Torc Gets Interactive – 2

Currently Torc has three business strands: middleware, the varsity support programme and the development or content studio. Their middleware business revolves around the Instinct Engine, which they took to GDC 2004 in tandem with Havok and which gamedevelopers.ie feature readers should be familiar with. They plan to launch the engine commercially early next year, probably at GDC 2005 and they are working with a couple of hardware vendors currently, but unfortunately they wouldn’t name names. Chris, Brian and Pete gave an interesting overview of the technical specifications, modelling, animation, and texturing capabilities of the Instinct Engine and an insight into techniques development companies will need to employ moving forward into the next-generation.

Through Wendy, their varsity programme seems to be taking off and having used the NWIFE courses in Derry as a test bed for their engine and supporting educational materials this past year they will be working with UCG in 04 and are talking to 14 other colleges in Ireland. This work involves both advising colleges to create state of the art courses and developing a version of their engine which is geared towards students and which can be licensed to them. Torc are also partnering with the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Queens University on a research and development project. They view their work with education as both helping to grow the industry more generally in Ireland as well as ensuring there is an adequate talent pool to fulfil their own future skill needs.

The third strand of their business is what a lot of people in the audience wanted to hear about. This is their game development studio and currently a small number of the middleware team and some contractors are working on some demos and a mini-game for clients. Torc hopes that based on the technical expertise they have built up over the past number of years – the beginnings of the company actually date back to 1999, although the company was formally established in late 2002 – the contacts they have established with people in the industry and the pool of talent they are actively involved in creating they will be scaling up their game development team in 2005. That news brought a smile to many peoples faces!

Part of the company’s preparation for growth is to hire a ‘Producer’ and in case you haven’t heard it on the grapevine, Tony Kelly, formerly of Intel, will be moving to Torc in the next month to take up this position. Tony gave us some insights into the game business and how Torc plans to grow in terms of future hiring needs should either contract or original IP projects come to pass. Torc currently employ 15 people. Should they secure a publishing deal in 2005 they will be expanding to somewhere between 25 to 40 approximately – depending on the type of game project.

In other words, they will probably be hiring a couple more people this year and if things go according to plan, and they secure a publishing deal, they may be expanding rapidly in the next 24 months or so.

As I left the building another remark circulated in my head – ‘experience isn’t everything if you are outrageously talented!’ That should provide some hope to those who are currently hoping to get into the industry in Ireland.

More info:

Eirplay Deal – 2

To read the full story:
news/news.nv?uid=&sid=&storyid=single3423click here

Torc Gets Interactive

Currently Torc has three business strands: middleware, the varsity support programme and the development or content studio. Their middleware business revolves around the Instinct Engine, which they took to GDC 2004 in tandem with Havok and which gamedevelopers.ie feature readers should be familiar with. They plan to launch the engine commercially early next year, probably at GDC 2005 and they are working with a couple of hardware vendors currently, but unfortunately they wouldn’t name names. Chris, Brian and Pete gave an interesting overview of the technical specifications, modelling, animation, and texturing capabilities of the Instinct Engine and an insight into techniques development companies will need to employ moving forward into the next-generation.

Through Wendy, their varsity programme seems to be taking off and having used the NWIFE courses in Derry as a test bed for their engine and supporting educational materials this past year they will be working with UCG in 04 and are talking to 14 other colleges in Ireland. This work involves both advising colleges to create state of the art courses and developing a version of their engine which is geared towards students and which can be licensed to them. Torc are also partnering with the Sonic Arts Research Centre in Queens University on a research and development project. They view their work with education as both helping to grow the industry more generally in Ireland as well as ensuring there is an adequate talent pool to fulfil their own future skill needs.

