Of Civ 4, Thief, Plots, and Time Travel
Several smart theoreticians associated with artificial intelligence (and me, a designer) will be presenting papers.
Hear about:
How AI of Thief could be modified to incorporate belief about other people's beliefs.
How Civilization 4 was modified to score citizen health and happiness.
July 12, in Pasadena
Workshop: "Logic and the Simulation of Interaction and Reasoning 2"
09.05-09.15 Opening
09.15-10.00 Michael Young: "The Representational Challenges of Fictional
Worlds"
10.00-10.30 COFFEE BREAK
10.30-10.50 Amitabha Mukerjee: "Discovering symbols from interactions
- easier than explaining interactions via symbols?"
10.50-11.10 Nadine Guiraud, Andreas Herzig, Emiliano Lorini: "Speech
acts as announcements"
11.10-11.30 Break
11.30-12.15 Lenhart Schubert: "From generic sentences to scripts"
12.15-14.40 Lunch Break
14.40-15.00 Jos Uiterwijk, Kevin Moesker: "Mathematical Modelling in TwixT"
15.00-15.30 COFFEE BREAK
15.30-15.50 Rafael PĂ©rez y PĂ©rez: "Emotions in Plot Generation"
15.50-16.10 Ethan Kennerly: "Computing Quality of Life in a Social
Management Game"
16.10-16.30 Ethan Kennerly, Andreas Witzel, Jonathan Zvesper: "Thief's
Beliefs"
16.30-16.50 Break
16.50-17.10 Martin Magnusson, David Landén, Patrick Doherty: "Logical
Agents that Plan, Execute, and Monitor Communication"
17.10-17.55 Leora Morgenstern: "Traveling Through Time and Logical AI:
Toward a Formal Theory of Time Travel"
http://www.illc.uva.nl/GLoRiClass/index.php?page=8_2
If you're interested, for better rates, register by June 12, 2009 at http://ijcai-09.org/
IMD Forum for 4/29/09: IMD Project Presentations
Time: Wednesday, April 29, 6-9pm
Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC),
Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)
Featuring Spring Semester Class Projects from :
- CTIN 405 Design and Technology for Mobile (Carter & Stein)
- CTIN 406 Sound Design for Games Â(Diamante)
- CTIN 483 Programming for Interactive Media (Brinson)
- CTIN 488 Game Design Workshop (Swain/Arey/Diamante)
- CTIN 484/489 Intermediate Game Design (Brinson & Fullerton)
- CTIN 501 Interactive Cinema (Kratky)
- CTIN 542 Interactive Experience Design (Bolas)
- CTIN 544 Experiments in Interactivity (Hoberman)
- CTIN 590 Directed Research (Bolas, Brinson, Hoberman, Fisher)
- Immersive Research Group (Bolas)
and more....
Food and Drink will be provided starting at 5:45.
***SCHEDULE below*****
Annual Games for Change Conference, May 27-29 NYC
For anyone interested in serious games, activism in games, learning in games, etc. the 2009 Sixth Annual Games for Change Festival is a must go. This Festival brings together the worldâs leading foundations, NGOs, game-makers, academics, and journalists to explore how best to harness this incredibly powerful medium to help address the most critical issues of our day, from poverty, climate change, global conïŹicts, to human rights.
This year's speakers include:
Sasha Barab, Professor in Learning Sciences, IST, and Cognitive Science, Indiana University
Ian Bogost, CEO of Persuasive Games and author of Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism
Heather Chaplin, journalist (NPR, NYT) and author of Smartbomb: The Quest for Art, Entertainment, and Big Bucks in the Videogame Revolution.
Nick Earl, General Manager of Electronic Arts Redwood Shores Studio
Mary Flanagan, Director of the Tiltfactor Lab
Tracy Fullerton, Director of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab and author of Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Designing Innovative Games
Judith Helfand, Independent filmmaker
John Nordlinger, Senior Research Manager, Microsoft
Ian Rowe, former head of Public Affairs at mTV
Katie Salen, Executive Director, Institute of Play; Associate Professor, Design and Technology Department, Parsons The New School for Design
Seth Scheisel, New York Times game critic and technology journalist
Kurt Squire, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Constance Steinkuehler, Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Clive Thompson, Contributor, The New York Times, Wired
Eric Zimmerman, Award-winning game designer, Co-author of The Rules of Play
New MEGA Leader Board
At our meeting last week, MEGA held Executive Board elections. The five leadership positions will be filled by a mix of Interactive Media and Computer Science students. Please help me congratulate the new team that I know will take this club to the next level.
