"Breaking into the game industry"

nuACM WEEKLY SPEAKER SERIES PRESENTS:
"Breaking into the game industry"
Seth Sivak of Conduit Labs
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 @ 11:45am
108 West Village H
Northeastern Univ.
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Join Seth Sivak, gameplay engineer at Conduit Labs, as he talks about why and how to break into the gaming industry.

Conduit Labs is social entertainment company, focused on creating social gameplay through music interaction. They are creators of the music social gaming community Loudcrowd. The founders come from a background in web and gaming, being involved in the popular social games Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and in the pioneering massive multiplayer game Asheron’s Call.

Loudcrowd is a place to experience music together through games. Now with over two million plays, nine record labels contributing music, and new games every two months, Loudcrowd is Conduit Labs' experiment in music and play. They built Loudcrowd for people who want to do more with music than just listen.

Obama And LittleBigPlanet Team Up, For Kids

The White House is announcing today a program to improve science and math education with a variety of Entertainment Software Association-backed initiatives including a program to put LittleBigPlanet in libraries as well as a $300,000 game design challenge.


Full article : HERE

Global Entrepreneurship Week

The Entretech Forum:
Making Your Name in a Changing Gaming Industry

The EntreTech event will feature a lively and interactive discussion between panelists and the audience on how young entrepreneurs and their start-ups canbe successful in today’s changing gaming industry. The panelists bring a wide range of experiences as developers, entrepreneurs, and executives from the industry’s premier companies. They will discuss international competition, getting funded, publishing your games, changing gaming platforms, and the strategies that will help you make your name in this dynamic industry.

Cost: FREE for Students & Active Military, $10 Faculty Members & NEU Staff and $25 Community & Others


For more information : http://www.northeastern.edu/eweek/2009/entretech.php

MassTLC and Massachusetts Network Communications Council Combine

Mass Technology Leadership Council and Massachusetts Network Communications Council Combine to Focus Resources on Driving Innovation and Company Growth

Move Creates the State’s Leading Business Association Representing the World’s Top Global Tech Brands, Growth Companies and Entrepreneurs




http://www.masstlc.org/massnetcomms/

Beta House: "Boston Indie Summits"

We've asked Mark Allio of the MA Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) to kick things off for us on 11/3. Mark is a regional director for the MSBDC and has started two successful ventures himself, and will be presenting some of the considerations and challenges inherent in starting a company, especially one in the game industry. There will be time for Q&A, as well.

For more information : Go here

Friday Games at GAMBIT: Procedural Level Generation with Darius Kazemi

This Friday, Darius Kazemi from Orbus Gameworks and Boston Post Mortem will present a talk on the procedural content algorithms of Derek Yu's Spelunky, and we'll play some other games with procedural level generation (that are not roguelikes!) such as:
Dwarf Fortress
Diablo
Infinite Mario
Strange Adventure in Infinite Space
Left For Dead
The TIGSource Procedural Generation Competition
Canabalt
Yoda Stories

See you at the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab this Friday! We'll start around 4pm.

Philip Tan
Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab

Not Your Average Game Night!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST
5:30PM - FOOD, DRINKS; NETWORKING
7:00PM - PRESENTATIONS BEGIN!
CARLSON HALL, MT IDA COLLEGE, NEWTON, MA

On Wednesday, October 21st we are planning a game night like no other. Leave the board games at home and join us for an evening of compelling speakers and presenters...

Speakers will include:

Yuris Mangolds - C2i Studios, showing his Craft Director Studio workflow

Jason Arnone: Art Manager, Harmonix - Jason is coming back this year sharing the role the art department played in the new Beatles Rockband game!


For more details check HERE

The State of the State: Video Games in Massachusetts

Microsoft New England Research & Development Center – One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA. 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Austin, San Francisco, New York and…..Boston. It’s official. Massachusetts is one of the major game development hubs in the U.S. From developers like Turbine, 2K Boston, Harmonix, Worldwinner, Blue Fang, and Tilted Mill to game community portal gamerDNA.com and game industry technology providers like Vivox, numerous game companies call Massachusetts their home. To celebrate our local industry’s successes and kick off the ’09/ ’10 New England Games SIG season, join us for an evening of networking and discussion with Jason Schupbach, the state’s Creative Economy Industry Director, and Terrence Masson, Northeastern University’s Director of Game Design


For more information : New England Games SiG

Sony Pictures Imageworks Finds Success With NVIDIA Technology

NVIDIA Corporation, the inventor of the graphics processing unit (GPU), announced today that Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI) utilized NVIDIA® Quadro® processors to accelerate animation and visual effects production of their latest hit film "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs".