The third strand of their business is what a lot of people in the audience wanted to hear about. This is their game development studio and currently a small number of the middleware team and some contractors are working on some demos and a mini-game for clients. Torc hopes that based on the technical expertise they have built up over the past number of years – the beginnings of the company actually date back to 1999, although the company was formally established in late 2002 – the contacts they have established with people in the industry and the pool of talent they are actively involved in creating they will be scaling up their game development team in 2005. That news brought a smile to many peoples faces!

Part of the company’s preparation for growth is to hire a ‘Producer’ and in case you haven’t heard it on the grapevine, Tony Kelly, formerly of Intel, will be moving to Torc in the next month to take up this position. Tony gave us some insights into the game business and how Torc plans to grow in terms of future hiring needs should either contract or original IP projects come to pass. Torc currently employ 15 people. Should they secure a publishing deal in 2005 they will be expanding to somewhere between 25 to 40 approximately – depending on the type of game project.

In other words, they will probably be hiring a couple more people this year and if things go according to plan, and they secure a publishing deal, they may be expanding rapidly in the next 24 months or so.

As I left the building another remark circulated in my head – ‘experience isn’t everything if you are outrageously talented!’ That should provide some hope to those who are currently hoping to get into the industry in Ireland.

More info:

Eirplay Deal

To read the full story:
news/news.nv?uid=&sid=&storyid=single3423click here

Investnet Event – Mobile Content

Investnet in association with Wireless Wednesday present a breakfast briefing:

Delivering mobile content: Realising content delivery revenue opportunities, Now!

Time: 8am – 10.30am
Location: The Adams Suite, The Shelbourne Hotel, Stephens Green, Dublin 2.
Admission: Euro 40 per person group discount available

To register please contact David Neville mailto:dneville@firsttuesday.iedneville@firsttuesday.ie

Presentations from:

Campbell Scott, Product Director http://web.o2.ie/http://web.o2.ie (O2)

Jonathan Geoghegan, Director, Product Management (Anam)

John O’Shea, Commercial Director zamano/default.aspwww.zamano.com (Zamano)

Gavin Henrick, Managing Director, Technology Division www.operatelecom.com (Opera Telecom)

Presentations will be followed by a panel Q&A session.

For further information on this event click here:
events/eventsb.htmlwww.firsttuesday.ie/events/eventsb.html

Innovation And Creativity In Enterprise

‘Innovation and Creativity in Enterprise’ will be taking a closer look at three animation based companies currently located at Digital Hub and investigate how creativity can work in business.

Venue: The Digital Hub Development Agency, 10 -13 Thomas Street,
Dublin 8
Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm
These talks are free of charge and all are welcome.

Speakers:
Peter Lynch – EirplayGames www.eirplaygames.com
Andrew Kavanagh – Kavaleer www.kavaleer.com
Alan Quigley – Boulder Media www.bouldermedia.tv

For more information on speakers please visit:

www.thedigitalhub.com

Digital Hub Development Agency
10 – 13 Thomas Street
The Digital Hub
Dublin 8

T: 01 4806200
F: 01 4806201
e: mailto:exhibit@thedigitalhub.comexhibit@thedigitalhub.com

Technology Roadmap For Korean Broadband

Title: Technology Roadmap for Korean Broadband: fixed wire and mobile

Time: 14:30
Location: Rooms 1&2 Enterprise Ireland, Merrion Hall, Strand Road, Dublin 4.
Admission free, book early.

The Korean broadband and mobile market has taken off in recent years, This event looks at the following:
*What are they doing with that infrastructure, what’s next and how are they using it?
*What applications, content and services are commercially successful?
*What is their likely evolution in the short to medium term?

Jae-Bong Bae, Partner, Communications Segment, Accenture, Korea will discuss.

To book a place, email your details to
mailto:techroadmap@enterprise-ireland.comtechroadmap@enterprise-ireland.com before Friday 25th June 2004 or visit http://www.irc-ireland.ie/events.aspwww.irc-ireland.ie/events.asp for further details.