President- Jared Greiner
Vice President - Gabriel Deyerle
Secretary - Michaela Morris
Treasurer - Mihir Sheth
Development Director - Rowan Belden-Clifford
We have two more meetings this semester. They will be on Friday April 24th and May 1st, in SCA 214 at 5pm. We are also planning on taking a field trip to either Activision or a Burbank game voice recording studio during stop days. This trip will only be open to MEGA members.
The good news is that anyone can become a MEGA member by completing our census. You will get access to our database of game developers and if completed today, you have the chance to win a free EA game of your choice!
Click here to complete the MEGA Census now
April 24th **Today**
Round Table and Raffle
+We are giving away a free game
+Jared is presenting a CTIN class Post-Mortem
+Jordan is deconstructing Noby-Noby Boy
May 1st **Last Meeting**
Special Guest Ian Dallas
+Ian is coming to talk about his IGF Finalist game The Unfinished Swan
IMD Forum for 4/22/09: Locative Media and Responsive Environments
Speakers: Lisa F. Grand, PhD Visiting Scholar (USC) and Jeff Watson, IMAP PhD Student (USC)
Time: Wednesday, April 22, 6-8pm
Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC),
Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)
Abstract: This presentation will explore the evolution and trajectory of ubiquitous computing technologies that enable designers to embed media artifacts and computational systems in physical space. By placing custom bar code glyphs, GPS/Google Earth markers, sensor systems or other smart-phone-readable triggers in physical locations, designers can create hyperlinks connecting real-world objects or places with a wide variety of media -- from video, audio and text content to dynamic data feeds and opportunities for interactions with both human and non-human agencies. Crucially, however, this layering practice does not stop at the level of the hyperlink or the traditional notion of Augmented Reality. Rather, designers are beginning to perceive opportunities for embedding responsive computational power in physical space, enabling environments to track, profile and communicate with their inhabitants, providing customized, adaptive and anticipatory user experiences. After surveying this nascent practice of layering information and computation atop and within physical space -- the latest step in the gradual disintegration of the boundary between the Real and the Virtual -- the presenters (Lisa F. Grand, Visiting Scholar and designer of the TRISH Responsive Environment, and Jeff Watson, IMAP PhD Student) will lead a discussion exploring the profound implications of these new technologies on the nature of entertainment, storytelling, game play, privacy, and social organization.
Zoe Beloff: Conjuring Specters @ REDCAT
FILM AT REDCAT PRESENTS
Zoe Beloff: Conjuring Specters
Mon Apr 27 | 8:30 pm
Jack H. Skirball Series
$9 [students $7, CalArts $5]
New York artist Zoe Beloffâs unique and mesmerizing films are philosophical toys: objects with which to think. Her work has especially borne on âphantoms,â on images that are ânot there,â and on a precinematic version of the virtual, created by means of a stereoscopic Bolex camera that produces spectral 3-D images. Shadowland Or Light From The Other Side, starring Kate Valk of The Wooster Group, locates a link between Victorian spiritualism and the birth of cinema in late-19th century âGhost Shows,â where actors interacted with magic lantern slides and stereoscopic views. Charming Augustine is an experimental narrative inspired by one of Charcotâs most famous patients at the SalpĂ©triĂšre in turn-of-the-century Paris. It explores connections between photographic documentation of hysteria and the prehistory of narrative film: Augustine captivates the doctors with her theatrical and photogenic hysterical attacks and in the process becomes a star, the âSarah Bernhardtâ of the asylum.
In person: Zoe Beloff
âBeloff exists as the consummate time traveler, floating between the two eras of cine-technology.â
Jeffrey Skoller, Shadows, Specters, Shards: Making History in Avant-Garde Film
LINK
IMD Forum for 4/15/09: âMobile Storytellingâ
Speakers: IMD's Mobile and Environmental Media Lab (Fisher, Stein, Watson, Gotsis, Kratky, Preuss, Carter, Yasuda)
Time: Wednesday, April 15, 6-8pm
Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC),
Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)
Title: âMobile Storytellingâ
Abstract: The overall objective of our Mobile and Environmental Media research program is to design and prototype new capabilities for unique entertainment and out-of-classroom educational opportunities available to anyone, at anytime with the added benefit of being embedded in the rich context of specific âplaceâ. The recent focus has been on content development for location-specific museum, game, and arts installations in which the âvirtualâ contents are embedded on site and perceived through mobile display or viewing devices. This presentation will describe several of the group's projects ranging from crowd-sourced cinema and mobile advertising to " Ambient Storytelling".
