Ulanda Blair, Special Projects Coordinator, Next Wave
FREE PLAY 2007_
Free Play is Next Wave's Independent Game Developers Conference
SATURDAY 18th AUGUST
9:00am to 8:30pm
Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI)
Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne
ABOUT_
Free Play caters for independent and DIY game developers, creatively frustrated professionals, game development students, digital artists and new media academics. Developed by the indie game community for the indie game community, Free Play provides the only forum for Australian independent game developers to share knowledge, showcase their work and initiate new projects.
Free Play is designed for independent voices, small budget creators, and those who don?t fit the pre-packaged sales strategies to come together, strategise and celebrate their creativity.
"It's the game equivalent of hand-held, no budget, lo-fi, 4-track, DIY and it's probably one of the best and most vibrant areas of Australian culture."
Binh Nguyen, Free Play attendee
Free Play is supported by ACMI, Film Victoria, Arts Victoria and Crumpler.
TICKETS_
Via the ACMI Box Office : 03 8663 2583 info@acmi.net.au
LECTURE PROGRAM_
9.00am Registration
Please arrive at 9.00am to register before the first lecture
9:30am Keynote Lecture Jonathan Blow (USA)
What does it mean to be an independent game artist? What are the practicalities of shaping an idea into a good prototype? Jonathan Blow discusses his landmark game Braid.
11am The Indie MBA
This session gives a comprehensive and practical overview of the business of running an indie shop. Topics include negotiating contracts with artists and programmers, outsourcing, funding opportunities, and legal considerations. Indie MBA will also feature a case study of Gridwerx.
Amelia King (Film Victoria)
Nick Blackmore (Corrs Chambers Westgarth)
Paul Motion (Atari)
Mahomed Adoob (Gridwerx /Aberrant Entertainment)
Chaired by Chris McCormick (PodSix Video Games)
12:30pm Independent's Day
How can independents come up with earth-shattering ideas that change the face of gaming? What are the parameters of independent game making and who are the innovators outside of the big-publisher system? This session investigates innovation in independent gaming to date, and discusses where it might come from in the future.
Jonathan Blow (Braid)
Robert J Spencer (Interzone)
Paul Callaghan (AIE)
Chaired by Christian McCrea (Swinburne University)
3pm Playing with Pixels and Politics
What is the place of social commentary in gaming, and can games achieve social and artistic legitimacy? Indie games development brings new opportunities for audience interaction and debate, and in some cases offers a deeper level of interactivity. It may even inspire a culture of resistance. What are the possibilities for 'serious' games as a learning tool and language for cultural expression? What is the potential for games to say something other than "BOOM!"
Justin Halliday (Escape from Woomera)
Damian Scott (Primal Clarity / Swinburne University)
Rebecca Cannon (Select Parks)
Chaired by Helen Stuckey (ACMI)
4:30pm Why I Really Still Love You
Newbie game developers are everywhere, but their love of game development is often short lived; like puppy love it goes away real quick when the going gets rough. So how do great developers maintain the love through the tough times and, perhaps more importantly, why do they stick it out? Veteran insiders express the real reasons why they still love games development.
David Hewitt (Tantalus)
Eve Penford-Dennis (AIE)
Andrei Nadin (Tantalus)
Chaired by Paul Callaghan (AIE)
6pm Keynote Australian Lecture Robert J Spencer (Interzone)
The paramount importance of independent games, and how they are crucial to games development as an art form.
WORKSHOP PROGRAM_
11am Can't Touch This
Move on from game pads, keyboards and mice and learn how to create sensor-driven games. This session looks at how you can use your body to control avatars with motion, distance and light sensors, and discusses the intriguing possibilities this offers.
Dr Seng Loke (Latrobe Uni)
Courtney O'Sullivan (Rabid Penguin Games)
Alistair Smith (Rabid Penguin Games)
Gordon Pedersen (Rabid Penguin Games)
12pm Take Advantage of the Big Boys
Learn the pros and cons of the free toys from the 'big boys'. Unreal Engine, development kits from Microsoft such as XNA, the XBOX 360 and others from Sony for the PS3 are giving more power to the little guys. Of course it is all part of a hidden agenda, but as long as you know the score there can be no harm in joining the conspiracy, can there?
Damian Scott (Primal Clarity / Swinburne University)
Thomas Mayer (IR Gurus)
1pm Get Your Feet Wet
Create a game in eight easy steps, without programming. This session will get you started in game development. It will cover a well known middleware, 3D Game Studio, that's not yet widely commercially used but is gentle with beginners.
Binh Nguyen
2pm The Best Things in Life are Free
This session will provide an overview of the various open source technologies and engines available to developers. Tim Ansell of Thousand Parsec will look at the state of free open source software (FOSS) games in general, as well as specifically on Linux, and argue how this is one of the last bastions of the proprietary software world. The session will conclude with a discussion of Tim's experience at Worldforge and Thousand Parsec.
Tim Ansell (Thousand Parsec)
3pm Everyone Loves a Designer
Make your game stand out by giving it a great design. Speakers in this session will discuss design techniques from the point of view of narrative, level design and art direction.
Joe Velikovsky (Red Tribe)
Ivan Beram (ex Microforte, Far Cry designer)
Luc Le Quiniat (Game Mechanic)
4pm Mod Making 101
Good modifications, or 'mods', can improve a game and add an extra dimension of addictiveness and excitement. Mods increase the lifecycle and sales of games and return to both players and publishers more bang for their buck. This session will draw on the experience and knowledge of staff from the Mod DB website, who will provide an overview on developing a mod.
Scott Reismanis (Mod DB)
Django Merope-Synge (Mod DB)
5pm Game Makers Soap Box
Open mic and demonstration session featuring six presenters speaking for 20-minutes each. Various topics.
Christian Rubino (Chit Chat)
Chris Nelson (Seven Valleys)
Genevieve Gilbert (MaVie)
7.30pm Networking & socializing
Chill out after a big day at Free Play with free drinks in the ACMI Function Space. Meet the speakers and catch up with mates. Hosted by the Independent Game Developers Association (IGDA) Melbourne chapter, and sponsored by the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) and IR Gurus.
Please check the Free Play website for more details: www.nextwavefreeplay.blogspot.com
ABOUT NEXT WAVE_
Next Wave is a biennial festival and artist development organisation, presenting genre-busting new works by the next wave of Australian artists.
CONTACT NEXT WAVE_
03 9329 9422
nextwave@nextwave.org.au
www.nextwave.org.au