started his career in theoretical linguistics, working in syntactic and semantic theory, and taught initially in the School of Language and Communication at Hampshire College in Amherst Massachusetts. He went on to do research in psycholinguistics at Northeastern University in Boston and at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Holland.
As his research focus began to switch to studies on discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and applications of linguistics to literacy and education, he took a position in the School of Education at Boston University, where he was the chair of the Department of Developmental Studies and Counseling. From Boston University, he went on to serve as a professor of linguistics in the Linguistics Department at the University of Southern California and, later, served as the first Jacob Hiatt Professor of Education in the Hiatt Center for Urban Education at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
In 1998, he became the Tashia Morgridge Professor of Reading in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. From 1989-1992, Prof. Gee was a co-director of the Mellon Foundation funded Literacies Institute in Newton, Massachusetts, an organization that sponsored joint teacher and researcher research on language and literacy. From 1995-1998, he was co-director of a Spencer Foundation funded research project at Clark University that ran a community-based after-school science project for culturally diverse urban middle-school children.
Prof. Gee’s work over the last decade has centered on the development of an integrated theory of language, literacy, and schooling, a theory that draws on work in socially situated cognition, sociocultural approaches to language and literacy, language development, discourse studies, critical theory, and applied linguistics. Prof. Gee’s recent work has extended his ideas on language, literacy, and society to deal with the so-called "new capitalism" and its cognitive, social, and political implications for literacy and schooling.
More recently, he has engaged in research on learning and literacy in video and computer games. He has published widely in journals in linguistics, psychology, the social sciences, and education and is a member of the editorial board of twelve journals. In 1989, the Journal of Education, one of the longest running journals in education in the United States, published a special issue devoted to reprinting his early essays on literacy.
His books include Sociolinguistics and Literacies (1990, Second Edition 1996); The Social Mind (1992); Introduction to Human Language (1993); The New Work Order: Behind the Language of the New Capitalism (1996, with Glynda Hull and Colin Lankshear); and An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method (1999); and Power Up: What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (to appear in 2003).
Direct Download Link
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
T6 Flashback -6 - The Student Perspective
Of course, FuturePlay is not just for people in the industry and academics, it is for students too. Each year we have many students, grad and undergrad, present papers and posters and/or enter the game competition.
After FuturePlay 05 I sat down at the Speakeasy with Algoma University students Gavan Acton, Glen Hamilton-Brown, Darren Schnare and Mack Khairi. These guys were at FuturePlay 05 and did a heck of a lot of work behind the scenes, but they also managed to take in a lot of the conference.
We talked about video game design and what they learned at the conference. They also talked about what games they currently play.
I told Darren that he would be pwned on xbox live. As he has never added me to his friends list I assume he is afraid of me, and not that he just does not like me...
Direct episode download
After FuturePlay 05 I sat down at the Speakeasy with Algoma University students Gavan Acton, Glen Hamilton-Brown, Darren Schnare and Mack Khairi. These guys were at FuturePlay 05 and did a heck of a lot of work behind the scenes, but they also managed to take in a lot of the conference.
We talked about video game design and what they learned at the conference. They also talked about what games they currently play.
I told Darren that he would be pwned on xbox live. As he has never added me to his friends list I assume he is afraid of me, and not that he just does not like me...
Direct episode download
Thursday, October 4, 2007
T6 Flashbacks- 5 - Sex, Lies and Video Games
From the Future Play conference 2005 in Lansing, Michigan.
Right after the Henry Jenkins/Ernest Adams sit down some folks gathered around and started just talking. Isabelle, Glyn, Henry Jenkins, Ernest Adams, Amanda Flowers, Andy Gilgallon, Patrick Schaffer, Keith Schaffer, Brenda Brathwaite and I discussed sex in video games. Andy and Amanda are from MSU while the Schaffer boys are from Ferris State.
Brenda is a 22-year veteran of the games industry, Brenda has worked on 20 published titles including the award-winning Wizardry series of role playing games and the award-winning Jagged Alliance series of strategy role-playing games. Most recently, she was lead designer on Playboy: The Mansion for Cyberlore as well as Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes for Atari. She has been interviewed extensively on women in the games industry and, most recently, on sex in games.
Brenda recently hosted the "Sexuality in Games" Roundtable at the 2005 Game Developers Conference and has been a guest lecturer at numerous colleges and universities. In her role as Senior Designer at Cyberlore Studios, she is frequently called upon to produce concept and proposal documents for all kinds of IP from the mild to the wild.
Brenda resides in western Massachusetts, home to the Indian Motorcycle Museum, the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Volleyball Hall of Fame none of which she has ever visited. Not surprisingly, Brenda spends her free time playing games and reading books about games.
She is also an avid collector of Playboy magazines and owns over 500 issues.
