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Austin Game Developer’s Conference

September 15-17, 2008. Austin Game Developer’s Conference. What is the Austin GDC?. An annual meeting of professionals from the computer games industry A supplement to the larger Game Developer's Conference held in San Francisco each Spring

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Austin Game Developer’s Conference

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  1. September 15-17, 2008 Austin Game Developer’s Conference

  2. What is the Austin GDC? • An annual meeting of professionals from the computer games industry • A supplement to the larger Game Developer's Conference held in San Francisco each Spring • A great way to maintain technical currency and monitor industry trends • An opportunity to network with industry professionals • A source of information about employment opportunities and skills demands in the computer games industry

  3. Why go to Austin GDC? • To support the creation of two new computer games courses at Butte College: • Introduction to Game Design and Development • Game Engine Design and Programming • To network with industry professionals and get ideas toward the creation of a computer games curriculum at Butte College • To gather information about the computer games industry to share with our partner institutions in Northern California • To demonstrate a commitment to a computer games curriculum to our students, partner institutions, and our community

  4. Austin GDC Agenda [1] Day One -> Open Source Tools [2] Day Two -> Writing and Design [3] Day Three -> Careers

  5. [1] Open Source Tools • Advantages of open source tools • Licensed at no cost • Are widely used in industry • Have very active developer and user communities • Are often extensible by writing plugins • Disadvantages • Lack of formalized support • Projects may be abandoned Open Source Initiative: www.opensource.org

  6. [1] Open Source Tools: Highlights • jMonkeyEngine -> www.jmonkeyengine.com • OGRE 3D -> www.ogre3d.org • Panda3D -> panda3d.org • Project Darkstar -> projectdarkstar.com • 2D Engines • Developer tools

  7. [1] Open Source Tools: jMonkeyEngine www.jmonkeyengine.com • A high performance scene graph based graphics API • Completely open source (BSD License)‏ • Written in pure Java • Extensive, online javadoc-style documentation • An active user community that supports a wiki and tutorials • Features include: • Easy to use, powerful application-building classes • Imposters (Render to Texture), Environmental Mapping, Lens Flare, Tinting, Particle Systems, et al.

  8. [1] Open Source Tools: jMonkeyEngine jMonkeyEngine graphics

  9. [1] Open Source Tools: OGRE 3D www.ogre3d.org • OGRE stands for: Object-Oriented Graphics Rendering Engine • A scene-oriented, flexible 3D engine written in C++ • Utilizes hardware-accelerated 3D graphics • Has a large and active user community that supports a wiki and provides tutorials • Complete online API • Supported by a published book, "Pro OGRE 3D Programming," by Gregory Junker

  10. [1] Open Source Tools: OGRE 3D OGRE 3D graphics

  11. [1] Open Source Tools: Panda3D panda3d.org • Originally created by Disney for its Toontown MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game • Presently jointly maintained by Disney and the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University • Released as free software in 2002 under a modified BSD License • Written in C++ with Python bindings • Has a complete online API to Python bindings and an extensive manual with tutorials

  12. [1] Open Source Tools: Panda3D Panda3D graphics

  13. [1] Open Source Tools: Project Darkstar projectdarkstar.com • A software infrastructure that aims to support a variety of applications: • Massively scalable online games • Virtual worlds • Social networking • Created by Sun Microsystems, now an open source project • Written in pure Java • Online javadoc API • Online tutorials

  14. [1] Open Source Tools: 2D Engines • Slick 2D engine for Java -> slick.cokeandcode.com • PyGame 2D engine for Python -> www.pygame.org • AS3GE for Flash -> code.google.com/p/as3ge • Ffilmation for ActionScript -> www.ffilmation.org • HGE (Haaf's Game Engine) for C++ -> hge.relishgames.com • Torque Game Builder -> www.garagegames.com

  15. [1] Open Source Tools: Developer • Eclipse IDE -> www.eclipse.org • Blender 3D Rendering Application -> www.blender.org • GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program -> www.gimp.org

  16. [2] Writing and Design • Key ideas for game writers • On-demand dialogue (ODD) and storytelling • Giving players choices with consequences • Creating a "next-gen" experience • Key ideas for game designers • Understanding learning styles • Creating episodic games • Making trade-offs www.igda.org

  17. [2] Writing and Design: Highlights • On-demand dialog (ODD): "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure?)" • presentation by Andrew Walsh • Player choice: "Unsharding, The Secret to Storytelling in a Massively Multiplayer Environment" • presentation by James Portnow • Next-gen: "We Tell Stories" • presentation by Adrian Hon

  18. [2] Writing and Design: Highlights • Learning styles: "Learning to Play: The Importance of Learning Styles and Gender in MMOs" • presentation by Sheri Graner Ray • Episodic games: "The Sandwich of the Month Club: Writing and Designing Successful Episodic Games" • presentation by Dave Grossman • Trade-offs: "RAGE: Storytelling and Technology at id Software" • presentation by Tim Willits

  19. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Presentation by Andrew Walsh • Who is Andrew Walsh? • Writer for computer games, television, theatre, et al. • Computer game writing credits include: • Prince of Persia • Medieval II: Total War • And many others • Contributor to the book Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Video Games • Homepage -> www.andrewwalsh.com

