Geeks and tech-heads playing up
Uber-nerds, cyber-geeks and tech-heads will descend on Brisbane next month for the 2010 World Computer Congress.
More than 1000 international delegates are expected at the conference, which will showcase the latest technology in health, security, governance, environment and more.
Brisbane gamers are also invited to be part of the geeky gathering with hands-on workshops being staged across two days to teach enthusiasts how to make their own games.
“You can make games really easily these days,” said Morgan Jaffit, a Brisbane-based games developer who helped create the children’s favourite Happy Feet.
“There’s tool sets freely available online and they’re much better than the ones that were around when I started.
“Halfbrick, which made Fruit Ninja, was just three guys with a good idea who developed it very well.
“There’s literally nothing stopping people doing that sort of thing at home.”
Jaffit, founder of Defiant Development, has worked around the world in the gaming industry and will run a workshop during the congress on how to design a computer game.
He’ll teach hopeful game developers aged 15 to 100 what comprises a good computer or video game and he’ll help them experiment with design techniques.
Laura Daniels, Queensland chairwoman of the Australian Computer Society, said four PlayIT hands-on workshops would cover the fundamentals of computer and video games: art, writing, design and audio.
Games artist and Strange Loop Games art director Milenko Tunjic, programmer and music producer Andrew Curnock and Avatar: Into the Inferno writer Leanne Taylor will also run workshops.
Each workshop will be held four times over the two days with 25 people in each session.
“These workshops are aimed at primary and high school students, tertiary starters considering a career in game development, educators from all disciplines and anyone from the general public wanting to know more about the game industry,” Daniels said.
“PlayIT is about engaging people with the world of games and interactive entertainment in a manner that is very much beyond the old IT pathways.
“The workshops give people the chance to rub shoulders with some of the industry’s top game developers and they’re aimed at those who dream that their love of computer games could potentially lead to a career in this field.”
Jaffit warned jobs in the industry were rare and breaking in at entry level could be difficult.
“Over the past two years, Brisbane has lost 250 people in studios and only 100 of them are in jobs again,” he said.
“It’s never been a very stable career but at the moment there are 150 veterans vying for roles so it’s very hard to break in at the entry level.”
But Brisbane has always been a hub for gaming talent with Krome – one of the world’s largest independent game-development firms – based in the Queensland capital, along with top companies such as THQ, Halfbrick and 3 Blokes.
“Before the GFC, the games industry enjoyed growth for more than 20 years and overall takings never really slowed down but the crisis did damage the value of big publishers like Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft and Atari. ” But that didn’t stop novice game developer, Kevin Gosschalk, who found a niche in the market.
The Queensland University of Technology games and interactive entertainment graduate has designed a multi-game video system for people with disabilities. Called Stomp, the game involves a large pressure-sensitive mat with sensors which respond to footsteps and are connected to a projector.
PlayIT workshops cost $35 a session and will be held on September 21-22 at Southbank Institute of TAFE. The 2010 World Computer Congress runs September 20-23 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Info at www.wcc2010.org and [email protected]
