Career Cheats III: Free Auckland Games Event

Submitted by Simon

Free Gamess Event: Career Cheats III

Come and celebrate the launch of 'Shear Factor' developed by a team of extremely talented game developers from Media Design School. Be treated to inside information on the games industry by international games experts AND get the opportunity to sneak preview some yet to be released games by Sidhe Interactive for PSP, PS2, PC and Xbox - all at Career Cheats 3.

Leading NZ game developers will join international game practitioners for an evening entirely dedicated to videogames. During this FREE event, the latest MDS graduates will introduce their game Shear Factor. Games experts Brendan Burns and Todd Gantzler will then provide insider information about the games industry. To cap off the evening, Sidhe Interactive's Mario Wynands will demo some of Sidhe's upcoming game titles that are soon to be released including ?Melbourne Cup Challenge? and ?Jackass the Game.?

Wednesday 13 September, 5:30pm
Media Design School
Level 12, 242 Queen Street
Auckland City
RSVP to rsvp@mediadesign.school.nz or phone (09) 3030 402

EVENT PROGRAMME

5.30pm - Mix, mingle and play
There will be student games on display, including the recently completed Shear Factor - a ?herd em up? single player, game platform style game. In Shear Factor, the player takes on the role of Farmer Joe - an iconic New Zealand farmer who has to guide his sheep across unique and vividly textured New Zealand landscapes, all the while protecting his flock of sheep from possible danger. Also on display will be the award winning Goliath. Going beyond the simple 'drive around and shoot everything' mechanics associated with the words 'vehicle combat', Goliath places the player in a team environment with goals such as repairing objective buildings, escorting unarmed vehicles and preventing the discovery of key locations.

6.00pm - Shear Factor - game development, tips and tricks
Project Manager Steffan Hooper will discuss the team milestones, challenges and sucesses in creating the game, and will demonstrate some insider level editor tips that showcase the Shear Factor?s unique game play and Kiwi environments.

6.15pm - Game Programming - Brendan Burns
Brendan will discuss course content for the Diploma of Interactive Gaming and the Programming Stream for the Graduate Diploma of Game Development. Brendan will inform guests how Media Design School will prepare you for opportunities that are available now within the industry here in New Zealand and abroad.
Brendan Burns is tutor for the Diploma of Interactive Gaming and the programming stream for the Graduate Diploma of Game Development. Brendan has extensive industry experience in the areas of computer programming and software engineering and has been an instructor and tutor for several IT and computing courses throughout Ireland.

6.30pm - Game Art and Design - Todd Gantzler
What being a Game Artist is all about. The role game artists play in improving game graphics and driving technology enhancements. Todd will discuss career opportunites for Game Artists, and how Media Design School can help launch your career in the games industry.
Todd Gantzler is Course Leader for the Graduate Diploma of Game Development at Media Design School. Todd has worked in the games industry on titles including Rebel Assault II, Gex 3D, Cyberia, and Akuji the Heartless as 2D and 3D Artist, Character Animator, and Game Designer. His book 'Game Development Essentials: Video Game Art' was published in July 2004.

6.45pm - Mario Wynands, Sidhe Interactive - The New Zealand perspective
Mario Wynands, Managing Director of New Zealand's largest and most successful game development studio Sidhe Interactive will give an overview of the New Zealand Game Development industry and will showcase working demos and exclusive previews of unreleased material including 'Melbourne Cup Challenge' and 'Jackass the Game.'