  20. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Primary goals of game writing • Create a strong, identifiable story • Provide a deep story world • Bring game characters to life

  21. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Evolution of game narrative: Classic Three Act Model • For the player, a less engaging experience • No interactive content • Linear story structure Open/Cutscene Non-interactive dialog Cutscene Non-interactive dialog Close/Cutscene See Aristotle, "Poetics" and Gustav Freytag, "Die Technik des Dramas"

  22. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Evolution of game narrative: Interactive Dialogue Model • More interactive for the player • Still a linear structure with little player choice Open/Cutscene Interactive dialog Cutscene Interactive dialog Close/Cutscene

  23. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Evolution of game narrative: On-demand storytelling • Player chooses when to access the deeper story • Still influenced by the Three Act Structure • Not a "next-gen" experience Open/Cutscene Cutscene Close/Cutscene On-demand story block On-demand story block On-demand story block On-demand story block On-demand story block NOTE: Interpretation by J Boyd Trolinger based on presentation by Andrew Walsh

  24. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Evolution of game narrative: "next-gen" On-demand storytelling "...a story design that allows the player to choose when to access the story and how much of the story she or he wants to experience." Andrew Walsh

  25. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Evolution of game narrative: "next-gen" On-demand storytelling • A typical game level On-demand story block On-demand story block On-demand story block On-demand story block START Staging Post Staging Post Staging Post END On-demand conversation elements NOTE: Interpretation by J Boyd Trolinger based on presentation by Andrew Walsh

  26. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Evolution of game narrative: "next-gen" On-demand storytelling • Longer game narratives are composed by linking together multiple levels with story arc • Note that acts do not have to be abandoned Story arc NOTE: Interpretation by J Boyd Trolinger based on presentation by Andrew Walsh

  27. [2] Writing and Design: ODD "The Death of Linearity (Or Who Shot the Three Act Structure)?" • Keys to "next-gen" On-demand storytelling • A companion character in the game can reinforce the narrative through conversation • Requires solid game AI to succeed • Allow the player to choose when and how much of the story to access

  28. [2] Writing and Design: Player choice "Unsharding, The Secret to Storytelling in a Massively Multiplayer Environment" • Presentation by James Portnow • Who is James Portnow? • Founder and CCO of Divide By Zero Games -> dbzcorp.com • Regular contributor to Game Career Guide -> gamecareerguide.com

  29. [2] Writing and Design: Player choice "Unsharding, The Secret to Storytelling in a Massively Multiplayer Environment" • What is unsharding? • Many massively multiplayer online (MMO) games distribute their players across multiple servers, or shards • Multiple shards means multiple game worlds, and multiple story worlds • An unsharded MMO places its players in a single game world • Unsharding provides players with a single game world, and thus a single story world • EVE online -> www-eve-online.com • At present the only truly unsharded MMO

  30. [2] Writing and Design: Player choice "Unsharding, The Secret to Storytelling in a Massively Multiplayer Environment" • What are the advantages of unsharding? • All players influence the shared story world with their decisions • All players can experience the effects of "massive choice events" • Player politics and decision making truly shape the story

  31. [2] Writing and Design: Next-gen "We Tell Stories" • Presentation by Adrian Hon • Who is Adrian Hon? • Co-founder and CCO of Six to Start -> www.sixtostart.com • Designer and producer of Perplex City -> perplexcity.com • Leading designer of alternative reality games (ARG)‏

  32. [2] Writing and Design: Next-gen "We Tell Stories" • We Tell Stories -> wetellstories.co.uk • A "digital fiction" project by Penguin Publishers • An effort to promote next-gen storytelling by leveraging the latest Internet technologies • An experiment in creating immersive and innovative "new fiction"

  33. [2] Writing and Design: Next-gen "We Tell Stories" • Lessons learned from the We Tell Stories experiment • The Internet provides interesting storytelling possibilities • For example, Toby Litt, in his story "Slice," used a traditional weblog and Twitter micro-blogs to deliver his story to his readers • There is much work to be done to uncover the potential of the Internet • The highly collaborative and dynamic Web 2.0 in particular offers many new storytelling possibilities • Parting thoughts • Game developers should remember that technologies frequently change, while good stories last • Games created to exploit a new technology, without a solid story, will disappear as the technology becomes obsolete

  34. [2] Writing and Design: Learning styles "Learning to Play: The Importance of Learning Styles and Gender in MMOs" • Presentation by Sheri Graner Ray • Who is Sheri Graner Ray? • A leading expert on gender and computer games • Author of Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market • Co-founder and Executive Chair of Women in Games International

  35. [2] Writing and Design: Learning styles "Learning to Play: The Importance of Learning Styles and Gender in MMOs" • Why must game designers know about learning styles? • To maximize accessibility and attract the largest audience • Because good games provide learning tools for all kinds of learners • What are the most common learning styles? • Explorative, or risk-taking learning • Most common learning style for males • modeling, or imitative learning • Most common learning style for females

