Austin GDC Program Guide 2008

SESSIONS – TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 & 17 DESIGn – lECTurE Economic Design and Management of Virtual Worlds with a Large Shard Population Eyjolfur Gudmundsson (CCP), Sam Lewis (Cartoon Network) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Room 5 With massive shard populations (100,000+), new challenges of designing and managing virtual worlds arise. In fact, massive virtual worlds become societies on their own, requiring information and management methods just as any other society. This presentation will focus on the economic design and management of massively multiplayer online games with large shard populations. The lecture will also provide some examples from the design and operating of eve - online and other virtual worlds. DESIGn – rOunDTABlE it spawned continues five years later spanning multiple game/virtual worlds. From the perspectives of creator, publisher, fan and academic, this panel presents the strengths and weaknesses of a unique MMOG and discusses story, identity, exploration and emergent game play as a framework for future MMOG and virtual world development. TEChnOlOGy & SErvICES – lECTurE how id Software develops stories alongside changing technology. Tim will also discuss the decisions behind the storytelling of previous titles and what is changing for the upcoming title rage. He will also offer an explanation of how his company wants to build the rage franchise through storytelling. Questing Design and Engineering in MMOs Thomas Sitch (KingsIsle Entertainment) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Room 4 Most online games drive the player experience using a quest/mission system that provides goals, structure, and possibly even fun. This discussion will cover both architecting and designing mission systems to meet the unique needs of the massively multiplayer paradigm. Lecture will also feature examples from pirateS of the Burning Sea as well as some examples from KingIsle’s current MMO project, WizarD 101. Finally, the discussion will examine the frontiers of mission design and where MMO games might take the player questing experience in the future. TEChnOlOGy & SErvICES – SESSIOn WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 AuDIO – lECTurE Cocktail Parties, Presence and Compelling NextGen Audio Simon Carlile (University of Sydney) 9:30 - 10:30AM | Room 10 In the 10 years since the IASIG 3D Audio specification was released, much relevant research has surfaced particularly in the auditory perception of complex scenes and the role of audio in virtual reality displays. This lecture will review the basic bioacoustic cues and perceptual processes leading to our sense of space. It will address the role of spatial perception in solving the “Cocktail Party Problem” and in generating the sense of “Presence” in VR – both critical issues for creating natural audio scenes in NextGen audio design. Group Gathering: Academic Research Walker White (Cornell University - Game Design Initiative) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Room 7 Meet and talk with academics at Austin GDC. This is an informal meeting discussing issues unique to academic research in games. It is open to everyone, including non-academics interested helping university research become more relevant to the industry. Possible topics: publishing, funding, and games as an academic discipline. DESIGn – SESSIOn Utilizing Flash® for Game UI Development Grant Skinner (gskinner.com) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Lecture | Room 2 Sponsored by Scaleform Flash expert Grant Skinner discusses the current state of UI development and the growing use of Flash as a serious development tool. Skinner describes how Flash as a language has matured; the challenges, drawbacks, and advantages of Flash for game development; and different methods of integration with game engines. In addition, Skinner and BioWare Senior Programmer Graham Wihlidal elaborate on Bioware’s use of Flash-based Scaleform GFx to create user interfaces and Flash content for their hit game maSS effeCt. WrITInG FOr GAMES – rOunDTABlE BuSInESS & MArkETInG – PAnEl Evolving Business for MMOs Moderator: Robert Ferrari (Turbine) Min Kim (Nexon America Inc.), Jessica Mulligan (ImaginVenture SA), Nicolay Nickelsen (Funcom), Hilmar Veigar Petursson (CCP) 9:30 - 10:30AM | Room 6 The business of MMOs has been evolving from traditional subscription based models to free to play and hybrids. The purpose of this luminary panel will be to discuss what has changed, what has worked, and where the business is going. The discussions will cover opportunities and experiences within North America and on a global basis. Witness How Autodesk® HumanIK® and Autodesk® Kynapse® Can Dynamically Integrate 3D Character Animation and Artificial Intelligence Within Your Gaming Production Pipeline Process Martin Sevigny (Autodesk) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Room 8C Sponsored by Autodesk Gain insight into to how Autodesk® HumanIK® enables dynamic in-game character animation. Integrated within the game engine, animators and game designers can now alter animations on the fly, letting characters interact dynamically and realistically with their environments. Come see why Autodesk® Kynapse® middleware is the world’s leading artificial intelligence solution. SOCIAl nETWOrkInG & COMMunITy – PAnEl Freelancers’ Roundtable Bob Bates (Bobbates.com) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Room 3 The Freelancers’ roundtable is a forum for experienced writing professionals and the people who hire them to come together and discuss the problems of working remotely with game development teams. The conversation covers the gamut of freelancing issues, including integration with the development team, communication techniques, vision-sharing, contract negotiations, fee structures, etc. WrITInG FOr GAMES – lECTurE BuSInESS & MArkETInG – rOunDTABlE What PR Does for Your MMO Eddiemae Jukes (TriplePoint), David Swofford (NC Soft - Austin), Michael Zenke (Massively.com) 9:30 - 10:30AM | Room 7 This roundtable focuses on the changing media landscape, and how PR efforts for MMOs need to change accordingly to reach far-flung influencers. Breaking down barriers between PR and community management is a necessity, and a strong plan must remain in place to ensure there’s still a “story” throughout a game’s development. The goal is for attendees to walk away with tips for fostering collaboration between all communicators (PR, community, developers), and successfully reaching key MMO influencers. The World That Players Wouldn’t Let Die Moderator: Blake Lewin (Turner Broadcasting Systems) Charlene (aka Eleri) Hamilton (Mysterium), Ron Meiners (MyHollywood.com), Rand Miller (Cyan Worlds), Celia Pearce (Georgia Institute of Technology) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Room 9 One reporter deftly noted that mySt online: uru live lasted longer when run by the fan community than it did under two different publishers. The uru Beta had a short life of six months, but the community 14 Rage: Storytelling and Technology at id Software Tim Willits (id Software) 4:30 - 5:30PM | Ballroom B In this session, Tim will provide an understanding of how to balance storytelling and technology and of Austin Game Developers Conference | September 15-17, 2008 | Austin Convention Center | Austin, Texas | www.AustinGDC.net https://www.cmpevents.com/GDAU08/a.asp?option=C&V=1&cid=AGC08_PGWPX2 http://gskinner.com http://Bobbates.com http://Massively.com http://www.AustinGDC.net

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Austin GDC Program Guide 2008

Austin GDC Program Guide 2008 Contents Conference-at-a-Glance General Information Conference Overview Advisory Board Keynote Speakers Conference Sessions Game Career Seminar Worlds in Motion Summit Austin GDC Events Austin GDC Evening Events Speakers Sponsors & Media Partners Exhibitor Directory Expo Hall Map & Exhibitors

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