Direct Download
Right after the Henry Jenkins/Ernest Adams sit down some folks gathered around and started just talking. Isabelle, Glyn, Henry Jenkins, Ernest Adams, Amanda Flowers, Andy Gilgallon, Patrick Schaffer, Keith Schaffer, Brenda Brathwaite and I discussed sex in video games. Andy and Amanda are from MSU while the Schaffer boys are from Ferris State.
Brenda is a 22-year veteran of the games industry, Brenda has worked on 20 published titles including the award-winning Wizardry series of role playing games and the award-winning Jagged Alliance series of strategy role-playing games. Most recently, she was lead designer on Playboy: The Mansion for Cyberlore as well as Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes for Atari. She has been interviewed extensively on women in the games industry and, most recently, on sex in games.
Brenda recently hosted the "Sexuality in Games" Roundtable at the 2005 Game Developers Conference and has been a guest lecturer at numerous colleges and universities. In her role as Senior Designer at Cyberlore Studios, she is frequently called upon to produce concept and proposal documents for all kinds of IP from the mild to the wild.
Brenda resides in western Massachusetts, home to the Indian Motorcycle Museum, the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Volleyball Hall of Fame none of which she has ever visited. Not surprisingly, Brenda spends her free time playing games and reading books about games.
She is also an avid collector of Playboy magazines and owns over 500 issues.
Direct Download
Saturday, September 29, 2007
T6 Flashbacks- 4
The beauty of a conference like FuturePlay is that sometimes you just get lucky enough to meet two people in somewhat different fields that are just talking about the issues. I know I often say that sometimes you learn more during the conference breaks than at the talks (not that the talks aren't awesome). Whether it is having a beer or coffee with someone, or just hanging out between sessions, you can meet some cool people.
At Future Play 2005, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ernest Adams and Henry Jenkins.
Ernest Adams consults on game design for many clients across the world. He is widely published (co-author of two of the industry’s required-reading list "Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design" and "Break into the Game Industry: How to Get a Job Making Video Games" and numerous articles, papers and columns) and spends much of his time lecturing on game design at conferences and universities in Europe and North America. He is the founder of the International Game Developers’ Association (IGDA) and a 16-year industry veteran. Clients have included Ubisoft, THQ, Elixir Studios, Guinness World Records, Sorrent, Terraplay, and A2M. Ernest is currently on the Program Review Board of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) Annual Conference and also on the Editorial Board of ACM Computers in Entertainment Magazine. He has a BA in Philosophy from Stanford University.
Ernest’s current projects include consulting on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. for THQ, and working on a textbook edition of "Rollings and Adams on Game Design."
Henry Jenkins is Professor of Literature and Comparative Media Studies & Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
His books and articles have been major contributions to existing fields of inquiry such as film history (What Made Pistachio Nuts?: Early Sound Comedy and the Vaudeville Aesthetic; Classical Hollywood Comedy), Political Communications (Democracy and New Media) and Children’s Studies (The Children’s Culture Reader); his works have helped to establish new fields such as media ethnography (Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture; Science Fiction Audiences: Dr. Who, Star Trek and their Followers), and game studies (From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games).
His current book project, Convergence Culture: Where New and Old Media Intersect, examines contemporary trends in the entertainment industry, online culture, and audience participation. He is the principle investigator for the Education Arcade, a MIT-University of Wisconsin-Madison collaboration to explore the pedagogical use of computer and video games. He is the co-editor of the Media in Transition series at the MIT Press. He writes monthly columns on media and technology for Technology Review Online and Computer Games Magazine. He has testified about youth and violence before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, about media literacy before the Federal Communications Commission, and about copyright before the Governor’s Board of the World Economic Forum.
Jenkins is also heading an new research collaboration, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, focused on understanding the skills children need to learn and communicate in the coming decades.
We talked video game ratings, violence in games, the GTA Hot Coffee controversy among other things.
Direct episode download.
Enjoy.
At Future Play 2005, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ernest Adams and Henry Jenkins.
Ernest Adams consults on game design for many clients across the world. He is widely published (co-author of two of the industry’s required-reading list "Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design" and "Break into the Game Industry: How to Get a Job Making Video Games" and numerous articles, papers and columns) and spends much of his time lecturing on game design at conferences and universities in Europe and North America. He is the founder of the International Game Developers’ Association (IGDA) and a 16-year industry veteran. Clients have included Ubisoft, THQ, Elixir Studios, Guinness World Records, Sorrent, Terraplay, and A2M. Ernest is currently on the Program Review Board of the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) Annual Conference and also on the Editorial Board of ACM Computers in Entertainment Magazine. He has a BA in Philosophy from Stanford University.
Ernest’s current projects include consulting on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. for THQ, and working on a textbook edition of "Rollings and Adams on Game Design."
