INDIE STUDIOS ON TIGHT BUDGETS
Speaker: Zachariah Inks, John Lyons - Digital Roar Studios Inc.
Ever consider going Indie? This presentation will focus on the selection of partners, the acquisition of team members , legal organization and the management of geographical diverse contributors. We will cover how to manage your assets whether they be people , art or code in such a way as to optimize your chances of finishing your title and getting it to market.
Zachariah Inks is the Art Director at Digital Roar Studios. He is responsible for all facets of the art pipeline including scheduling, design and implementation. He has 8 years of training in the artistic, technical and design disciplines of game development, and he brings a renaissance view to the creation of unique and original titles. His undergraduate studies include several specific degrees: graphic design, fine art, computer animation as well as game design and programming. His Master's degree is in Digital Production Arts, which focuses on the production of computer generated graphic art while specifically highlighting the team development and organization skills needed to complete such projects. He has operated as a contractor and consultant for several industrial and military simulation and visualization firms in the serious games sector.
John Lyons is the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Roar Studios and a Science in Computer and Information Systems major at the University of North Florida. He has loved gaming since he was a child. His first lessons in game theory came from his father with checkers and then later in chess, and from these early games he developed a passion for solving complex problems in new and innovative ways. His first computer introduced him to the world of PC games and spearheaded his interest in programming. He has been a professional programmer for over ten years. His primary programming languages are C# , Coldfusion , T‐SQL , PL‐SQL and Java.
WEB VIDEO KILLED THE TV STAR
Speaker: Russ Pitts - Escapist
Russ Pitts is the Editor-in-Chief of The Escapist, and Director of Video content for Themis Media. Russ is a 20-year veteran of the entertainment industry, with experience in television, theater, film and the internet. He was a Producer of the groundbreaking TechTV television series “The Screen Savers” and is Executive Producer of The Escapist’s “Zero Punctuation” videogame review web series.
INSIDER LOOK AT GAMES
Speaker: Jason Connell, Shaun Peoples - Red Storm
"Wow, That Was Cool! Wait, What Was That?” – An Insider Look at Games and the People That Make Them
What is it like working on games that millions of people play? What are the daily roles of a programmer and an artist in the gaming industry? In this presentation Shaun Peoples (Programmer) and Jason Connell (Artist) of Red Storm Entertainment will discuss what goes into making games from a front-line perspective.
Jason Connell is a Technical Artist at Ubisoft's Red Storm Entertainment and is responsible for lighting and environment effects. Jason’s primary focus is creating compelling environments with visually stunning atmosphere and lighting.
Prior to work at Red Storm, Jason was an Art Lead for environments and FX on the America’s Army 3 PC game. Prior to working in video games, Jason worked on commercial and government projects involving hi-res modeling and programming MEL scripts for simulation and training purposes.
Jason is a graduate of Athens State University with a BA in Fine Art and a Minor in Computer Science.
Shaun Peoples is a Software Engineer at Ubisoft's Red Storm Entertainment. As a member of the Worlds Group, Shaun develops and improves internal technologies for creating game assets and environments. In his past role as a Graphics Engineer, he developed core rendering technology for an unannounced title.
Previously, Shaun worked at Icarus Studios on optimization and tools development for the recently released Fallen Earth massively multiplayer online game. He also completed a programming internship with Emergent Game Technologies.
Shaun is an Advisory Board Member of the School of Communication Arts' Living Arts College, an Executive Member of Triangle Game Initiative, and a graduate of The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University.
HISTORY OF THE PMS CLAN
Speaker: Ashton Williams - PMS Clan
"The History of the PMS Clan"
PMS Clan- The history of the clan, how we work, how others can join, and what the clan has done for me
Ashton Williams, also known as VULCAN PMS, is a member of the PMS Clan, where she is responsible for leading over 40 females in her division, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. She assists with Xbox Live Community events, personal training for Call of Duty, and oversees the progression of her division. As a 3rd year member of the clan, her work has also lead her to other endeavors outside of PMS. She works with Ubisoft as a Frag Doll Cadette, helping with marketing and promotions for new titles, traveling to events, and speaking to the public. Aside from gaming, Ashton is currently enrolled in the Criminal Justice department at Augusta Technical College in Augusta, Georgia.
TOP LEGAL PITFALLS
Speaker: Zach Bishop - Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton
"Avoiding Tar Pits, Quicksand, and Crocodiles: Top [Ten] Legal 'Pitfalls' Facing Gaming Companies"
The presentation will focus on common legal issues that all video game companies need to be aware of. The presentation will be tailored primarily to new and early-stage video game developers, but will be beneficial to established developers as well.
Zach Bishop is an attorney at Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP and has spoken on legal issues facing gaming companies at a number of video game conferences, most recently on panels at the Triangle Game Conference in Raleigh and SIEGE in Atlanta. He has represented video game companies on a myriad of matters for several years.
Zach’s practice is concentrated on technology and corporate transactions, including the licensing and distribution of intellectual property, business process and information technology outsourcing, technology acquisition and development, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and general corporate matters. Zach's practice includes the representation of prominent video game and middleware developers on a full range of matters. He has significant experience in sourcing and complex technology transactions. Prior to joining the firm in 2009, Zach practiced in the Raleigh office of Hunton & Williams LLP and the Atlanta office of Alston & Bird LLP.
Zach received his B.A. in Economics from Duke University and received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Tulane University Law School. Zach served as an Assistant Managing Editor for the Tulane Law Review and is a member of the Order of the Coif.
THE HIRING PROCESS
Speaker: Ryan Stradling - EA Games
Over the years Ryan Stradling has hired numerous people. Ryan will take you through what he looks for in an employee with a focus on engineers.
