================================ IGDA Newsletter - September 2004 ================================ =========================== Table of Contents =========================== 0: A Word From Jesse Schell 1: IGDA News - Game Preservation SIG Launched - New AI and Accessibility SIG Mailing Lists - IGDA Event Participation - Columns Update 2: Chapter Meetings/Reports 3: From the Wires - Is Open Source An Advantage For Game Developers? - Survey: Open Source Software in Game Development - The Big C indie games contest - Crawford: Games need social skills - African-American Executive to Give Keynote Speech at Gaming Symposium - Austin Women's Game Conference Report - Chicks and Joysticks - Women gamers making small inroads - Better Health Through Play - A video game weight loss program? - Liemandt Foundation Launches the Second Annual Hidden Agenda Contest - Embracing the Fringe - Edinburgh gets Games - London's Dali Museum to host Myst exhibition - EA Opens Game Innovation Lab at USC - Machinima: Filmmaking's Destiny - The Visual Effects Society Awards - Porn and Violence: Good for America's Children? - Games get political - Let the games begin - Games Talent Recognized at Prestigious Development Awards Event 4: Logistical Bits =========================== =========================== 0: A Word From Jesse Schell =========================== Dear Members and friends, The game industry is relatively new - only about thirty years old. It has been a wonderful thing to be able to witness the birth of a new medium firsthand, just as it must have been wonderful to be a filmmaker at the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, with hardware platforms rapidly becoming obsolete, and magnetic media slowly decaying, we are in danger of repeating one of the film industry's biggest mistakes: losing our history to the mists of time. It is estimated that only 10 to 15 percent of the films produced during the silent era survive today. If we want to pass on the games of yesterday and today to future generations, we must act now. It is startling to us old-timers (i.e. game developers over 30) to realize that a student graduating from college today was not even born when Pac-Man was released! In teaching game design, I see first hand that students who haven't played the pioneering games are missing out on valuable lessons and perspectives. It will be quite tragic if the hard-won lessons of the early videogame pioneers are lost or condemned to obscurity. But, lo! IGDA member Simon Carless is doing something about this, via the Game Preservation SIG, where people who are passionate about saving our history can get together and make something happen. If you have any interest, get involved at http://www.igda.org/preservation/. The game you save may be your own! - Jesse Schell Chairperson, IGDA Professor of Entertainment Technology, Carnegie Mellon University CEO, Schell Games ======================================= AD: Game Tech, November 30 December 3 ======================================= Attention top programmers and technical directors: announcing Game Tech Game Tech is an intense, focused event that tackles the challenges of shipping technically innovative games on next-generation platforms. We bring together the top researchers and developers to a provide uniquely rigorous and collaborative technical environment across two programs: Creating Believable Characters Seminar, Nov 30 Dec 1 Game Tech Leadership Summit, Dec 23 Program chairs: Jonathan Blow and Jeff Lander IGDA member discount $35 Additional $50 off with this code: GDA010 http://www.game-tech.com/ ===================================== ============ 1: IGDA News ============ Game Preservation SIG Launched ------------------------------ The Game Preservation Special Interest Group was set up to pursue goals related to classic games and game-related material in need of long-term preservation. The SIG will discuss how to perfectly preserve actual game data without loss of quality or functionality, and work out what metadata should be preserved alongside the game itself. The SIG also hopes to investigate the legal and permission-based issues relevant to game preservation and archiving, and to actually perform practical steps toward archiving games or game-related material. http://www.igda.org/preservation/ New AI and Accessibility SIG Mailing Lists ------------------------------------------ Both the Artificial Intelligence and Games Accessibility SIGs have launched to mailing lists to keep their groups better connected and informed. Check out the SIG web sites for more details and to sign up: http://www.igda.org/ai/ http://www.igda.org/accessibility/ IGDA Event Participation ------------------------ The IGDA will be participating in the following upcoming events: - Tokyo Game Show: The Japanese chapter has helped to coordinate the "premium" portion of the conference, including an introduction by IGDA director Jason Della Rocca. The chapter will also be hosting a developer party on the Friday night. http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/english/forum.htm