"GPU-based render pipelines are gaining momentum, and the early adopters such as Sony Pictures Imageworks are experiencing massive speed increases and a much higher degree of interactivity," said Dominick Spina, technology product manager, Digital Film Group, NVIDIA. "Software developers from all industries can learn from the groundbreaking GPU-based techniques that Sony has successfully employed in filmmaking."

http://www.awn.com/news/awn-site-news/sony-pictures-imageworks-finds-success-nvidia-technology

Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab Game of the Week

Over the next 6 weeks, starting today, Monday Oct. 5th, the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab
blog will be hosting a game of the week extravaganza, highlighting each of our 6 summer prototypes for a week at a time.

The Game of the Week content can be explored at
http://gambit.mit.edu/updates/gotw

"Not your average game night!"

On Wednesday, October 21st we are planning a game night like no other. Leave the board games at home and join us for an evening of compelling speakers and presenters...

Speakers will include:

Yuris Mangolds - C2i Studios, showing his Craft Animations Director Tools workflow

Jason Arnone: Art Director, Harmonix - Jason is coming back this year sharing the role the art department played in the new Beatles Rockband game!

WEdnesday, October 21st
6:30PM
carlson hall, mt ida college, newton, ma

For details : http://get.com/3d_events.html

JOBS IN 3D

NEDAG’s first meeting of the fall season will be at MIT, on Tuesday, September 29th.

A panel discussion will take place, with Brad Porter of Great Eastern moderating. The discussion will focus on ‘JOBS IN 3D’.

Panelists include:

Thom Ang: Art Director, 38 Studios
Kevin Fanning: Manager of Strategic Staffic, Harmonix
Kristin Casasanto: Assistant Director Career Services, NEiA
Gael McGill: CEO of DigiZyme, Harvard Lecturer, Medical Visualization Specialist

Meeting will be held somewhere on MIT’s campus, starting at 6:30 networking, 7pm panel discussion begins. Free event, possibility of going local for drinks after, but no refreshments at the meeting…

For more complete information, go to :
http://nedigitalartists.org/

Local Harmonix releases The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles: Rock Band -- A New Revolution in Gaming

The Beatles: Rock Band was developed by MTV Games' Cambridge, Mass.-based game producer Harmonix (Rock Band, Guitar Hero)

( Read the article )

Governor Declares 09.09.09 Video Game Innovation Day in Massachusetts

Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim September 9th, 2009 to be,

Video Game Innovation Day

Game Education Network

Check out the Game Education Network :
http://www.gameeducationnetwork.com/

"This is the sister site to the Game Education Summit where articles are posted that are relevent to game studies, game education and the video game industry."

Bunker Hill Community College Game program

Bunker Hill Community College offers : "Computer Media Technology Program's Gaming/Computer Simulation Option"

http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/gaming/

Boston Post Mortem meeting - Aug.11th 7pm

A panel discussion called "Taking Game Design to the Next Level." An in-depth reprise of
Linda Currie’s design panel from IGC East.

The panelists:
- Linda Currie, Creat. (moderator)
- Steve Meretzky, Playdom.
- Chris Foster, Harmonix.
- Christopher Zirpoli, Moonlight Media Consulting.
- Cardell Kerr, Turbine.

Tuesday, August 11th @ 7pm.
The Skellig, Waltham.
Directions: http://www.bostonpostmortem.org/directions

Indie Game Challenge

Details online ...

http://www.indiegamechallenge.com/

MA legislation pending to benefit Game production

Members of the local game production community testified on Wednesday, July 8 at 10 am in the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Revenue at the State House in Boston.

HB 2690 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht02pdf/ht02690.pdf), sponsored by Rep. John Binienda (D), includes a tax credit equal to 25 percent for investing in computer and video game production and development in the commonwealth.

Boston Cyberarts Festival

The Boston Cyberarts Festival is the first and largest collaboration of artists working in new technologies in all media in North America, encompassing visual arts, dance, music, electronic literature, web art, and public art. Join us at the New England Institute of Art for a series of engaging workshops, speakers and special events.

April 29th - May 2nd

http://www.wdim.org/cyberarts/

Games for Health Fifth Annual Conference 2009

June 11-12, 2009
Hyatt Harborside Hotel
Boston, MA

Check it out : http://www.gamesforhealth.org

Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick Selling State as Game Development Hub

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 13, 2009 - 9:49am. Boston - With the video gaming industry a rare bright spot in the economy, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick visited the West Coast last week to pitch his state as an East Coast gaming mecca, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The governor visited executives at Redwood City, Calif.-based video game publisher Electronic Arts. About 60 game development companies in Massachusetts currently employ about 2,000.