Henry Jenkins is Professor of Literature and Comparative Media Studies & Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
His books and articles have been major contributions to existing fields of inquiry such as film history (What Made Pistachio Nuts?: Early Sound Comedy and the Vaudeville Aesthetic; Classical Hollywood Comedy), Political Communications (Democracy and New Media) and Children’s Studies (The Children’s Culture Reader); his works have helped to establish new fields such as media ethnography (Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture; Science Fiction Audiences: Dr. Who, Star Trek and their Followers), and game studies (From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games).
His current book project, Convergence Culture: Where New and Old Media Intersect, examines contemporary trends in the entertainment industry, online culture, and audience participation. He is the principle investigator for the Education Arcade, a MIT-University of Wisconsin-Madison collaboration to explore the pedagogical use of computer and video games. He is the co-editor of the Media in Transition series at the MIT Press. He writes monthly columns on media and technology for Technology Review Online and Computer Games Magazine. He has testified about youth and violence before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, about media literacy before the Federal Communications Commission, and about copyright before the Governor’s Board of the World Economic Forum.
Jenkins is also heading an new research collaboration, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, focused on understanding the skills children need to learn and communicate in the coming decades.
We talked video game ratings, violence in games, the GTA Hot Coffee controversy among other things.
Direct episode download.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
T6 Flashbacks- 3
Our third T6 Flashback features an interview with Victor Lucas of the Electric Playground and Judgement Day.
I managed to connect with Victor Lucas of the Electric Playground and Judgement Day TV series while I was at the University fair in 2005, recruiting students. Victor is the co-host and executive producer of these two shows that can be seen on G4, G4TechTV Canada, Razer, Space and well all over the place.
We talked about Vic's favourite games, his favourite all time games, about next Gen consoles and about the convergence of video games and other media forms.
While Vic could not make FuturePlay it is still gaming content so, hell, I thought I would repost this one.
Enjoy.
Direct Download
I managed to connect with Victor Lucas of the Electric Playground and Judgement Day TV series while I was at the University fair in 2005, recruiting students. Victor is the co-host and executive producer of these two shows that can be seen on G4, G4TechTV Canada, Razer, Space and well all over the place.
We talked about Vic's favourite games, his favourite all time games, about next Gen consoles and about the convergence of video games and other media forms.
While Vic could not make FuturePlay it is still gaming content so, hell, I thought I would repost this one.
Enjoy.
Direct Download
Sunday, September 23, 2007
T6 Flashbacks- 2
In the runup to FuturePlay 2005 I interviewed gaming industry luminary Greg Costikyan.
Greg joined me on the phone from New York where he works as a developer and commentator as well as a science fiction and fantasy writer. Greg is on the editorial board of Gamestudies and is the chief creative officer of Unplugged Inc.
We talked about the future of the industry, the effects of the convergence of gaming and other media forms (movies etc) and Greg shares his passion for World of Warcraft.
Greg also gave a preview of what he talked about in his keynote at FuturePlay 2005.
Note, there are some audio problems in this episode, and they are completely my fault.
Direct Episode Download.
Greg joined me on the phone from New York where he works as a developer and commentator as well as a science fiction and fantasy writer. Greg is on the editorial board of Gamestudies and is the chief creative officer of Unplugged Inc.
We talked about the future of the industry, the effects of the convergence of gaming and other media forms (movies etc) and Greg shares his passion for World of Warcraft.
Greg also gave a preview of what he talked about in his keynote at FuturePlay 2005.
Note, there are some audio problems in this episode, and they are completely my fault.
Direct Episode Download.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
T6 Flashbacks- 1
If this is your first time at FuturePlay you might want to know a bit about some of the past conferences.
Well, I have a little (13 000 subscriber, pats self on back) podcast called thunderbird six that covers FuturePlay each year (and other cool stuff, like interviewing other podcasters, people at Algoma University, bands and people that I frankly find interesting like Cory Doctorow or astronomer Seth Shostak).
I thought it might be cool to start a series of T6 flashbacks, basically re post old interviews and content from the conference. In our second episode I interviewed Jeb Havens back in 05 before FuturePlay 2005 in Lansing Michigan.
Jeb is a Lead Designer for 1st Playable Productions near Albany, NY. and was Lead Designer on Marvel Trading Card Game for the DS, and is now Lead Designer on Disney Princess: Magical Jewels DS. Before that, he was a designer on Playboy: The Mansion and was Lead Designer on the Private Party expansion pack for that game.
Enjoy.
Direct Episode Download
Well, I have a little (13 000 subscriber, pats self on back) podcast called thunderbird six that covers FuturePlay each year (and other cool stuff, like interviewing other podcasters, people at Algoma University, bands and people that I frankly find interesting like Cory Doctorow or astronomer Seth Shostak).
