VFS Game Design Expo

[Tami]

We will be attending this event, so all of you who aren't able to attend can count on full reports <img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... /smile.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\':)\' />

[img]http://www.killanet.net/uploads/gdxlogosmall.gif[/img]

About The [url=\"http://www.gamedesignexpo.com\"]VFS Game Design Expo[/url]

In 2007, Vancouver Film School (VFS) commemorates its 20th Anniversary in the entertainment arts industry. In celebration of our anniversary we are exploring innovative new ways to become more directly involved in the industries for which VFS educates the up-and-coming leaders of tomorrow. For the gaming industry this means establishing VFS and Vancouver as The Gaming Hub for incredible games and amazing talent.

VFS Game Design Expo will be held January 13th & 14th. Saturday, January 13th is Game Design Expo Industry Day where the focus is on bringing together industry game designers, writers, animators and executives to discuss relevant issues in the gaming industry. Speakers from all over North America will be in attendance to take about Designing for Play, Storytelling and Cinematics, and give us their take on the Future of Gaming.

Sunday, January 14th is the Game Design Expo Open House, focused on those people interested in learning more about getting into the gaming industry. The day will focus on the Award Winning Game Design program at VFS by giving guests an inside glimpse at the skills students learn here at VFS. Guests are invited to attend sample classes with Game Design instructors, and both faculty and alumni will be on hand to answer questions about the program.

The VFS Game Design program has quickly established itself as a premium education with many graduates entering the workforce with companies like Electronic Arts, BioWare, and Backbone Entertainment soon after graduation. The Game Design Expo is an opportunity for VFS to open its doors and allow the Game Design program to position itself as the center for game education in North America, and create a venue for independent game designers and companies to converge in a symposium setting to discuss and debate current topics in the field of Game Design and Development.

[b]Who Will Be Attending[/b][list]
[*]Gamers
[*]Industry Professionals
[*]Students of Game Design (or those thinking about it)
[*]And everyone passionate about games
[/list][b]About The Industry[/b][list]
[*]Total Video Game Industry Revenues, Worldwide $27.0 billion (2005)
[*]300+ Canadian Game Companies, 132 of which are in Vancouver (44%)
[*]Fastest growing industry across all sectors in the USA.
[*]Revenue from computer games now exceeds that from the Hollywood box office.
[*]Canada is the 6th largest game producer in the World
[*]Canada was the world leader in growth of global entertainment and media spending in 2003 where video game purchases jumped 18.7% in a year
[*]Telefilm Canada's New Media fund expanded from $9 million to $14 million for 2005-2006
[/list][b]Game Design Program[/b]
The Game Design program is a one-of-a-kind program that covers everything you’ll need to understand in order to be an asset to a game design team, including visual storytelling, game audio, level design, and motion capture. Working with other students and mentored by professional faculty, your final project will be taking a game prototype from concept to completion. Many of our Game Design alumni have been hired immediately after graduation (sometimes, even before!) at companies like BioWare, Backbone Entertainment, Propaganda Games, Next Level Games, and Electronic Arts.

[b]Saturday Schedule[/b]

Day One of our Game Design Expo features guest speaker lectures and panel discussions with the leading minds in Game Design and Development in North America. Big names in games from heavy-hitting companies like BioWare, Radical, EA, and Backbone will speak on hot topics like The Future of Downloadable Games and Designing for Play.

Industry Day is open to those in the game industry and the public. Tickets are $40 – less than the cost of a console game! – and give you complete access to all Industry Day events. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster. We’re also pleased to host game company booths all day in the Atrium. Representatives of top
companies will be on hand to discuss their company and hiring needs. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to chat with the top minds in Game Design.

Vancouver International Film Centre
1181 Seymour St.

9:00am - 9:30am Meet, greet, sign-in

9:30am -11:00am Keynote Speaker Games Grow Up: The Next Generation of Entertainment
Glenn Entis, Electronic Arts Senior Vice President, Chief Visual and Technology Officer

11:00am - 11:15am Break for setup

11:15am - 12:00pm Speaker #1 Designing for Meaningful Play
Eric Zimmerman, Gamelab Co-Founder & CEO

12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch

1:00pm - 1:45pm Speaker #2 Artist Skills for the Future Generation of Games
Mike Swanson, Gas Powered Games Studio Art Production Manager

1:45pm - 2:00pm Break for setup

2:00pm - 2:45pm Speaker #3 The Future of Downloadable Games
Jim Sink, Backbone Vancouver Business Development Manager

2:45pm - 3:00pm Break for setup

3:00pm - 3:45pm Speaker #4 Fun, A Natural History
Kevin Barrett, BioWare Corp. Director of Design

3:45pm - 4:00pm Break for setup

4:00pm - 5:30pm Panel Discussion
The Future of Gaming, Cinematics and Storytelling in Games, and Designing for Play
Moderator: Eric Zimmerman, Gamelab Co-Founder & CEO
Panelists:
Rory Armes, Electronic Arts Canada Senior Vice President and Group General Manager
Jay Balakrishnan, Beyond Virtual, Inc. CEO & Founder
Steve Bocska, Hothead Games Inc. Joint Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder
Douglas Alan Tronsgard, Next Level Games Inc. Chief Executive Officer
Kelly Zmak, Radical Entertainment President


[b]Sunday Schedule[/b]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007
NOON – 5PM
VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL – GAME DESIGN CAMPUS
420 Homer St.