In a bid to attract even more businesses to the state, a bill coming up before its legislature this session would extend existing moviemaking tax credits to video gaming companies.


( Article )

Video game technology could fuel Mass. recovery

The Associated Press

Video game technology could fuel Mass. recovery

By STEVE LeBLANC

BOSTON (AP) — Like other struggling states, Massachusetts is looking anywhere it can for jobs and cash_ including the virtual world of video game technology with its mix of fantasy and rabid fans. ...

(Full Article)

fast FastER FAST! @ Northeastern Univ

A program of mixed media works that (mostly) move at a rapid pace.

Wed. March 11, 2009 - 12:00 noon
Shillman Hall, Room 320 MAP
Northeastern University, Boston
Contact Dennis Miller
617 373 4132 or de.miller@neu.edu

http://www.music.neu.edu/fast/

2009 Visual Music Marathon

April 11th, 2009
The Marathon will be held at the Visual Arts Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York City.

Check it out AND pass on the word :
http://www.2009vmm.neu.edu/

3D Modeling Industry Expected to Boom

Acacia Research Group today released the results of a study on 3D content creation tools, which naturally are heavily utilized in the creation of today's video games. The research says that spending on 3D animation and modeling tools will grow an average of 6.2 percent over the next five years, from $338.3 million this year to $429.7 million in 2014.

(Full article)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/3d-modeling-industry-expect-to-boom-says-acacia-research/?biz=1

Online Gaming in America Climbs 27% in 2008

According to the latest analysis from comScore, online gaming usage in the U.S. has grown 27 percent during the past year to 86 million visitors in December 2008. Moreover, the total time spent playing online games has risen by 42 percent.

(Full article)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/online-gaming-in-america-climbs-27-in-2008--comscore/?biz=1

2008 Game Sales Dominated by Family-Friendly Titles

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has noted that family-friendly video games were actually the main driver of sales. Sure, some of the best selling titles like GTA IV and Gears of War 2 are rated "Mature," but games rated "Everyone 10+" and lower accounted for over half of all sales (45.3% rated "E" and 12.1% rated "E10+").

(full article)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/esa-2008-game-sales-dominated-by-familyfriendly-titles/?biz=1

Worldwide Video Game Sales Hit $32 Billion in '08

According to a new report from Media Control GfK International (cited by Video Business), global sales of video game software reached $32 billion last year, growing 20 percent in large part thanks to the booming Wii business.

(Full article)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/worldwide-video-game-sales-hit-32-billion-in-08-top-dvd-bluray-for-first-time/?biz=1

ICA presents New England Animators

When!? : Sunday, May 3, 3 pm and Thursday, May 7, 7:30 pm
Where!? : The Institute of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210

World Premieres
Q & A with the filmmakers

http://www.icaboston.org/programs/film/ne-animators/?event_id=6907023

Wii Music Used in Schools to Promote Music Education

Nintendo of America sent word today that it's partnered with MENC: The National Association for Music Education in an effort to "inspire students and promote an active appreciation for music."

(Full article)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/wii-music-used-in-schools-to-promote-music-education/?biz=1

Video Game Software Soared Past $10B in 2008 ...

That's software .. alone. The NPD Group has repeatedly said that it's expecting total industry sales to fall somewhere in the $21 billion range.

(full article)
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/video-game-software-to-surpass-10-billion-for-08-says-analyst/?biz=1

What's Happening!? : BOSTON POST MORTEM

Check out the monthly meetings ... and use the web site to find out all about the 60+ (yes SIXTY) Boston area Game Development (and related) companies

http://www.bostonpostmortem.org/

What's Happening!? : BOSTON GAMES FOR CHANGE

When!? : Saturday, Jan 31, 2009. 8pm - midnight
Where!? : Berkman Squared. 50 Church St, Cambridge MA

* hosted by Information Superhighway IV *
Drinks and snacks courtesy of sponsoring partners Fablevision, Harvard Free Culture, Public Radio Exchange, and GamerDNA.

You can sign up to learn about future events here:
http://groups.google.com/group/games4change-boston

Inaugural posting on Inaugural day :)

Welcome to the Northeastern University Creative Industries blog!

Come back often and comment on everything Game Design and Interactive Media related here at NEU.

Contact me directly if you have any questions

Terrence Masson
Senior Academic Specialist
Northeastern University