Carlow It To Launch Degree In Computer Games Development – 2

It’ll take you about an hour and a half from Dublin to get to the Institute of Technology in Carlow, or so I was told. That didn’t take into account the road works and the rain. Drive into Carlow and follow the signs for the Kilkenny Road. It is a fairly unassuming place from the outside but inside there was art works on show for the Éigse art festival, lego robots on the floor and transition year students being taught how to programme simple games. There is a nice buzz about the place for a college during the summer.

The people behind the degree in Computer Games Development include, Joesph Kehoe, acting head of the Department of Computing, Physics and Mathematics, Ross Palmer and Noel O’Hara, both lecturers in the school. The obvious question to ask them is why a games course and why in Carlow?

Ross – ‘Well it was Joseph’s idea originally. We were having a department strategy meeting I suppose about a year and a half ago and we were generally talking about the drop in numbers … so Joe suggested we run a course in computer games. We were aware that there were plenty of courses in the UK but there didn’t seem to be anything in Ireland.’

So along with many other Schools of Computing in the state the IT in Carlow was experiencing a drop in numbers entering their computer courses and saw games as a way of addressing this. They also felt that they had the networking, software engineering, maths and physics skills to run such a course. None of the current full time staff have any research or teaching interests specifically in games but it is hoped that any knowledge deficits can be addressed through in service training.

image2
L-R: Head of School, Joseph Kehoe and Ross Palmer.

If the course is approved this week by the Department of Education it will take in 30 students this Autumn. Interested students can use the direct entry facility of the CAO to apply to the course even for this year and basic entry requirements are 2 Hons and a B in pass Maths. If accepted students can expect to study programming, computer architecture, computer graphics, applied mathematics and computer games in first year. It is quite Maths heavy but a course called ‘Computer Games’ – now what does that course entail?

Ross again. ‘They play as many games, different genre games on different platforms, .. as possible. They do critical reviews of these games that they play from the point of view of the interface, playability, all aspects really. I think this is the one real subject that they will really like in first year. It is a heavy enough going course, there is a lot of maths in the course so computer games is a way of getting a balance in there.’ Unfortunately there are no play rooms with comfy couches being planned. And will the staff be playing all these games? Well one of the recommendations of the review panel was that there should be gaming sessions for staff.

After year one, there are three more years. Programming (C++) is a subject in all years and games engineering is studied in year two and three. There is a visual stream which offers 3D graphics and audio in year one, two, and three and AI in year four. Applied Physics, Human Computer Interaction, Online Gaming Technologies and practical projects will keep the students busy while in year four a module called Programming for Games Devices will give students a taste of mobile and other gaming platforms.

In year 3 students go on a six month work placement. Do they have any worries about where the students will go on work placement and where they will find jobs on completion of the course given the size of the industry in Ireland? Ross explained that people coming off the course will have three main skills sets; graphics, programming and maths and people will be able to work as dedicated programmers in any type of games company when they graduate. The first job placements will be needed in three years time and if the industry is as small as it is now Ross admits they will clearly have to look to companies abroad.

The design of the course is based on a lot of consultation with game companies in Ireland and analysis of game courses abroad. They received a letter of support from Havok and Microsoft’s Xbox team in Redmond examined the course proposals and made recommendations. In addition industry professionals were involved in the accreditation process with HETAC, who approves all courses in the ITs.

There is no major capital investment being made for this course as there is sufficient computer equipment currently for an intake of 30 students. By year 4 a dedicated laboratory will be made available to students. The main expenditure will be on gaming platforms, new journals, books and training. When asked about software and engines it was pointed out that a lot of the software needed for the course is freely available on the Internet.

In a college of 3,000 students the School of Computing has almost 600 students. They already offer certificates, diplomas and degrees in computers and networking and they see a games course as a natural development of their existing courses. And why would you do this course in Carlow? Well it is the only degree course with a programming focus available if you are coming out of secondary school this year and they are pushing the fact that Microsoft has been very supportive and will be taking some of their students on work placement. Anyway, it is all up to the Department of Education now- and we will let you know very soon how that goes.

