What: FusionFall Real Kid Campaign

Who: Need boys ages 15 – 17 who play FusionFall

Where / When: Production will take place at Turner Studios in early June. We’ll need a total of 4 boys. Aiming to tape 2 boys on 5/19 and 2 on 5/27. Each boy selected should plan on a full day at Turner.

The Setup: A boy will be stationed in one of our game capture suites. A webcam will be recording him as he plays FusionFall and we will also have his audio recorded. In a separate suite, we’ll have a FusionFall expert playing the same game…the two will communicate with each other while going on missions and getting hints about how best to play the game.

Misc: Please send a recent photo of your child when you respond. We’ll be able to offer a day rate for the boys’ time. Each boy and his guardian will need to sign an on-camera release.

Contact: Chris Hartley via email with any questions chris.hartley@turner.com

Please feel free to send this on to other Turner Parents you may know who might not be on our mailing list. Thanks in advance for your participation.

– The FusionFall Team

Bookmark to:

There’s a new entrant in the rapidly growing market for retail cards and virtual goods for online games today: the Zeevex Virtual Currency Exchange. The coin of the realm is Zeev Tokens, which can be purchased via retail cards sold at thousands of brick-and-mortar stores, redeemed and stored online, where it can be used to buy virtual goods from participating partners’ games.

There are several such card services out there already, but the fairly unique hook here is that gamers can exchange these tokens with each other, on the Zeevex web site and on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. This opens up the possibility of Zeev currency being used not just to purchase game content, but to barter for real-world items.

“The biggest traction is going to be collectible items” like comics and sports cards, predicted Zeevex Chief Marketing Officer Dean Gebert. The Atlanta/Palo Alto-based company has a seed-round valuation of seven figures, he added, and their retail distribution partner is InComm. Sounds like a great idea, if Zeevex can also partner with some popular games. Gebert tells me they plan to announce seven of those in coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Bookmark to:

MARIETTA – The Board of Regents has approved a new bachelor’s degree in computer game design and development for Southern Polytechnic State University, the university announced Tuesday.

SPSU’s school of computing and software engineering has already offered a concentration in game design, but the new degree program is designed to attract more undergraduates to fill a growing need for computer game programmers in the gaming industry.

“This new program will benefit not only Southern Poly in terms of enrollment but the Atlanta metro area as well by creating more careers and expanding the economy,” said Dr. Han Reichgelt, dean of the school of computing and software engineering. “If we start producing those game programmers and keep attracting those gaming companies, then there is the possibility of setting up a very vibrant gaming industry in Atlanta.”

Last summer, SPSU opened a game design and development lab to strengthen the gaming concentrations in software engineering. The lab includes 14 game development stations for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii consoles, though Xbox is the primary platform.

School leaders would like to expand the lab, both in size and in terms of the number of platforms that students can develop for, including portable devices such as the Nintendo DS or Apple’s iPhone.

University spokeswoman Sylvia Carson said the earliest anticipated degree would likely be conferred in spring 2011 or 2012. About 50 students enrolled this year in game-design classes there, she said.

Georgia Trend reported in April that the computer/video game industry had its best year ever in 2008, topping sales of $22 billion. Georgia is home to about 70 video-game companies with about 2,000 workers, according to the magazine.

Bookmark to:

Creatures of the deep can’t escape 12-year-old Daniel Leon.

One by one, sharks, marlin and bass are scooped up by Daniel’s net as he navigates his submarine through the crystal-blue water.

But this is no ordinary ocean expedition. A fifth-grader at the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, Daniel is testing a demo of an educational video game —- one he helped design.

Daniel is among 11 city of Marietta gifted fourth- and fifth-graders working with students from Southern Polytechnic State University to develop an oceanography computer simulation. It’s the first time students from both schools have worked together.

The pilot project is being created through SPSU’s game design and development program, which obtained degree status Tuesday. The game —- funded by a $5,000 state Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) grant —- has been in the works since October with an expected finish date this summer.

The game’s goal is to enhance MCAA’s oceanography course, but educators say its objective is even more far-reaching.

“The video game will help students gain a better understanding of ocean life and human’s impact on this life,” MCAA principal Karen Smits said.

For instance, in the game students earn points by collecting fish, minerals and plants. However, points are deducted if players nab the same fish species twice. That helps players understand the effects of overfishing, said SPSU associate professor Jon Preston, who’s working with both groups of students.