Game Design at VFS opens its doors to you: come meet Head of Department Dave Warfield, take a deeper look at our program by attending sample classes with Game Design instructors, and check out the playable games created by VFS Game Design students. The day will also include a recruitment session open to all students of game design or animation at any institution. We’ll even set aside a little time for play. Our Open House is open to everyone interested in learning more about game design education. This event is free with [url=\"http://www.gamedesignexpo.com/form.php\"]registration[/url].

[b]Open House Highlights:[/b][list]
[*]Meet industry pros, take sample VFS Game Design classes
[*]Try the new Nintendo Wii, and enter a draw to win your own
[*]Be the first to hear about the $25,000 Game Design Scholarship sponsored by EA
[*]Play games created by VFS Game Design Alumni
[*]Exclusive session for VFS students & Alumni to see presentations from Eidos & THQ Inc
[/list][b]Guest Speaker Bios & Topics[/b]

[b]KEYNOTE[/b]

[u]Games Grow Up: The Next Generation of Entertainment[/u]
Glenn Entis – Senior Vice President, Chief Visual and Technology Officer, Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios

Glenn will examine the evolution of the film and game genres, their similarities and differences in the next gen world, and how UCAP technologies and character development are shaping the future of the games industry. Drawing from his rich experience in both film and games, Glenn will talk about the changes that are happening, and will have to happen, to see that next generation games reach a new level of believability and gameplay experience.

Glenn Entis Bio
Glenn is currently responsible for leading EA’s worldwide community of over 3000 talented artists and engineers. Prior to EA, he was CEO of DreamWorks Interactive, where he oversaw the development of the first titles in the Medal of Honor series. He joined Electronic Arts when EA acquired DreamWorks Interactive in 2000. Before joining DreamWorks in 1995, Glenn co-founded the pioneering animation studio Pacific Data
Images (now part of DreamWorks Animation). During his twelve years at PDI, Glenn wrote software, animated, produced, and held key management positions as the company grew. In 1998 he received Scientific and Technical Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work at PDI.

[b]SPEAKERS[/b]

[u]Designing for Meaningful Play[/u]
Eric Zimmerman - Co-Founder & CEO Gamelab
Everybody knows that a good game is fun to play. But what exactly is “fun” and how do we design it into our games? In this talk, Eric explores some of the fundamental elements of games, including rules and play, systems and emergence, and player interaction. To play a game is to make choices within the system that the designer created, and a game becomes “fun” when those gameplay choices are meaningful to players. Using examples of games both on and off the computer, Eric will discuss common game design pitfalls and how to design games that maximize enjoyment and engagement.

Eric Zimmerman Bio
Gamelab, Eric’s New York-based game development company, was recently named one of 5 “Rising
Star” design firms by HOW Magazine. Gamelab’s games, which include Diner Dash, Subway Scramble, BLiX, LOOP, LEGO Junkbot, FLUID, and Arcadia, have won awards from the Independent Games Festival, ID Magazine, Art Directors Club, ARS Electronica, as well as finalist nominations in the Webby Awards and the IGDA Developers Choice Awards. Eric regularly lectures on the subjects of game design and interactive narrative design. He has also been frequently published on the topic, and is the co-author of Rules of Play (with Katie Salen), published my MIT Press in 2003.

[u]Artist Skills for the Future Generation of Games[/u]
Mike Swanson – Studio Art Production Manager, Gas Powered Games
Mike will discuss the next generation of game artist: the skills they will need and the job opportunities available to them; how the tools artists use now will evolve – both on the commercial and proprietary level; and what current and future game artists can do to prepare for this artistic paradigm shift in game visual development. He’ll also share an exclusive preview (cinematics as well as gameplay) of the much-anticipated Supreme Commander, which he will use as a reference when discussing the future of game art.

Mike Swanson Bio
Mike has been part of the games industry for over 15 years. Before joining Gas Powered Games in
Seattle, he worked for several major publishers including Electronic Arts Canada, LucasArts Entertainment, and Take Two Interactive. Mike has also lectured on game art and animation creation throughout China and Taiwan as well as at several events in North America. His many credits include Supreme Commander, Armed and Dangerous, Galactic Battlegrounds, SSX, and Triple Play (97-99) PC, PSX.

[u]The Future of Downloadable Games[/u]
Jim Sink – Business Development Manager, Backbone Vancouver
Where we’ve been and where we’re headed: detailed analysis of current trends in downloadable content, different strategies for bringing downloadable games to the marketplace, and how Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo’s contrasting strategies will change how we buy and sell games.

Jim Sink Bio
Jim is a game designer and the business development manager for Backbone Entertainment, the most prolific developer for Xbox Live Arcade. He is currently involved with a number of unannounced Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 downloadable titles. His credits include the Xbox Live Arcade games Contra, Frogger, Yie Ar Kung Fu and Rush ‘n Attack, as well as Sonic Rivals PSP.