Further information: www.itcarlow.ie

Address: Institute of Technology, Carlow,
Kilkenny Road, Carlow.

Contact person: Joseph Kehoe, Head of Department of Computing.
Tel: 059-917 0435

Carlow It To Launch Degree In Computer Games Development

It’ll take you about an hour and a half from Dublin to get to the Institute of Technology in Carlow, or so I was told. That didn’t take into account the road works and the rain. Drive into Carlow and follow the signs for the Kilkenny Road. It is a fairly unassuming place from the outside but inside there was art works on show for the Éigse art festival, lego robots on the floor and transition year students being taught how to programme simple games. There is a nice buzz about the place for a college during the summer.

The people behind the degree in Computer Games Development include, Joesph Kehoe, acting head of the Department of Computing, Physics and Mathematics, Ross Palmer and Noel O’Hara, both lecturers in the school. The obvious question to ask them is why a games course and why in Carlow?

Ross – ‘Well it was Joseph’s idea originally. We were having a department strategy meeting I suppose about a year and a half ago and we were generally talking about the drop in numbers … so Joe suggested we run a course in computer games. We were aware that there were plenty of courses in the UK but there didn’t seem to be anything in Ireland.’

So along with many other Schools of Computing in the state the IT in Carlow was experiencing a drop in numbers entering their computer courses and saw games as a way of addressing this. They also felt that they had the networking, software engineering, maths and physics skills to run such a course. None of the current full time staff have any research or teaching interests specifically in games but it is hoped that any knowledge deficits can be addressed through in service training.

image2
L-R: Head of School, Joseph Kehoe and Ross Palmer.

If the course is approved this week by the Department of Education it will take in 30 students this Autumn. Interested students can use the direct entry facility of the CAO to apply to the course even for this year and basic entry requirements are 2 Hons and a B in pass Maths. If accepted students can expect to study programming, computer architecture, computer graphics, applied mathematics and computer games in first year. It is quite Maths heavy but a course called ‘Computer Games’ – now what does that course entail?

Ross again. ‘They play as many games, different genre games on different platforms, .. as possible. They do critical reviews of these games that they play from the point of view of the interface, playability, all aspects really. I think this is the one real subject that they will really like in first year. It is a heavy enough going course, there is a lot of maths in the course so computer games is a way of getting a balance in there.’ Unfortunately there are no play rooms with comfy couches being planned. And will the staff be playing all these games? Well one of the recommendations of the review panel was that there should be gaming sessions for staff.

After year one, there are three more years. Programming (C++) is a subject in all years and games engineering is studied in year two and three. There is a visual stream which offers 3D graphics and audio in year one, two, and three and AI in year four. Applied Physics, Human Computer Interaction, Online Gaming Technologies and practical projects will keep the students busy while in year four a module called Programming for Games Devices will give students a taste of mobile and other gaming platforms.

In year 3 students go on a six month work placement. Do they have any worries about where the students will go on work placement and where they will find jobs on completion of the course given the size of the industry in Ireland? Ross explained that people coming off the course will have three main skills sets; graphics, programming and maths and people will be able to work as dedicated programmers in any type of games company when they graduate. The first job placements will be needed in three years time and if the industry is as small as it is now Ross admits they will clearly have to look to companies abroad.

The design of the course is based on a lot of consultation with game companies in Ireland and analysis of game courses abroad. They received a letter of support from Havok and Microsoft’s Xbox team in Redmond examined the course proposals and made recommendations. In addition industry professionals were involved in the accreditation process with HETAC, who approves all courses in the ITs.

There is no major capital investment being made for this course as there is sufficient computer equipment currently for an intake of 30 students. By year 4 a dedicated laboratory will be made available to students. The main expenditure will be on gaming platforms, new journals, books and training. When asked about software and engines it was pointed out that a lot of the software needed for the course is freely available on the Internet.