In addition, MCAA students learn critical-thinking skills while outfitting their submarine, buying equipment to fit the needs of a journey. Players are allotted $100, and each tool has a price. Nets, used for catching fish, run $15. Saws, used for cutting plants, cost $20. And to explore ocean depths, students might require extra oxygen or a boost in hull strength. That’ll run $2 per unit.

And that’s not all the young students have to think about.

In a recent meeting between MCAA students and college representatives, SPSU professors popped the game up on a giant screen and posed questions.

How fast should fish move? Relative to their actual speed.

Why can’t sharks chase other fish? They first need to know that other fish exist.

Why hasn’t a giant squid been created? Takes time —- and math.

“The computer is just a bunch of metal and plastic … you have to tell it what to do,” Preston explained.

And it’s not just the elementary kids who are getting schooled. Because the game is geared to a fifth-grade audience, SPSU’s students are learning how to cater to young customers.

“They literally tell us what they want in the game and we code it,” said Dave Hood, a computer science major.

But the MCAA students aren’t just clients. Some members of the design group, along with more than 40 students in the oceanography course, have researched 30 fish for the game.

MCAA’s Smits hopes the venture will pay off for her students. “I’m hoping that they’ll learn the connection between what they do here in school and what they could do with their life after school, in a career.”

Preston wants SPSU to continue partnering with schools. “The sky’s really the limit. And we’re not limited to Marietta schools.”

Young Daniel is pleased with the game so far, but he said it’s still missing a key component: a great white shark.

“I saw the movie [“Jaws”], and I liked it,” Daniel said. “The great white would be really cool to try to catch. But we’d probably have to get a really huge net.”

New gaming degree

The Georgia Board of Regents on Tuesday approved a bachelor’s degree in computer game design and development for Southern Polytechnic State University, making it the first public institution in the state with such a degree.

Other schools, such as Georgia Tech and the Savannah College of Art and Design, have design-based degrees, but Marietta’s SPSU will be the first and only programming-based program. The major starts in the fall and is expected to have more than 100 students in three years, school officials said.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2009/05/13/games0513.html

Bookmark to:

Register at http://www.tagonline.org/tag-entertainment.php

Tax Panelist include:
Clinton Lowe who is CEO of C. Allen Lowe & Associates, LLC, an executive consulting firm specializing in digital entertainment and tax credits.

Don Mandrik who has practiced entertainment and corporate law with Arnall Golden Gregory, and most recently Miller & Martin where he headed up the firm’s entertainment practice group.

Ric Reitz who is a professional actor, writer, composer, director and producer who has been active in show business for more than 30 years.

Bill Thompson, a communications industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in the film, video, music and television arenas, is head of Georgia’s Film, Music & Digital Entertainment Office.

We will continue the discussion with some of the top investors in the Atlanta market discussing how the these new laws will impact them. They will also give us an overview of what they will be looking for when entrepreneurs bring them new projects and ideas.

Panelist include:
Sig Mosley: Imlay Investments
Mark Grace: Business Builder and Angel Investor
Greg Foster: Noro-Mosley Partners
Steve Weizenecker is Chairman of the Entertainment Group at Adorno & Yoss.
Alan Urech, Sr. Executive, Stoney River Capital Partners LLC

Register at http://www.tagonline.org/tag-entertainment.php

Bookmark to:

This is very similar to what PlaySpan is up to with its Ultimate Game Card. For more perspective on their product, read about their recent deal with hi5 or their acquisition of Spare Change.

According to the press release, the Zeevex Digital Lockers will include social network plug-ins (for Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Bebo) so users can trade Zeev Tokens with anyone but also provide parental controls and support for micro-transactions as low as 5 cents.

Zeevex recently closed an undisclosed, private round of funding and is led by Ron Williams (CEO), Dean Gebert (CMO) and Robert Sanders (CTO). While the company would not go into detail on the financing round, it did say its seed round valuation was seven figures and that they are considering a VC-backed Series A round this Summer.

Bookmark to:

Minimum Requirements – Bachelor Degree in CIS or related field. MS, MA or PhD in IT/Computer Science field preferred. Game Industry Experience highly desirable.

Preferred Skills – Programming in Python for Gaming.
Job Description – To teach course below under Primary Course Descriptions

PRIMARY COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
Python Game Programming Provides a study of the Python programming language to solve applications. Topics include: Computing with numbers, computing with strings, Objects and graphics, Defining Functions, Decision Functions, Loop Structures and Booleans, Game Simulations and Design, Defining Classes, Data Collections, Object-Oriented Design, Recursion. Contact hours: Class – 4, Lab – 6. Credit hours: 7.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND SPECIFIC DUTIES UNDER EACH PRIMARY COURSE DESCRIPTION 1. Preparation of lectures and demonstrations of course competencies 1.1 Instruction and evaluation of student competencies 1.2 Use, evaluation, and revision of course materials and competencies 1.3 Development of evaluation criteria 2. Perform other duties as requested.