[u]Fun, A Natural History[/u]
Kevin Barrett – Director of Design, BioWare Corp.
When a person is asked why they play games, invariably the response is: “Because they’re fun.”
It’s easy to list examples of fun things—and much harder to define what “fun” actually is. In this presentation, Kevin will conjure up a deeper understanding of fun by studying its evolutionary roots. Audience members should take away a foundational understanding of what their players hope to find fun in game designs.

Kevin Barrett Bio
Kevin Barrett is the Director of Design at BioWare Corp. based in Edmonton, Alberta. BioWare is a
world-renowned leader in the development of electronic role-playing games. Kevin is an industry veteran who has worked on electronic and adventure games for over 20 years. He has lectured to numerous academic and industry groups on the subjects of game design and development, and is an active supporter of bringing new, emerging talent into the world of games. Kevin’s credits include Mage Knight, Silent Death, Space Master, Cel Damage, and XNA Crash.

[b]PANEL DISCUSSION[/b]

The Future of Gaming, Cinematics and Storytelling in Games, and Designing for Play

[u]PANELISTS[/u]

[b]Rory Armes[/b] – Senior Vice President and Group General Manager, Electronic Arts Canada
Rory has been involved in the games industry for close to 20 years. He joined Distinctive Software in 1988, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in 1991. Rory left the company to co-found Radical Entertainment in 1992, then returned to EA in 1998 and rejoined the Burnaby studio operations. From 2004 to 2006, Rory was responsible for EA’s UK studios, where he oversaw the development of titles such as Burnout, Harry Potter, and Black. He also was a key leader in the development of EA’s Montreal studio and continued to oversee its growth as GM. Rory returned to Electronic Arts Canada in October of 2006 to serve as Group GM for EA’s three Canadian studios.

[b]Jay Balakrishnan [/b]– CEO & Founder, Beyond Virtual, Inc.
Jay has been in the gaming industry since 1982. Until recently, he was the Executive Producer at
Radical Entertainment here in Vancouver, where he was head of all game production and led the
releases of games like Incredible Hulk 2: Ultimate Destruction, Scarface, Crash Bandicoot: Tag Team Racing, and both CSI: Las Vegas and CSI: Miami for PC. Before that, Jay was Senior Director at WildTangent, and led the development and production of games such as Men in Black 2: Crossfire, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and SabreWing 1 and 2 (finalist for “Game of the Year” at GDC’s 2001 Independent Games Awards). Jay recently formed his own game development company.

[b]Steve Bocska[/b] – Joint Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder, Hothead Games Inc.
Steve has experience as a producer, game designer and manager. He also brings extensive business consulting and operations management experience as well as award-winning strategic planning skills. Steve has a wealth of industry experience and knowledge from working in a number of production and management roles for Disney Interactive and Radical Entertainment (Vivendi Universal Games). During his MBA at the University of Victoria, he became highly versed in the New Venture Template opportunity assessment methodology. Steve has advised and consulted for over 100 business startups, organizations, partnerships and sole proprietorships in the roles of business planner, strategic planner, market analyst and operations consultant. Steve’s credits include Simpsons: Hit & Run (XBox/GC/PS2), Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit II (PS2), Buzz Lightyear (PC/Mac) and CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and CSI: Dark Motives for PC.

[b]Douglas Alan Tronsgard[/b] – Chief Executive Officer, Next Level Games Inc.
Douglas entered the New Media industry more than seven years ago as a game Producer. At Black Box Games, Mr. Tronsgard oversaw development of several critically and commercially successful NHL-branded hockey videogames (NHL 2K, NHL Hitz 20-03, NHL Hitz 20-04). With the acquisition of Black Box Games by Electronic Arts in 2002, he struck out with his 3 partners as co-founders of Next Level Games Inc. Douglas was recently nominated for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Emerging Entrepreneur and Next Level Games has been nominated for the upcoming BC Import and Export Awards.

[b]Kelly Zmak[/b] – President, Radical Entertainment
Kelly joined Radical Entertainment in 2005 and is responsible for the day-to-day studio operations, working closely with the company’s senior management team to produce high quality successful products. He is also responsible for developing and implementing the company’s strategic operating plan. Kelly brings with him over 20 years of game industry experience. Previously, he was the Vice President, Product Development for VUG Northwest-Northeast where he was responsible for the administration and supervision of all studio operations. His credits are numerous and include Scarface: The World is Yours (PS2, Xbox, PC), Crash Tag Team Racing (PS2, Xbox, PSP), Half-Life 2 (PC), and SWAT GST (Xbox, PS2).

[b]PANEL MODERATOR[/b]
Eric Zimmerman – Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, Gamelab

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Sarah Richards
Public Relations Specialist, Marketing
Vancouver Film School
T. 604.631.3562
E. sarah[at]gamedesignexpo.com
TF. 1.800.661.4101
www.vfs.com

[Josh]

I want to go -.-