In a college of 3,000 students the School of Computing has almost 600 students. They already offer certificates, diplomas and degrees in computers and networking and they see a games course as a natural development of their existing courses. And why would you do this course in Carlow? Well it is the only degree course with a programming focus available if you are coming out of secondary school this year and they are pushing the fact that Microsoft has been very supportive and will be taking some of their students on work placement. Anyway, it is all up to the Department of Education now- and we will let you know very soon how that goes.

Further information: www.itcarlow.ie

Address: Institute of Technology, Carlow,
Kilkenny Road, Carlow.

Contact person: Joseph Kehoe, Head of Department of Computing.
Tel: 059-917 0435

European Dev Forum, Sept. 04. – 2

Irish developers can showcase their wares, learn more about their craft, and exchange ideas with fellow industry compadres at a new conference to be held in London, September 1st to 3rd 2004. The European Developers’ Forum: The Interactive Entertainment Conference is brought to us by TIGA, the Independent Games Developers’ Association.

Fred Hasson, TIGA CEO, reckons the Forum will be of direct interest to Irish developers. “The issues facing developers in Ireland are the same as in the rest of Europe – too little profit for too much work,” he says. “EDF will help you contemplate and resolve some of these (if not all) issues. You’ll also get a chance to meet others who you can discuss these issues with. EDF will be affordable and importantly we have a group of dedicated developers putting the programme together.”

The Forum’s Steering Committee includes developer notables such as Chris van der Kuyl (VIS & BAM!), Hermen Hulst (Guerrilla Games), Harald Riegler (Sproing), Ian Baverstock (Kuju), Jason Kingsley (Rebellion) and Mark Hewitt (Elixir).

“The conference will be similar to GDCE,” says Fred. “In fact our advisory group, currently designing the programme, is full of defectors from GDCE who want to do even better [than that conference]. So the core focus will be technical issues for programmers, artists and designers about 3rd gen technology, about doing things better and more efficiently, all wrapped up with some keynotes that put a perspective on where we are in the evolution of the industry.”

The European Developers’ Forum takes place alongside the European Games Network (EGN) at London’s Exhibition and Conference Centre (ExCeL). TIGA also has an exclusive agreement with the three-day event to create the TIGA International Content Market: a developers’ exchange with an ambitious programme of activity. This business forum will be hosted on the main floor of EGN, consisting of a mix of open plan meeting areas, low cost closed presentation rooms, private meeting rooms and demo areas.

“The TIGA International Content Market is a clearly focused event in which we line up third party publisher representatives who make the decisions on what games to buy. Irish developers can buy a booth and invite publishers to visit you to look at your new ideas. We hope that way you can potentially meet eight or so a day for the duration of three days.”

Does Fred expect The European Developers’ Forum to become an annual event?

“Absolutely. EDF must become an annual event. Next year the newly created European Developers Federation will have a lot more say on how it is run. This is an event which will be partly owned by the industry, rather than by a conference owner whose key ambition is to make money from the industry.”

European Games Network takes place alongside Game Stars Live, the consumer games show that runs from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th, September 2004, at ExCeL.

For further information please contact:
Fred Hasson
CEO
TIGA
Tel: 00447788-563723

More info:
http://www.tiga.org.ukhttp://www.tiga.org.uk
http://www.excel-london.co.ukhttp://www.excel-london.co.uk
http://www.gamestarslive.co.uk/http://www.gamestarslive.co.uk/

Shindig

Informal gathering of game developers, academics and those interested in games…drinking guaranteed, may be some dancing!

Venue: Upstairs in Toners pub on Baggott Street, Dublin.

Time: any time after 7.30 pm

European Dev Forum, Sept. 04.