To Apply
Send resume and cover letter indicating the position by title and number to:
Dr. John Thacher
Gwinnett Technical College
Computer Science Dept.
5150 Sugarloaf Parkway
Lawrenceville , Georgia 30043-5702
jthacher@gwinnetttech.edu
678-226-6679

For more information about the Gwinnett Technical College Simulation/Game Program or this position, contact:
Dr. John Thacher

Regards,

Dr. John Thacher
Computer Science Dept.
Program Director:
Computer Programming
Internet Web Design
Simulation/Gaming
Gwinnett Technical College
5150 Sugarloaf Pkwy
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
678-226-6679
jthacher@gwinnetttech.edu

Bookmark to:

Perceived to have the highest potential for impact by both current state resources and future technology innovation, these five sectors – film, broadcast, music, interactive gaming, and distribution infrastructure -are the focus of the initiative.

A Digitainment task force, along with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, has initiated the process by launching a critical piece of the project: the Digitainment White Paper.

The White Paper will provide a strategic overview of the current economic conditions of the state’s entertainment infrastructure, leading-edge technologies, strategies and trends that predict the transformation and possible convergence of five industry sectors.

As part of the leadership team spearheading the Digitainment initiative, The Wyche Group will assist the group in identifying challenges and opportunities that will ultimately aid the state in the development of an action plan to economically capitalize on the anticipated transformation and possible convergence of the global digital entertainment industry. Others involved include the State Department of Economic Development and representatives from some of the leading companies involved in entertainment, broadcast, gaming, music, digital content creation and distribution.

What is Digitainment? The convergence of digital content creation, distribution and consumption.

What is Digitainment Georgia? An initiative to bring additional economic activity and job opportunities to the city and state, as more companies and individuals come to view Atlanta and Georgia as home to some of the brightest minds and most innovative firms in the Digitainment arena.

How will Digitainment grow in 2010? In 2010, Digitainment Atlanta will launch a proposed multi-day, multi-venue conference slated to bring together individuals and companies active in the newly-defined industry of Digitainment. The conference will both introduce the concept of Digitainment and spotlight Atlanta and Georgia as leading geographies in the core component fields of music, gaming, film, broadcast and digital content distribution.

How will this positively affect our state? Today, Georgia is home to some of the country’s leading brands, promising startups and internationally recognized artists who are shaping the course of the digital entertainment industry. To spur further development, in 2008, Georgia passed legislation intended to make the state a hub for digital gaming and entertainment.

Over the next two years, Digitainment Georgia will do more than build upon this existing foundation. It will serve as a catalyst for innovation and growth by bringing various players together to establish an industry identity and bring new jobs to the state.

Bookmark to:

In the current economic climate, it’s hard to find a company with good news to share. And the volatile MMO business might be the last place you’d look.

Yet Iceland-headquartered CCP, developer of EVE Online, is not just healthy, but growing, seeking 60 new hires, says North America president Mike Tinney. “We’re in a pretty strong position these days, and it’s refreshing to be able to say that in today’s economy.”

Amid the challenges faced by the Icelandic economy, CCP is a “safe harbor,” Tinney says. While employees in the hard-hit region face personal hardship, CCP as a company is bringing capital into the company. Asked about reports that the company may move its headquarters, Tinney says, “I would classify that as a rumor.”

One factor in the company’s continued stability is its self-sufficiency, Tinney tells Gamasutra. “We publish our own content, we design our own content, we control our billing relationships, we control our hosting relationship.”

“We have partnerships in place, but we’re not a traditional developer-publisher relationship, where the publisher oftentimes has problems controlling the content pipeline, and the developer often has problems controlling or influencing their delivery to the customer, or their interface with the customer,” he says. “I think that has helped us out a lot over the years.”

Know Your Players — Really

Of course, not everyone can so easily maintain that kind of independence. But Tinney says there are other lessons other MMO developers might glean from EVE Online’s success — namely, the idea that it’s not necessarily the size of your userbase, but your relationship to them.

At last count, EVE has 236,000 users, each of whom has on average two characters per account. The game’s also in its single-shard server — which means close to 500,000 different characters are sharing a single world built on galactic conflicts and a complex virtual economy. Real-world economist Dr. Eyjo Guðmundsson conducts high-level studies of the socioeconomics of the player base.