  36. [2] Writing and Design: Learning styles "Learning to Play: The Importance of Learning Styles and Gender in MMOs" • Not all learners fit the gender "expectation" when it comes to learning • Allowing for different learning styles will benefit many players • An example of good practices • Video Professor -> www.videoprofessor.com • Allows for explorative learning but also provides tools for the imitative learner as well

  37. [2] Writing and Design: Episodic games "The Sandwich of the Month Club: Writing and Designing Successful Episodic Games" • Presentation by Dave Grossman • Who is Dave Grossman? • Game programmer and designer • LucasArts • Programmer of "The Secret of Monkey Island" • Co-designer of "Day of the Tentacle" • Telltale Games -> www.telltalegames.com • Designer of games in the "Sam & Max" series

  38. [2] Writing and Design: Episodic games "The Sandwich of the Month Club: Writing and Designing Successful Episodic Games" • The "Sandwich of the Month Club" model for episodic games • The model used in the design of the "Sam & Max" series of games • Provide variety within a familiar framework • Give the player enough to satisfy their "hunger" • Make the game good enough to bring the player back • Issue new episodes often enough (but not too often) that players do not feel the need to pursue a new "meal"

  39. [2] Writing and Design: Trade-offs "RAGE: Storytelling and Technology at id Software" • Presentation by Tim Willits • Who is Tim Willits? • Lead designer and co-owner of id Software -> www.idsoftware.com • Lead designer of Doom 3 • Executive producer of Quake 4

  40. [2] Writing and Design: Trade-offs "RAGE: Storytelling and Technology at id Software" • Game maker trade-offs for modern game consoles • Personal computers provide game makers with vast processor, graphics, and memory resources • Modern game consoles such as Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 introduce resource constraints • Game levels and game-related media (such as music) must be reduced to fit storage limits • Graphic complexity must be reduced to get acceptable game play performance

  41. [3] Careers • Pursuing a career in computer games • Academic preparation • Real-world experience • Passion and play • "Getting it right" with Human Resources www.gamecareerguide.com

  42. [3] Careers: Highlights • Breaking in: "100 Questions, 97 Answers, in 56 Minutes, on 300 Slides" • presentation by Brenda Brathwaite • Getting noticed: "You're Hired! How to get HR to Notice" • panel discussion with Jennifer Ballard, Ed Roman, Paula Fellbaum

  43. [3] Careers: Breaking in "100 Questions, 97 Answers, in 56 Minutes, on 300 Slides" • Presentation by Brenda Brathwaite • Who is Brenda Brathwaite? • Professor of game development and interactive design at Savannah College of Art & Design • Twenty-six year veteran of the computer games industry • Worked on the Wizardry series of games, Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes, and many, many others • Member of Board of Directors of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)‏ • Author of "Challenges for Game Designers"

  44. [3] Careers: Breaking in "100 Questions, 97 Answers, in 56 Minutes, on 300 Slides" • Brenda's tips for "breaking in" to the industry – a selection • Work hard and show your passion for games • Attend conferences and network with professionals • Bring business cards to hand out, even if you are a student • Follow up – keep in touch with the people you meet • Know the important people in the industry – be knowledgeable about them and their work • Finish your degree • Get good grades – shows commitment and hard work

  45. [3] Careers: Breaking in "100 Questions, 97 Answers, in 56 Minutes, on 300 Slides" • Brenda's tips (continued)‏ • Create a portfolio of good work • Working prototypes • Polished art • Extensive writing samples • Completed games • And above all... • Make games, make games, make games!

  46. [3] Careers: Getting noticed "You're Hired! How to get HR to Notice" • Panel discussion with • Jennifer Ballard, Aspyr Media -> www.aspyr.com • ~100 employees • Ed Roman, Ghostfire Games -> ghostfiregames.com • 2 employees • Paula Fellbaum, Nexon Publishing North America -> company.nexon.com/english/html/game/main.asp • ~2000 employees

  47. [3] Careers: Getting noticed "You're Hired! How to get HR to Notice" • Skills most in demand in 2008 • Jennifer: designers, artists, programmers • Ed: artists, programmers • Paula: programmers

  48. [3] Careers: Getting noticed "You're Hired! How to get HR to Notice" • Key points for job hunting in the computer games industry • Know the company • Who are their significant artists, designers, programmers, and writers? • What are their important games/products? • Play their games and be knowledgeable from a player perspective • What are they working on now? • Bring your portfolio • Be prepared to show game mods, prototypes, and complete games • Have polished samples of your work

  49. [3] Careers: Getting noticed "You're Hired! How to get HR to Notice" • Key points for job hunting (continued)‏ • Make sure you resume is polished • Correct spelling and grammar are very important • Skills and education presented should be applicable to the job • Should have multiple resumes if seeking multiple jobs • Attend conferences and network with industry professionals • Be yourself and show your personality

  50. [3] Careers: Getting noticed "You're Hired! How to get HR to Notice" • Key points for job hunting (continued)‏ • Make yourself stand out in a crowd • Connect your life experience, in addition to your technical skills, to the job you seek • Demonstrate an ability and willingness to work in a team • Do not lie about skills and education • Highlight your accomplishments – awards won, projects completed

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