Game Developers eXchange Conference — Friday, April 27
Note: The speakers and sessions listed below have been finalized. More will be added soon.
| 8–9 a.m. | Registration | |||
| 9–9:30 a.m. | Opening Peter Weishar, dean, School of Film and Digital Media, SCAD | |||
| 9:30–10:30 a.m. | Keynote address Michael Capps, CEO, Epic Games, "Next-Gen Game Developers" | |||
| Technology | Art | Design | Business | |
| 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Christopher Klaus Kaneva "The Future of Virtual Worlds" | Jim Spoto Electronic Arts "Pushing the Envelope: The Art of Technology" | Tracy Rosenthal-Newsom Harmonix Music Systems "Attracting New Players Through Innovative Design" | Darius Kazemi Turbine Inc. "Breaking Into the Game Industry" |
| 12:30–2 p.m. | Lunch | |||
| 2–3:15 p.m. | Davey Jackson GarageGames "Opportunities for New Game Developers: XNA, Social Networks and Alternative Publishing Models" | Andrew Heironymi SCAD "The Artist as Game Designer: Redefining Play" | Sheri Graner Ray Sirena Software "Game Design for Dummies: Top 10 Rules Every Game Designer Should Know" | Industry Executive Panel "Winning the Game: Transition from the Student World to the Real World" Moderated by Pat Helbig, director of SCAD career services |
| 3:15–3:30 p.m. | Break | |||
| 3:30–4:45 p.m. | Kyle Machulis Second Life "How to Make Money in 'Second Life' (or What Open Source Means to You)" | Visual Effects Panel "The Feel of Cinema" Moderated by Tad Leckman, chair of visual effects department, SCAD | Jeb Havens First Playable Productions "Designing for the Nintendo DS" | Brenda Brathwaite SCAD "A History of Sex in Games" |
Session Descriptions
Michael Capps — Next Generation Game Developers
In games there's always a next generation. We're currently buying "next-generation" console hardware, but it won't be long before that's considered current generation and the new next generation is announced. For schools to prepare their students for the workplace, they must stay ahead of the technology curve -- by ignoring it completely, and focusing on fundamentals of science and art rather than latest trends.
Brenda Brathwaite — A History of Sex in Games
Before "Hot Coffee," "Playboy: The Mansion," and even the 1980s' "Leisure Suit Larry" series, there was sex in video games ... and lots of it. From flirting in MUDs to hardcore sexual simulators to the emerging field of teledildonics, sex in games is nearly as old as the medium itself. Sex isn't limited to the games themselves, of course. The infamous E3 booth babes are as much a part of sex in games as the characters who walk through game worlds, and sexual content found in video game advertising has as strong a place in the discussion as emergent sexual content in MMORPGs. Interested in the topic? Wonder where it's going? Wonder how far it's already gone? Come to this adults-only talk.
Christohper Klaus — "The Future of Virtual Worlds"
This interactive discussion will focus on the current state and future of virtual worlds. Attendees will have the opportunity to express their own ideas and predictions about what virtual worlds will look like in five years, 10 years and beyond. We’ll discuss how both the developers and users of virtual worlds can work together to realize this future.
Jeb Havens — "Developing for the Nintendo DS"
Nintendo's DS platform remains a hugely popular system worldwide, satisfying traditional gamers and bringing many more into the fold. This talk will focus on the unique opportunities and limitations involved in designing games for the Nintendo DS. Topics will include UI design, the handheld play session, touch-screen interface, non-traditional market demographic, stylus standards, ad hoc social gaming, and working with fuzzy interaction.
Pat Helbig — Industry Executive Panel "Winning the Game: Transitioning from the Student World to the Real World"
This panel of industry leaders and innovators will provide insights and "insider tips" on what it takes to build a successful career in games, starting with your first steps in networking and communicating your strengths, right on up to negotiating for the best opportunities and promotions. The panel participants will focus on what employers expect and need from job candidates today and in the future.