Irish developers can showcase their wares, learn more about their craft, and exchange ideas with fellow industry compadres at a new conference to be held in London, September 1st to 3rd 2004. The European Developers’ Forum: The Interactive Entertainment Conference is brought to us by TIGA, the Independent Games Developers’ Association.

Fred Hasson, TIGA CEO, reckons the Forum will be of direct interest to Irish developers. “The issues facing developers in Ireland are the same as in the rest of Europe – too little profit for too much work,” he says. “EDF will help you contemplate and resolve some of these (if not all) issues. You’ll also get a chance to meet others who you can discuss these issues with. EDF will be affordable and importantly we have a group of dedicated developers putting the programme together.”

The Forum’s Steering Committee includes developer notables such as Chris van der Kuyl (VIS & BAM!), Hermen Hulst (Guerrilla Games), Harald Riegler (Sproing), Ian Baverstock (Kuju), Jason Kingsley (Rebellion) and Mark Hewitt (Elixir).

“The conference will be similar to GDCE,” says Fred. “In fact our advisory group, currently designing the programme, is full of defectors from GDCE who want to do even better [than that conference]. So the core focus will be technical issues for programmers, artists and designers about 3rd gen technology, about doing things better and more efficiently, all wrapped up with some keynotes that put a perspective on where we are in the evolution of the industry.”

The European Developers’ Forum takes place alongside the European Games Network (EGN) at London’s Exhibition and Conference Centre (ExCeL). TIGA also has an exclusive agreement with the three-day event to create the TIGA International Content Market: a developers’ exchange with an ambitious programme of activity. This business forum will be hosted on the main floor of EGN, consisting of a mix of open plan meeting areas, low cost closed presentation rooms, private meeting rooms and demo areas.

“The TIGA International Content Market is a clearly focused event in which we line up third party publisher representatives who make the decisions on what games to buy. Irish developers can buy a booth and invite publishers to visit you to look at your new ideas. We hope that way you can potentially meet eight or so a day for the duration of three days.”

Does Fred expect The European Developers’ Forum to become an annual event?

“Absolutely. EDF must become an annual event. Next year the newly created European Developers Federation will have a lot more say on how it is run. This is an event which will be partly owned by the industry, rather than by a conference owner whose key ambition is to make money from the industry.”

European Games Network takes place alongside Game Stars Live, the consumer games show that runs from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th, September 2004, at ExCeL.

For further information please contact:
Fred Hasson
CEO
TIGA
Tel: 00447788-563723

More info:
http://www.tiga.org.ukhttp://www.tiga.org.uk
http://www.excel-london.co.ukhttp://www.excel-london.co.uk
http://www.gamestarslive.co.uk/http://www.gamestarslive.co.uk/

Gdce 2004 Update – 2

The event takes place in Earl’s Court, London from August 31 to September 3 and promises to attract game designers, programmers, artists, producers and investors to share ideas.

Register at: index.aspwww.gdceurope.com/index.asp

Siggraph 2004

Event: SIGGRAPH 2004 Advanced Content for Game Developers
When: August 8-12 with an exhibition from 10-12
Where: Los Angeles

SIGGRAPH is a week-long conference taking in exhibitions on cutting-edge research, new techniques and technologies. The official website says:

"Molecular interiors, galactic visions, tomorrow’s visual effects.
Responsive machines, extra-human intelligence, alternative realities.
Code, concepts, mathematics, theories, applications.
World-class experts teach all this and more. Creative adventurers show 2004’s most advanced achievements in computer graphics and interactive techniques. And you acquire the inside data you need to succeed in this amazing industry. "

For full details of the programme:
http://www.siggraph.org/s2004/games/http://www.siggraph.org/s2004/games/

Gdce 2004 Update

The event takes place in Earl’s Court, London from August 31 to September 3 and promises to attract game designers, programmers, artists, producers and investors to share ideas.