Device Art: A Japanese Approach to Media Art
Machiko Kusahara
Device Art: A Japanese Approach to Media Art
Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 6:00 pm
Device Art is a Japanese project that explores new ways of bridging art, design, technology, science and entertainment. Works by the team members vary from Maywa Denki's funny gadgets to Hiroo Iwata's Robot Tile (currently shown at the Milano Salone 2009) and Kazuhiko Hachiya's functioning "personal" jet glider inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's animation film. In theorizing the nature of Device Art elements of Japanese culture, such as the importance of "tools", the appreciation of playfulness, the continuity between art and entertainment, and the importance of popular culture become key issues.
The lecture will introduce the concept of Device Art and discuss questions it raises, accompanied by a wide selection of examples by Japanese artists and designers. Machiko Kusahara is a Visiting Scholar, UCLA, D|MA, Art | Sci Center and a Professor at Waseda University.
Link
Stone Librande's Game Design Lecture
Stone Librande, the Lead Designer on Spore, will be talking about game design on April 16th at Gamepipe. Having had the privilege of working with him, I'd highly recommend his lectures.
Information can be found here: http://gamepipe.usc.edu/USC_GamePipe_Laboratory/Seminars/Entries/2009/4/16_Designing_Playfully.html
His personal website is here: http://www.stonetronix.com/ and has some awesome discussions on game design
Via Kotaku
USC DS Game Playtesters Needed
The GDC IGF award winning Reflection team is play testing their latest build this Wednesday and Friday. We are looking for players of all experience levels to come play the game and give their feedback. Now is your chance to help polish a great USC developed game for the Nintendo DS. If you are interested please fill out this survey and we will contact you shortly.
Short Sign Up Survey
Reflection DS GDC 2009 Attract Loop from Hersh (Reflection) on Vimeo.
April 10th MEGA Meeting: 4pm SCA 214! FREE CANDY!!
This week Chris Swain will be giving his GDC talk on Game Metrics. We are also nominating people for the executive board elections being held later this month.
++Plus Member Generated Content++
MadWorld Deconstruction
CTIN 488 Project Post-Mortem
Flash Workshop
Come to SCA 214 @4pm, enjoy some free GooGoos and have a MEGA Friday!
MEGA Facebook
IMD Forum for 4/8/09: Ulla-Maaria Engeström
Speaker: Ulla-Maaria Engeström, Thinglink.Org
Time: Wednesday, April 8, 6-8pm
Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC),
Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)
Title: Thinglink: Web pages for design objects
Abstract: This presentation explores how tagging physical objects with personal stories can make them work as agents of social networking on the Internet. Thinglink is a free product code and an online catalog of design products that enables design enthusiasts to share photos and personal references of products with their friends. These photos and references link back to the catalogue forming a dialogue between designers, manufacturers and their products in the various real life settings. The presentation includes practical examples of creating ID stickers for artifacts and claiming a product in the Thinglink database.
Note: Thinglink is currently in private beta and it will open to public later this year. Ask for an invitation on thinglink.com.
Bio: Ulla-Maaria Engeström is a social media developer and columnist living in Palo Alto. Her works explores connecting physical artifacts to online communities of design and craft. Ulla-Maaria is the founder of Thinglink, a free product code and online catalog of design objects. In 2003-2006 she attended a graduate school at the University of Helsinki, Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work research, focusing on the development of collective design capabilities. In 2000-2002 she worked as the director of Institute for Design Research in Finland.
Blog: http://www.hobbyprincess.com
April 3rd MEGA Meeting: 5pm SCA 214! FREE Cookies!!
We are having our first MEGA meeting of the month this Friday, April 3rd from 5-6:30pm, in the new Cinema building (SCA 214) . Keith Co, the co-creator of the GDC IGF Next Great Mobile Game Reflection, will be our special guest. Our main discussion will be focused on submitting to independent games festivals. Specifically we will be talking about the upcoming festival Indiecade, an independent traveling showcase for games. MEGA is here to help give your game the best shot to getting selected. After our main discussion we will break into small focus groups and either playtest and brainstorm ideas that are member generated. The festival submission deadline is April 30th so if you are planning to submit anything, please come prepared with issues you have regarding mechanics, asset creation, polish, or the submission process. MEGA is going to devote the whole month of April to giving USC a strong showing this competition season!
Also we have new Announcements about:
-Activision Studio Tour
-Elections
-GDC
-DICE
-Our website
and much more!
++Bonus++
Unreal Workshop part 4
FREE Red Wagon Cookies!!!
IMD Forum for 4/1/09: "Tinkering"
(Generated by Wordle)
Discussion leaders: Bryan Jaycox & Sean Plott
Time: Wednesday, April 1, 6-8pm
Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC),
Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)
Discussion Topic: Tonight's seminar will focus on the topic of "Tinkering" raised in the previous two seminar presentations by John Underkoffler and Peter Brinson. Logs for the backchannel discussion can be reviewed on the respective talk announcements..
Abstract: In the modern age, the rapidly changing knowledgebase of technology is quickly outpacing our human ability to assimilate it. No longer is it possible to simply acquire a skillset and practice it in stagnation. In the rapidly evolving face of technology we must continuously adapt to stay on top of the curve. In this environment of changing technology learning how to learn for oneself and find knowledge becomes a much more valuable skill than simply learning artifacts of knowledge themselves. Tinkering is a way for us to learn how to learn through physically doing and dabbling in everything. It is a means for sparking interest in learning through exploration rather than textbook studies, and an opportunity for us as artists to open up into new expressive forms from biology to philosophy to engineering. This talk will cover tinkering as a new mode for learning and artistic expression in areas ranging from bioart, LED music boxes and circuit bending, to Henry Jenkins and education.
Required Readings/Watchings:
1. " Reflections on Tinkering", blog post by Alex Pang
2. John Seely Brown YouTube video: "Tinkering as a Mode of Knowledge Production"
3. Explore these two Tinkering websites:
- "Reed Ghazala's Art of Circuit Bending".
- "The Biotech Hobbyist"
Optional:
1. "The Social Construction of Knowledge in Digital Media: Three Perspectives"
by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown (on IMD wiki under CTIN 511 class)
2. Henry Jenkins YouTube video on Convergence Culture.
Future of (Mediated) Scholarship workshop this Friday
The Future of (Mediated) Scholarship workshop series for graduate students continues this Friday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m. with Session 3: Presentation Zen, a multi-session workshop on various strategies and tools for creating and delivering media-rich presentations. The workshop takes place at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy at 746 W. Adams Blvd. Lunch will be provided.
Questions? Please email Holly Willis. RSVPs appreciated.
IMD (& DADA) Forum for 3/25/09: Eric Goldberg
Speaker: Eric Goldberg, Walt Disney Animation Studio
Time: Wednesday, March 25, 6:30 (sharp!) - 8:30pm
Location: Joint meeting with Digital Arts and Animation Seminar in SCA 108
Long-time Disney animator Eric Goldberg, well known for designing the Genie in Disney's Aladdin, will discuss character design in his presentation "Getting Character Out of Your Characters". He is the author of the recently published book, Crash Course in Animation.
Also featuring Pat Beckman, who is the WDAS Schools and Outreach Manager. Pat will provide students with preparation tips and tools for a career in the animation industry.
Samurai and games, re-designed
Alexei Othenin-Girard, game designer and fan of Japanese culture, discusses design at the Pacific Asian Museum during their Samurai Re-imagined series.
Saturday, March 21, 2-5pm. It's in Pasadena, four blocks from the gold line.
What role do emotions play in game decisions?
What makes a storyline interesting? What makes a reaction natural? What role do emotions play in game decisions?
These are some of the motivations behind the second workshop of Logic and the Simulation of Interaction and Reasoning (LSIR2). On July 12, this is part of the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) in Pasadena. IJCAI is sponsored in part by USC's Institute for Creative Technology (ICT) and Information Sciences Institute (ISI).
Have a well-articulated opinion? This July, want to speak in Pasadena? Submit your abstract by April 3.
SCA Student Org Fair! Today 11-2pm
Be sure to stop by and support MEGA at the "School of Cinematic Arts Student Organizations Fair" from 11 to 2pm today in the new Lucas building courtyard!
EVENT INFO:
Each SCA student organization will have a booth with representatives in attendance to answer any questions, distribute information and discuss the goals, events and priorities of their programs. We strongly encourage all students to join us in discovering new and different organizations within our SCA community. Meet students with similar interests, extend the breadth of your relationships and explore all the opportunities available to you as Cinematic Arts student.
Attendees will include:
African American Cinema Society (AACS)
Delta Kappa Alpha [DKA]
Entertainment Industry Network [EIN]
Makers of Entertaining Games Association [MEGA]
Queer Cut
SCA Ambassadors
SCFX - USC Special Effects Organization
Southern California Business Film Festival (SCBFF)
Trojan Film Society
Trojan Vision
Women of Cinematic Arts (WCA)
ZDC