“It really is a relentless dedication to tracking the playing trends of the people in EVE and constantly working to provide them with the experience that they’re looking for,” says Tinney. “That’s created a very strong community, a very loyal community, and one that sort of feeds onto itself and gains momentum.”

CCP, which is focusing on EVE, although it bought White Wolf in 2006 and is reported to still be working on a World Of Darkness MMO, claims that its space sim never launched with a high target for user numbers. In fact, it launched to a difficult but all too common set of circumstances — almost immediately after launch, publisher Simon & Schuster made an exit from the games biz.

Stranded but persistent, CCP bought back its publishing rights and focused solely on meeting the needs of the 25,000 players with which it started. These days, a game once considered at best niche or a cult hit continues to experience steady growth.

“We have a pretty competitive churn,” says Tinney. “A lot of MMOs launch at a very high water mark, and then through a series of expenses and efforts fight to retain an ever-decreasing pool of subscriptions.”

Don’t Worry About WoW

And because CCP’s goal has never been to try to compete with market-dominant World of Warcraft, Tinney’s able to note that Blizzard’s high tide has actually lifted all boats.

“[WoW] has made this kind of game a household name, and a mainstream form of entertainment,” Tinney says. “Otherwise, I think most other games and virtual worlds would be considered niche entertainment.” WoW’s success, Tinney maintained, increased the field and the public awareness around MMOs.

This raises an interesting principle, though. As an example, Mythic Entertainment was not shy about confronting WoW with Warhammer Online and had a successful launch week with 1.5 million units shipped to retail and 500,000 registrants. To date, though, the fact that Warhammer has just 300,000 paying subscribers is considered a disappointing performance for the game, which has subsequently let support staff go.

So why are WAR’s 300,000 users a disappointment, while EVE’s 236,000 are a success? “Everybody defines their success in their own ways,” notes Tinney. “It’s very hard to make an MMO, and very challenging to find something that hits the right wavelength for a community of participants and then manages to retain them.”

EVE was also launched at a more modest budget than Warhammer and other games like it,” says Tinney — and there are other challenges inherent in going up against WoW. “It’s very difficult to launch a new game in this environment and have it compete with a game that launched five years ago — and in a state of success has continually upgraded,” he says.

“You have to make those upgrades in a state of speculation, in the hopes you’ll achieve the type of success that preexisting games have already created for themselves.”

Skip The High Targets

In order for an MMO to be a success and for its developer to stay fiscally sound, then, is the better strategy to start small, developing strong relationships to the userbase and focusing on retention rather than big-number targets. “I do personally and I know that CCP overall [agrees],” says Tinney, “and I humbly say that we’re happy to see the rest of the industry coming around to that personally. I think that CCP has always regarded it as such.”

“A lot of MMOs that have beene out there for 4-plus years and developed a steady playerbase, those aren’t the ones you’re seeing layoffs in right now,” he says. “Even if you have only 100,000 people playing, if it’s a subscription model, you know what your income is going to be next month, and if you’re a prudent businessperson you build your company’s model within that framework.”

Advice Tinney would offer to startups launching a new online product? “I don’t think that I would start going after a million people, a million WoW players,” he says. “I would not try to launch a new virtual world that has no community support behind it against any of the large, established virtual communities,” he says.

“Because you’re not just competing against the program’s client –you’re competing against the social community that engages and supports that world,” he advises. “Set a very reasonable goal to build a very small community — don’t aim low, but build a biz model that supports an early-adopter mentality and then support the hell out of this community.”

“There’s a lot of strategies out there, and there’s so many ingredients in the recipe of a successful MMO any one of them can throw the whole thing off,” he adds. “But I think the community is one of the most important ingredients.”

Bookmark to:

The Creative Coast Alliance (TCCa) and the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) today announced a deal for up to one year of free rent in the Game Development and Digital Media Center. The facility is Currently under development at the Class A office building on the Savannah River.

“Savannah has what game development companies need in talent, tech and quality of life,” said Brenda Brathwaite, game designer and chair of SCAD’s Interactive Design and Game Development Department. “In today’s economy when so many developers are laid off and looking for that silver lining, the Savannah offer is incredibly welcome and offers developers a chance to start a studio on more stable footing.”

TCCa and SEDA both noted that that Georgia’s Department of Economic Development recently expanded the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act to include game development companies, giving them a 30% tax credit on related expenditures in Georgia. The Savannah region has over 17 regional colleges and universities, including the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech.

Those interested in the Game Development & Digital Media Center should visit theoffer.thecreativecoast.org.

Bookmark to: