Chris Swain

Closure - clever new Flash game (worth a play)

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:44:07 -0800

This is a platform puzzler game that makes very clever use of light and dark space. Highly recommended.

Play here: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/480006

Randy Pausch - 10/23/1960 – 07/25/2008

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:17:46 -0800

Randy Pausch co-founded the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon. He was a friend to IMD.
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/07/last-lecture-pr.html

really fresh Japanese mobile phone jam session app

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:22:29 -0800

I saw this gentleman from Taito demo this mobile phone music app at a conference recently and it was really fresh.

The music is coming out of his phone (hooked up to a loud speaker). Notice that he has a special sensor in his right hand. When he strums it across the phone guitar music comes out. He is timing his strums to make the music sound cool. He demo'd drums by shaking the phone like a drum stick. Evidently Taito is making a library of songs. Friends will be able to download different instrument tracks to the same song and have a group jam session. It's not clear to me how different tracks will sync together in a group.

Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund - Deadline May 15

Tue, 06 May 2008 10:57:23 -0800

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences is now accepting applications for the Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund for the 2008-2009 academic school year. The scholarship will provide four students with $2,500 in financial aid in preparation of entering the game industry.

Submission requirements, details, and the application form are all available in PDF via http://www.interactive.org

The deadline for submission is May 15.

CTIN 491 Advanced Game Project - The Winners

Thu, 01 May 2008 21:05:02 -0800

Please join me in congratulating the three winning teams for the 2008-2009 Advanced Game Project class. As you may know many teams submitted proposals in March, five finalists were chosen to present their work to a selection committee from USC and industry yesterday, three winning teams have been greenlighted to move forward. They are:
1) Minor Battle - Andre Clark and team
2) Runesingers - Ethan Kennerly and team
3) Reflection - Keith Co and team

Thanks to all the students who participated in this intensely competitive process. Congrats again to this year's winners.

CTIN 491 Advanced Game Projects - The Five Finalists

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:52:38 -0800

Thanks to all students who submitted proposals for the 2008-2009 Advanced Game Project process. The selection committee met Wednesday and reviewed all submissions in detail.

The five finalists in random order are:
1) Reflection – Keith Co
2) Minor Battle – Andre Clark
3) Runesinger – Ethan Kennerly
4) SpliceMeister – Joseph Spradley
5) Bloodlines – RJ Layton

Note that these finalists will present in person to the selection committee on April 30. Three winning projects will be greenlighted for production.

CTIN 491 Advanced Game Projects: Call for Proposals

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:04:00 -0800

CTIN/CSCI 491 is a two-semester advanced game project class administered collaboratively by the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Note that is course is also called CSCI 529 for Viterbi grad students.

Students bring their individual talents as designers, programmers, artists, writers, composers, producers, etc. together in cross-disciplinary teams. Mentors from industry and the faculty are integrated into the process from the start. Art assets are produced (as much as possible) for the 491 teams by separate students from the CSCI 281 Pipelines for Games class.

Completed student work will be promoted via coordinated effort by the university.

The goal is simple: USC strives to create the best student games in the world.

Video story about The Redistricting Game

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 11:21:07 -0800

I was interviewed by the good folks at WhyTuesday.org the other day. WhyTuesday is an activist organization that seeks election reform - especially any measure that would increase voter turnout by moving Election Day from a Tuesday (e.g. a workday) to the weekend or holiday (hence their name).

WhyTuesday has a relationship with YouTube wherein their videos are featured on YouTube's homepage on the day they are released. This video was on the homepage on August 10 and received lots of views.

great plug for USC on GameDAILY (despite some inaccuracies)

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:54:00 -0800

Here's an excerpt:
The growing partnership with Spielberg is beneficial for both sides. Young says, "Steven is a gamer and appreciates all kinds of games." That love of games has continued as Spielberg chairs the University of Southern California film school and EA helped to create USC's gaming program, headed by EA's chief creative officer, Bing Gordon.

Since then, USC students have received invaluable on-the-job training and several students have turned their part time roles into full-time employment while working on both projects. As Young closes, "USC students have a great deal of talent." If the Spielberg magic continues, that local talent might just help re-launch Spielberg's signature passion for gaming.

Full article here

fl0w on Penny Arcade, Feb 26-27

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:32:59 -0800

IGDA releases whitepaper about Alternate Reality Games

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:33:55 -0800

http://igda.org/arg/whitepaper.html

Game designer Doug Church - speaking Tuesday 11/7 @ 7 pm in the Interactive Media Lab

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 17:44:17 -0800

Well known game designer and industry thought leader, Doug Church will be speaking in CTIN 488 on Tuesday evening, 11/7. All in the IMD community are welcome.

The class starts at 7 pm. More about Doug and his work here

interesting broadband television happenings...

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:23:40 -0800

This article from TV Week talks about a bunch of mass-participation television shows that are coming out. They are essentially television shows that are distributed via broadband and include creative social networking features.

This article from the LA Times explains that broadband television programs (like the ones mentioned above) will be able to compete for Emmys directly against primetime and cable television shows starting next year.

Guest speaker 4/18: David Jaffe

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:28:57 -0800

Hi All. David Jaffe couldn't make his planned visit last Tuesday because of illness. He's recovered now and will be here Tuesday night 4/18 at 7 pm. He's speaking in CTIN 488. As I mentioned last week Jaffe is the creator/director of God of War and other hit titles. God of War was named 2005 Game of the Year by IGN, Gamespot, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Game Daily and others. Jaffe is a USC alum. All are welcome.

WHEN
Tuesday April 18, 7 pm

WHERE
Interactive Media Lab - Lucas G142

Guest Speaker 4/18: David Jaffe, Sony Computer Entertainment of America

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 07:34:19 -0800

Hi All. David Jaffe couldn't make his planned visit last Tuesday because of the stomach flu. He's recovered now and will be here Tuesday night at 7 pm. He's speaking in CTIN 488. As I mentioned last time Jaffe is the creator/director of God of War and other hit titles. God of War was named 2005 Game of the Year by IGN, Gamespot, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Game Daily and others. Jaffe is a USC alum. All are welcome.

WHEN
Tuesday April 18, 7 pm

WHERE
Interactive Media Lab - Lucas G142