http://www.igda.jp/modules/xfsection/article.php?articleid=48 - Video Game Developers Summit: The IGDA's Chicago chapter is working with a local animation festival to host a local developers conference. http://www.vgdsummit.com/ - Awakenings '04: Ireland's first digital games conference is being co-coordinated by the IGDA's Irish chapter and will cover the theme of industry inception... http://www.awakeningsconf.com/ Check online for further details on these upcoming events and the IGDA's participation: http://www.igda.org/events/ Columns Update -------------- Monthly columns updated for this month: - The Ivory Tower: Playing the Final -- An Experiment in Pedagogy http://www.igda.org/columns/ivorytower/ - Famous Last Words: End User License Agreements http://www.igda.org/columns/lastwords/ - Culture Clash: Legal Tender - Bringing back "Design is law" http://www.igda.org/columns/clash/ - The Games Game: Re-Starting From Scratch http://www.igda.org/columns/gamesgame/ =========================== 2: Chapter Meetings/Reports =========================== Complete list of chapter reports and upcoming meetings: http://www.igda.org/chapters/updates.php Japan Meeting, September > IGDA Japan Tokyo Game Show 2004 Party! http://www.igda.jp/modules/xfsection/article.php?articleid=48 Montreal Report, September > The Ethics in Splinter Cell and Gaming as a Social Encounter http://www.igda.org/montreal/reports/summary_Sep04.htm Ottawa Report, September > Ottawa looks at Serious Games http://www.igda.org/ottawa/reports/reports.shtml Colorado Report, September > The Camera In Games, Austin Game Conference Wrap-Up http://coloradogamedev.org/20040913.html New Jersey North Report, September > NY/NJ Game Demo Night http://blender.rutgers.edu/~njigda/meetings/200408.php San Francisco Report, August > Breaking Into the Game Industry Panel Discussion http://igda.org/sf/0408.htm Orange County Report, August > Orange County does Dave Perry...again! http://www.igda.org/oc ================= 3: From the Wires ================= News stories and articles from around the web... Is Open Source An Advantage For Game Developers? http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/01/1249257 Survey: Open Source Software in Game Development http://tinyurl.com/5o4zp The Big C indie games contest http://culture.joystiq.com/entry/1142583260425682/ Crawford: Games need social skills http://tinyurl.com/7ytta African-American Executive to Give Keynote Speech at Gaming Symposium http://www.aagamer.com/article.php?sid=94 Austin Women's Game Conference Report http://www.buzzcut.com/article.php?story=20040916212105197 Chicks and Joysticks http://tinyurl.com/4eocm Women gamers making small inroads http://tinyurl.com/5z6wf Better Health Through Play http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,64939,00.html A video game weight loss program? http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/entertainment/9519401.htm Liemandt Foundation Launches the Second Annual Hidden Agenda Contest http://www.cpwire.com/archive/2004/8/31/1605.asp Embracing the Fringe - Edinburgh gets Games http://tinyurl.com/4ww62 London's Dali Museum to host Myst exhibition http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=4324 EA Opens Game Innovation Lab at USC http://www.gamespy.com/articles/547/547911p1.html?fromint=1 Machinima: Filmmaking's Destiny http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2004/09/08/machinima.html The Visual Effects Society Awards http://www.vesawards.com/ Porn and Violence: Good for America's Children? http://www.techcentralstation.com/072804C.html Games get political http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/08/12/news_6104371.html Let the games begin http://tinyurl.com/6swax Games Talent Recognized at Prestigious Development Awards Event http://www.bhpress.co.uk/release.asp?i=193 ================== 4: Logistical Bits ================== Thanks to our Partners! ----------------------- The IGDA extends its sincerest thanks to all our Partners! Especially those who just joined us, or recently renewed their commitment to support the game development community: - Alias - Avid Alienbrain - Austin Community College - Criterion Software - metricminds GmbH & Co. KG - Metrowerks - MobyGames - Savannah College of Art and Design - University of Abertay Dundee Without their support the IGDA simply would not survive - let alone thrive. Further details and a complete list of Partners are available online: http://www.igda.org/partners Newsletter Subscription ----------------------- You can update your subscription details via your MyProfile page: http://www.igda.org/membership/myprofile.php If you need help, contact us. IGDA Membership --------------- Your support is critical to the success of the IGDA and our industry. There are dozens of reasons to join the IGDA, ranging from personal career advancement to more lofty industry-wide goals. Join today: http://www.igda.org/join Contact Information ------------------- Please contact us if you have questions, comments or input. http://www.igda.org/contact.php ------- - end - -------