If you were part of the Austin music scene in the 1980s and 1990s, whether as a musician or a music fan, then you know about Liberty Lunch. The club, which opened as a live music venue in 1976, was considered a landmark to Austin’s live music fans – Liberty Lunch was voted the “Best Place to Hear Live Music” multiple years in a row in the Austin Chronicle’s Reader’s Poll ballots. The venue closed in 1999.
Read more at: http://sxsw.com/music/news/2013/speaker-connections-liberty-lunch-alumni
Gen Con Indy 2014 preparations are well underway at the offices, and next year, Gen Con will expand its convention center presence once again to accommodate the rapidly growing show. Next year’s Gen Con will take place August 14-17 at the Indiana Convention Center.
Badge Pre-Registration will open on January 26 at noon (Eastern), and will remain open until June 29. Hotel Registration will begin on January 28. Save the date!
These super-soft burnout hoodies (pictured above) are only available in limited quantities, so don’t miss out on getting yours while you can. Treat yourself or surprise the gamer on your holiday list today!
Key Event Submission notes:
GDC Taipei Summit 2013 will be held December 5-6 with onsite registration available, and we’re highlighting some of the major talks from DeNA, Sony, Tencent, Unity, Ubisoft, and more.
The GDC Taipei Summit, now in its second year, is organized by Gamasutra parent UBM Tech in association with UBM Asia, also co-creators of the recent GDC China event – as well as the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taiwan Game Industry Promotion Alliance.
The event will be held at the Taipei International Convention Center on December 5-6, 2013, and continues to be the premier professional conference for the creators of games and interactive entertainment in Taiwan. Each event pass will include access to all sessions, breakfasts, lunches, coffee breaks, and the conference dinner for the two-day program.
This year’s full agenda is now available online and includes newly announced sessions from internationally renowned teams:
*Namco Bandai producer Hideo Baba on “The importance of game themes and message for creating new console game experience and narrative”
*Tencent’s Hou Xiaonan on “Tencent’s open strategy for mobile platforms”
*CyberConnect2 director Yohei Ishbashi and operating officer Taichiro Miyazaki on “Japanese Manga and Anime based Titles Artwork”
*Blizzard lead writer Brian Kindregan on “How Hard Could It Be? The Story of a Cinematic”
These talks join previously announced sessions from industry leaders:
*Sony Japan’s Eitaro Nagano and Unity product evangelist Kelvin Lo on “Unity for PlayStation”
*Crystal Dynamics sound designer Alex Wilmer on “Scoring Tomb Raider: The Music of the Game”
*Ubisoft senior art director Liu Yan Feng on “The level art of Splinter Cell Blacklist”
*DeNA China strategy office producer Seigen Ko on “How to apply well-known Intellectual Property for your game”
*PopCap Games senior producer Wang Wei on Plants vs. Zombies in “Zombies in Wonderland”
*Gameloft vice president Yu Fei “How to create and operate the online game– share experience of Heroes of Order and Chaos”
These are just a small sample of the sessions scheduled for the multi-tracked, two-day event. For the latest information on GDC Taipei Summit 2013, be sure to follow the the official event website.
For updates on all Game Developers Conferences, subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
The latest issue of Casual Connect Magazine is in! Check it out here:
For those game industry folks interested in game QA and localization (with an interest in Cyber Monday-style deals, too), this sort of news just might be your cup of tea. On the top of the fold of the landing page for the The Game QA and Localization San Francisco Forum 2013 website, a discount pass offer is extended for potential attendees.
The standard price is $499 pass for a Developer/Publisher Pass, but until midnight of Monday, December 2nd, this pass option is available for $199 when registering with the discount code “CyberGameQA”. Follow this link if you would like to register.
The Game QA and Localization San Francisco Forum 2013 takes place December 10-11 in San Francisco at the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel. This conference organizers announced the event will “bring together QA and Localisation Managers, Directors and VPs from game developers around the world to discuss some of the key challenges faced on a daily basis.”
Events For Gamers is a media partner of the Game QA and Localization San Francisco 2013 Forum.
There are several daily reviews and photo blog posts from the recent 2013 conference. Check them out here!
From Run DMT: There are four reasons to make Social Fresh the social media conference you will want to attend this April.
1.A Single Track – It’s one room and one experience. There’s no guessing which speaker is best and making a “wrong choice”. There’s no divide and conquer approach with your colleagues and report back technique necessary. All the great speakers are in one room so you don’t miss anything.
2.No Panel – Rather than all four to five speakers on stage discussing relevant topics while trying to speak over one another, Social Fresh offers one speaker at a time to discuss a topic or topics relevant to them. The speakers own the value of their session and they own the value they bring you.
3.30-Minute Sessions – Social Fresh offers short concise sessions with experts and challenge their speakers to bring their best content, insights and tips. With 30 minute sessions, Social Fresh keeps the energy level high and keeps the pace of the day moving.
4.Group Learning – Social Fresh offers many opportunities for its attendees to network with the diverse audience it attracts to its unique social media learning environment. With working together opportunities, several breaks and an interact exhibit, Social Fresh fosters an engaging learning environment. Plus, after the social media conference the networking and learning continues at the Social Fresh Happy Hour events. Social Fresh also hosts a Facebook group for all attendees to continue sharing and learning. To take the learning one step further, Social Fresh offers Fresh Storm, a brainstorming media competition opportunity that provides hands-on, interactive learning and training with a real-world application of social media.
Read more at deniseisrundmt.com.