Andrew Hieronymi — "The Artist as Game Designer: Redefining Play"
What happens when artists decide to repurpose or hack video games, or even create their own? Just like video, film or photography before them, video games are the latest media to be subverted and manipulated by artists, leading to results often very different from the games produced by the industry. This talk will introduce the emerging field of alternative gaming, showcasing various motives and strategies behind the work of selected artists and art groups who use games as their medium of expression. Not only focusing on artists working with existing game engines, the talk will present artists developing their own games, and will cover different sub-genres of alternative gaming, such as game art (not to be confused with the practice of creating assets for video games), political and documentary games as well as physical gaming. The presentation will end with a description of Hieronymi's latest project, MOVE, an installation using computer vision and full body interaction allowing participants to experience a number of gestures and actions usually performed by avatars in video games.
Davey Jackson — "Opportunities for New Game Developers: XNA, Social Networks and Alternative Publishing Models"
This session will discuss game engine use in game design, specifically XNA. In conjunction with the release of XNA Game Studio Express in December 2006, GarageGames made the first game engine, Torque X, available to XNA users. This session will review Torque X's features including lighting, physics and collision detection, as well as the Torque Game Builder tool set. Jackson will also share his expertise on the indie game market, community development and alternative distribution channels.
Darius Kazemi — "Breaking into the Game Industry"
When you're a new college graduate trying to get a job in video games, often effective networking is the difference between a QA job and unemployment. In this session, you'll learn how to meet people, how to make friends, what you have to offer, when to call in a favor, and what NOT to do — all illustrated with real-life examples.
Kyle Machulis — "How to Make Money in 'Second Life' (or What Open Source Means to You)"
Since its inception, artists have used Linden Lab's "Second Life" as an entrepreneurial endeavor. From hairstyles to clothing and complete skins, artists envision, create and sell their wares online. Some rake in thousands of dollars a month. Recently, Linden Lab made "Second Life" open source, creating even more opportunities for artists and techs alike. For those interested in taking their talent to a virtual market, this session is a must-see.
Sheri Graner Ray — "Game Design for Dummies"
This session will cover the top 10 rules every game designer should know. While game design is a creative art, there are some rules of thumb every game designer should know. In this session veteran designer Sheri Graner Ray will talk about what some of the most common (and common sense) rules of game design are and how you can avoid making "newbie designer" mistakes!
Tracy Rosenthal-Newsom — "Attracting New Players Through Innovative Design"
In order for the gaming industry to truly become a mainstream form of entertainment, publishers and developers need to consciously attract casual gamers and non-gamers. Many potential gamers hold negative perceptions about console gaming. How do we invite this wider audience, with all of their expendable income, to play games with us? How do we encourage them to run out and buy a video game console? Harmonix has attracted new gamers by creating innovative new ways to play video games. The company has designed games that are accessible to people who don't currently play video games. Harmonix has worked hard to understand their target audience, and have assembled a uniquely diverse development team that reflects the diversity of the target audience. This session will examine how applying this set of guiding principles to the development of the "Karaoke Revolution" game series and "Guitar Hero" has allowed Harmonix games to reach beyond the traditional console game audience and introduce the thrill of playing video games to a broad range of new consumers.
Tad Leckman — Visual Effects Panel "The Feel of Cinema"
Bringing the lessons of filmmaking to games, this panel will include artists who were hired by the game industry because of their expertise and experience in visual effects for film. Discussion will focus on the differences and similarities between the cultures of film and game production and the ways in which the tools and techniques used in each medium are being adapted to the other.
Jim Spoto — "Pushing the Envelope: The Art of Technology"
Game development: Is it an art or science? The role of the “technical artist” is often one that is highly valued in production, yet just as often misunderstood. This session will begin by identifying the mixed skillset that defines this role, how it recurs in many other roles where design is central, and why it is important to making games. Both art and programming will be examined as fundamentally creative endeavors; representing different points on a single spectrum. The session will conclude with a look at where game innovation is headed, beyond the traditional pattern of console evolution, to new challenges that await.