Register at: index.aspwww.gdceurope.com/index.asp

Trinity College It Showcase

The event will include current projects by researchers in the Centre as well as students from the MSc (IT in Education) and will explore themes from primary and secondary education as well as the commercial sector.

Among the projects on demonstration will be:
*Drumsteps a music composition tool which was the focus of a recent BBC UK-wide completion culminating in a public performance with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (the software is currently being deployed in 100 "computer clubhouses" around the world)
* Lego robotics for teaching children with learning difficulties and adults
*Transition year digital video
*Primary school children as "game designers"
*Creative applications for mobile phones and PDAs

The event will run from 12 noon to 5pm.

Further details including attendance form can be found at:
http://www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/showcase2004/www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/showcase2004/

Tcd It Researcher/ Postgrad Showcase

Where:Regent House in Front Square, Trinity College
Time: 12-5pm

The Centre for Research in IT in Education in Trinity College Dublin showcases their work on Thursday June 10 in Regent House in Front Square.

The event will include current projects by researchers in the Centre as well as students from the MSc (IT in Education) and will explore themes from primary and secondary education as well as the commercial sector.

Among the projects on demonstration will be:
*Drumsteps a music composition tool which was the focus of a recent BBC UK-wide completion culminating in a public performance with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (the software is currently being deployed in 100 "computer clubhouses" around the world)
* Lego robotics for teaching children with learning difficulties and adults
*Transition year digital video
*Primary school children as "game designers"
*Creative applications for mobile phones and PDAs.

Further details including attendance form can be found at:
http://www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/showcase2004/www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/showcase2004/

Mle Open House Event

Event: Media Lab Europe Open House 013
Title: Changing Reality
Date: June 15, 2004
Location: Crane St., Dublin

Agenda:
08.15 – 09.00 Registration
09.15 – 09.30 Welcome Address Simon Jones, Managing Director, Media Lab Europe
09.30 – 10.00 Keynote 1 Matt Adams, Blast Theory "Uncle Roy All Around You"
10.00 – 10.30 Keynote 2 Rebecca Allen, Principal Research Scientist, Media Lab Europe
10.30 – 11.00 Coffee Break
11.00 – 11.25 Joe Paradiso, Co-Director, Things That Think, MIT Media Lab
11.25 – 12.40 Media Lab Europe research group introductions
12.40 – 12.50 Closing Comments
12.50 – 14.00 Lunch
14.00 – 17.30 Open House

For information on getting invitations for this event:

http://www.medialabeurope.org/events/event.php?id=11www.medialabeurope.org/events/event.php?id=11

Trinity College It Showcase – 2

The event will include current projects by researchers in the Centre as well as students from the MSc (IT in Education) and will explore themes from primary and secondary education as well as the commercial sector.

Among the projects on demonstration will be:
*Drumsteps a music composition tool which was the focus of a recent BBC UK-wide completion culminating in a public performance with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (the software is currently being deployed in 100 "computer clubhouses" around the world)
* Lego robotics for teaching children with learning difficulties and adults
*Transition year digital video
*Primary school children as "game designers"
*Creative applications for mobile phones and PDAs

The event will run from 12 noon to 5pm.

Further details including attendance form can be found at:
http://www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/showcase2004/www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/showcase2004/

Accessibility And Web:Seminar

The Research Institute for Networks and Communications Engineering (RINSE) at Dublin City University is hosting the last in its present series of seminars on Friday, June 11th , 2004 at 3.00 p.m in DCU Room HG19 . It will be followed by a wine reception.

Title: Accessibility: The Inclusive Web – One for Everyone in the Audience?
Presented by Dr. Barry McMullin, eAccessibility Lab, RINCE, DCU

Conference At Microsoft, Uk – 2

The event, held at the Microsoft Campus in Reading between 8-10 November, will have three keynote speakers (yet to be announced) and will concentrate on ten ‘special sessions in areas of current interest to games developers’.