With the increased proliferation of game-capable devices, higher population of gamers and more demanding consumers, Quality Assurance has never been more important in the gaming industry.
Whether it be for console, PC, mobile, online or social, the playability and game experience can now define a game’s success – or failure. Large developers may take a hit in revenue and/or reputation, but for small-to-mid-sized studios it can be make-or-break.
The Game QA & Localisation 2013 forum is the world’s first two-day forum that is entirely dedicated to (surprisingly) QA and localisation within the gaming industry.
Taking place in London, United Kingdom, on June 25 – 26th 2013, the forum will bring together QA and Localisation Managers, Directors and VPs from game developers around the world to discuss some of the key challenges faced on a daily basis.
Read more about Game QA & Localization on gamingqa.com.
From About.com: Games for Change’s 10th Annual Festival occupied NYC’s World Stages for three days from June 17 to 19, wrapping its series of panel discussions, workshops and keynote presentations featuring Google honcho Michael T. Jones, Brenda Romero, Jesse Schell, Leigh Alexander, Eric Zimmerman, Ian Bogost, Robin Hunicke and others, with the presentation of juried awards to game developers in four categories:
• Most Innovative: Blindside, developed by Epicycle for Mac, PC, iOS, is a fully-immersive 3D audio adventure inspired by one of the creators’ personal story of being temporarily blinded in a high school chemistry accident. It positions players in a world they’ll never be able to see. The project was funded by a vigorous and successful Kickstarter campaign. The Most Innovation Award exemplifies the use of creativity and technical experimentation in a manner that may pave new ways for “games for change,” including unique game design, new technology, or reach to new audiences.
• Best Gameplay: Reach for the Sun, developed by Filament Games for the Web, gives players the tools to help a young seedling grow and reproduce before winter comes. The game teaches about the intellegence of the bio-machine that mixes starch, nutrients and water to fuel growth of leaves, roots, and petals. The project was funded by the US Department of Education. The Best Gameplay Award winner exemplifies highly compelling and engaging game play that aligns with and reinforces social issue goals, and is also polished in design, functionality, and thematic execution.
• Most Significant Impact: Data Dealer, developed by Cuteacute Media OG for the Web, raises awareness about privacy issues by having participants collect, collate and sell personal data by tracking Web sites dedicated to seemingly innocuous activities such as dating. The project was funded by several Viennese and Austrian government agencies supporting the arts and culture. The Most Significant Impact Award goes to a game that best exemplifies impact on a specific social issue with proven actions/outcomes.
• Game of the Year: Quandary, developed by Learning Games Network for Mac and PC, has players shaping the future of a new society while learning how to identify ethical issues and deal with challenges in their own lives. This is the latest project from Learning Games Network, which grew out of MIT’s The Education Arcade, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin’s Games+Learning+Society Program. The Game of the Year Award is the most prestigious prize presented by Games For Change, and the winner best exemplifies excellence in Impact, Innovation, and Gameplay.
Additionally, Games for Change presented it’s first Game Changer Award to Jesse Schell, recognizing his significant contributions to the global gaming community and his work to inspire and mentor a new generation of game creators and creative game design.
Read more at About.com.
From SocialMediaStrategiesSummit.com: Imagine that you could turn the voice of your mobile navigation device into that of a celebrity. Wouldn’t that make your trip more entertaining if say, a well-known comedian, was cracking jokes while giving you directions? Well, that exact option has been made available by several app developers.
Waze, the world’s largest community-based navigation mobile app, has just released the first U.S. celebrity voice version featuring comedian actor Kevin Hart. The release is a partnership with Universal Studios to promote the upcoming film “Ride Along” which stars Kevin Hart alongside rapper turned actor Ice Cube. The app feature allows users to change the voice of their navigation to Kevin Hart. Users of the free app also have the option to purchase tickets for the movie directly through the app.
Read more at socialmediastrategiessummit.com.
Taipei Game Show (TGS), 2013, the largest gaming event in Taiwan has organized by the Taipei Computer Association. Over 300,000 visitors were attended during these five days and 400 booths were built up including domestic and international game developers and enthusiasts.
TGS organized “B2B Zone” for domestic and international game professionals, who were interested in investing in the Asia-Pacific region. The exhibitors came from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and other 18 countries, ranging from developers, operators, service providers, and accessory maker. They promoted their products and interacted with other participators, and almost 300 meetings happened in these five days.
TGS also organized “Forum: New Wave — future development of gaming industry in Taiwan” and “TGS Night” to boost more business opportunities and trigger new thoughts. With plenty activities, Taipei Game Show has become one of one of the must-visit event for both gamers and professionals.
With the great success, more and more international companies coming to TGS to explore the opportunities with game developers in Asia market.
“Taipei Game Show 2014” is scheduled to be held at Taipei World Trade Center January 23 to January 27.
Welcome to join us and see the great achievement of Taiwan game industry.
Exhibition Composition
Online Game / Console Game / Browser Game / Mobile Game / Arcade Game / Animation and Toy Figures / Edutainment / Gaming Products
Contact information: Ms. Sunny Chen/ sunny_chen@mail.tca.org.tw
The holiday spending spree starts this week with mobile user acquisition. Different this year is the marketing spend by mobile game companies, hoping to gobble up users at the close of the year. Early estimates suggest the cost of user acquisition will reach new heights this year. For 2013, we forecast the total mobile game market in the US at just over $3 billion, an increase from $2.4 billion a year earlier. But marketing spend is largely outpacing consumer spend. And for 99% of mobile game companies, that’s a problem.
Read more at superdataresearch.com.
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