I thought it might be cool to start a series of T6 flashbacks, basically re post old interviews and content from the conference. In our second episode I interviewed Jeb Havens back in 05 before FuturePlay 2005 in Lansing Michigan.
Jeb is a Lead Designer for 1st Playable Productions near Albany, NY. and was Lead Designer on Marvel Trading Card Game for the DS, and is now Lead Designer on Disney Princess: Magical Jewels DS. Before that, he was a designer on Playboy: The Mansion and was Lead Designer on the Private Party expansion pack for that game.
Enjoy.
Direct Episode Download
Monday, September 17, 2007
Pre Conference Seminar Wednesday November 14
Emails are coming in with abandon...
Pre-Conference Seminar: Wednesday November 14
Project Management Training Seminar for Game Development Professionals – Heather Chandler
Registration: 8 am
Please pre-register online as space is limited and walk-in registrations may not be accepted
Training Seminar 9 am – 5pm Refreshments and Lunch included
What Is It? A full-day practical and essential training in leading production teams through all phases of game development.
Who Should Attend? This day-long session is ideal for anyone who leads a game development team of any size. Those new to the leadership role will leave with new tools to help them keep projects on track, motivate team members, and conduct risk analysis.
Cost is $350 for the full, one day seminar and includes lunch, refreshments, and your personal copy of "The Game Production Handbook".
Location: Novotel Room TBA
Pre-Conference Seminar: Wednesday November 14
Project Management Training Seminar for Game Development Professionals – Heather Chandler
Registration: 8 am
Please pre-register online as space is limited and walk-in registrations may not be accepted
Training Seminar 9 am – 5pm Refreshments and Lunch included
What Is It? A full-day practical and essential training in leading production teams through all phases of game development.
Who Should Attend? This day-long session is ideal for anyone who leads a game development team of any size. Those new to the leadership role will leave with new tools to help them keep projects on track, motivate team members, and conduct risk analysis.
Cost is $350 for the full, one day seminar and includes lunch, refreshments, and your personal copy of "The Game Production Handbook".
Location: Novotel Room TBA
FuturePlay 2007 Schedule Confirmed
I just received an email from the FP organizers saying that the schedule is posted. Check it out here.
Why Are We Here?
Hey look, first post...
Well, the purpose of this blog is to get information about FuturePlay 2007 out to the community. I promise lots of content on the blog, and the frequency of posting will ramp up as the conference approaches. I will also live blog from the conference.
Of course, there will be content from the thunderbird six podcast, including interviews with past conference attendees, and a couple of past paper presentations.
The Future Play Conference focuses on three main themes. The first theme, future game development, addresses academic research and emerging industry trends in the area of game technology and game design. The second theme, future game impacts and applications, includes academic research and emerging industry trends focused on designing games for learning, for gender, for serious purposes, and to impact society. Finally, the third theme, future game talent, is designed to provide a number of industry and academic perspectives on the knowledge, skills, and attitude it takes to excel in the games industry.
Future Play addresses these issues through exciting and thought-provoking keynotes from leaders in academia and industry, peer-reviewed paper sessions, panel sessions (including academic and industry discussions), workshops (including design, technology, and career workshops), and exhibitions of posters, games, and the latest game technologies and supports from industry-leading vendors. The highlight of the games exhibition is a peer-reviewed competition of games in three categories: Indie Games, Serious Games, and Student Games.
For Future Play 2007, Algoma University College teams up with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to bring you some of the most thought provoking and talented people in the gaming world today.
Well, the purpose of this blog is to get information about FuturePlay 2007 out to the community. I promise lots of content on the blog, and the frequency of posting will ramp up as the conference approaches. I will also live blog from the conference.
Of course, there will be content from the thunderbird six podcast, including interviews with past conference attendees, and a couple of past paper presentations.
The Future Play Conference focuses on three main themes. The first theme, future game development, addresses academic research and emerging industry trends in the area of game technology and game design. The second theme, future game impacts and applications, includes academic research and emerging industry trends focused on designing games for learning, for gender, for serious purposes, and to impact society. Finally, the third theme, future game talent, is designed to provide a number of industry and academic perspectives on the knowledge, skills, and attitude it takes to excel in the games industry.
Future Play addresses these issues through exciting and thought-provoking keynotes from leaders in academia and industry, peer-reviewed paper sessions, panel sessions (including academic and industry discussions), workshops (including design, technology, and career workshops), and exhibitions of posters, games, and the latest game technologies and supports from industry-leading vendors. The highlight of the games exhibition is a peer-reviewed competition of games in three categories: Indie Games, Serious Games, and Student Games.
For Future Play 2007, Algoma University College teams up with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology to bring you some of the most thought provoking and talented people in the gaming world today.
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