Students will be permitted a reduced registration fee and the best papers, demos and competition winners will receive prizes from the sponsors. There will be spaces available for software providers and companies to show their latest packages, games, and books and give hands-on tutorials as well as recruitment opportunities.

Sessions will include the following topics:

1. Neural Networks in Games
2. Education for Games Design and Development
3. AI Tools – genetic algorithms, case-based reasoning, fuzzy systems,Markov processes, search algorithms
4. Intelligent agents – believable characters,
5. Tools and systems for Games / Virtual Reality (or Interaction)
Technologies for Games – games platforms, games engines, middleware,
sound,
interfaces and controllers, speech
6. Learning and Adaptation in Games – reinforcement leaning, machine
learning
7. Graphics Developments
8. Mobile and Multiuser Games
9. Games Design – creative aspects, art and design, modelling, animation, 3dsmax, Maya, interactive story-telling
10. Social/humanities aspects of games; gender issues, violence, usability, pervasive gaming.

For more information on the programme and submission of papers, visit the prelimary conference site at:

http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1822/cgaide.htmhttp://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1822/cgaide.htm

Intl. Conference On Computer Games

Dates: 8-10 Movember, 2004
Location: Microsoft Campus, Reading

The University of Wolverhampton has announced the hosting of a three-day games conference in November in association with Microsoft Academic.

The event, held at the Microsoft Campus in Reading between 8-10 November, will have three keynote speakers (yet to be announced) and will concentrate on ten ‘special sessions in areas of current interest to games developers’.

Students will be permitted a reduced registration fee and the best papers, demos and competition winners will receive prizes from the sponsors. There will be spaces available for software providers and companies to show their latest packages, games, and books and give hands-on tutorials as well as recruitment opportunities.

Sessions will include the following topics:

1. Neural Networks in Games
2. Education for Games Design and Development
3. AI Tools – genetic algorithms, case-based reasoning, fuzzy systems,Markov processes, search algorithms
4. Intelligent agents – believable characters,
5. Tools and systems for Games / Virtual Reality (or Interaction)
Technologies for Games – games platforms, games engines, middleware,
sound,
interfaces and controllers, speech
6. Learning and Adaptation in Games – reinforcement leaning, machine
learning
7. Graphics Developments
8. Mobile and Multiuser Games
9. Games Design – creative aspects, art and design, modelling, animation, 3dsmax, Maya, interactive story-telling
10. Social/humanities aspects of games; gender issues, violence, usability, pervasive gaming.

For more information, visit the prelinary conference site at:

http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1822/cgaide.htmhttp://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1822/cgaide.htm

Conference At Microsoft, Uk

The event, held at the Microsoft Campus in Reading between 8-10 November, will have three keynote speakers (yet to be announced) and will concentrate on ten ‘special sessions in areas of current interest to games developers’.

Students will be permitted a reduced registration fee and the best papers, demos and competition winners will receive prizes from the sponsors. There will be spaces available for software providers and companies to show their latest packages, games, and books and give hands-on tutorials as well as recruitment opportunities.

Sessions will include the following topics:

1. Neural Networks in Games
2. Education for Games Design and Development
3. AI Tools – genetic algorithms, case-based reasoning, fuzzy systems,Markov processes, search algorithms
4. Intelligent agents – believable characters,
5. Tools and systems for Games / Virtual Reality (or Interaction)
Technologies for Games – games platforms, games engines, middleware,
sound,
interfaces and controllers, speech
6. Learning and Adaptation in Games – reinforcement leaning, machine
learning
7. Graphics Developments
8. Mobile and Multiuser Games
9. Games Design – creative aspects, art and design, modelling, animation, 3dsmax, Maya, interactive story-telling
10. Social/humanities aspects of games; gender issues, violence, usability, pervasive gaming.

For more information on the programme and submission of papers, visit the prelimary conference site at:

http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1822/cgaide.htmhttp://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~cm1822/cgaide.htm