Ryan Stradling is a Sr. Development Director at Electronic Arts. He founded and runs the EA-North Carolina studio in Morrisville, NC. He has worked for Electronic Arts for 10 years as a programmer and manager. His credits include Madden NFL 2001 PS2, NCAA Football 2002, NASCAR 09 PS2, Madden NFL 07 PS3, Madden NFL 06 XBox 360, and NASCAR: Kart Racing Wii. He graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Computer Science. He loves anything dealing with technology or management. He helped introduce Agile practices at Tiburon and has helped deliver various console launch titles.
SERIOUS GAMING FOR AUTISM
Speaker: John Eder - AutismSphere
Phaedra Boinodiris - IBM
The rate of autism in the United States increased 10 fold over the last 12 years. While the reasons for this remain under investigation, the need for solutions grows. To address this, an opportunity exists to bring the community of game developers closer to the autism community.
Through our presentation we offer a window into the launch of a socially driven video game design. To enliven the topic we use a current design that helps people living with autism. The process will start with understanding the issue and progress into developing an approach in the market that creates value.
Attendees to the talk will see how traditional game development integrates with social movements while also exploring a detailed framework for approaching these ventures.
John Eder worked with Ernst & Young as a information security analyst before going on to work at Experian, the world´s largest credit bureau. While at Experian he helped protect an internet accessible database containing over 200 million credit profiles. After graduating with his MBA from Kenan-Flagler he continues work on a social venture focused on creating a serious health game for people with autism.
Phaedra Boinodiris is a Serious Games Program Manager at IBM where she is helping craft IBM’s serious games strategy in technical training, marketing, and leadership skill building. She is the founder of the award-winning INNOV8 program, a series of games that teaches and evangelizes Business Process Management. INNOV8 is being used in over 1000 schools worldwide and is now available for public consumption.
Prior to working at IBM, Boinodiris has been an entrepreneur for 10 years, starting two companies in custom application/social network development and videogame consulting. She co-founded WomenGamers.Com, a popular women’s gaming portal on the Internet and started the first scholarship for women to attain degrees in game design and development in the US. She was honored by Women in Games International as one of the top 100 women in the games industry. Boinodiris received her MBA and her Bachelors in Math and Comp Sci from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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We'll give an in-depth look at the production philosophy at Insomniac Games with examples from our 2008 releases Resistance 2 and Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty. We'll also give an overview of hiring standards geared toward students interested in joining the game industry.
Chad Dezern is the Studio Director at Insomniac Games’ new office in Durham, North Carolina. He oversees all aspects of development and content creation. Chad started in the games industry in 1995 as a production artist. His credits include15 shipped titles from Insomniac, DreamWorks Interactive, and Disney Interactive. A 10-year Insomniac veteran, Chad was the Art Director at for Resistance 2, Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty, and Ratchet and Clank Future. He was the Environment Art Director for Resistance: Fall of Man and Ratchet Deadlocked. Before that he contributed production art to the Ratchet and Clank and Spryo the Dragon series. Chad serves on the Advisory Board at Gnomon School of Visual Effects. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1994 with a B.F.A. in illustration.
Shaun McCabe is the production director at Insomniac Games' North Carolina studio, where he is responsible for project management, programming, design and audio. A five-year Insomniac veteran at the Burbank studio prior to moving to the NC studio, Shaun worked on Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet: Deadlocked and Resistance: Fall of Man as a sound programmer before becoming lead gameplay programmer for Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction in 2007 and then again on Resistance 2. Prior to joining Insomniac, Shaun was a junior engine programmer at Interplay Entertainment Corp. He contributed to titles on both PlayStation 2 and Xbox such as Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (and the sequel), Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Run Like Hell. Shaun earned a bachelor's degree in music from Rollins College and an associate's degree in game design and development from Full Sail University, both in Winter Park, Fla.
Insomniac Games is a wholly independent console videogames developer that has released award-winning hits for the PlayStation(R) game console, the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system and PLAYSTATION(R)3 for 14 years. The company created the first three Spyro the Dragon(TM) games, the Ratchet & Clank(TM) franchise and Resistance: Fall of Man(TM), which combined to sell more than 25 million units worldwide. Insomniac Games recently released Resistance 2, its fourth PS3 exclusive title. In addition to making blockbuster videogames, Insomniac is known for ranking among the top four "Best Small Companies to Work for in America" in 2005 and 2006 and among the Top 10 for 2007, according to the Great Places to Work Institute and Society for Human Resources Management. Insomniac Games announced the opening of a North Carolina-based development studio in January 2009. The new studio, which will be located in the Raleigh-Durham area, will focus on developing both current and new intellectual properties.
What are video games evolving into? Can the study of their progression tell us anything about the future of interactive entertainment? What lessons can we learn from past development? What will the next generation of games be like? In this keynote address, the husband-and-wife team of game producer Heather Chandler and game writer Rafael Chandler take a look at the history of game development, filtered through the prism of their combined 22 years in the industry.
Media Sunshine is an independent game development studio that provides contracting and consulting services to publishers and developers, including Psyonix Studios, SouthPeak Games, 1C Company, and Artificial Studios. Heather Chandler, a producer with experience at Activision, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft, founded the company in 2005. She was joined in 2006 by Rafael Chandler, a writer who has worked on games developed and published by Sony, Sega, and Ubisoft. Media Sunshine has contributed to the development of Monster Madness: Grave Danger, Two Worlds, Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars, Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run, and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel.
Multimedia producer, author, and entrepreneur Heather Chandler is the founder and Executive Producer of Media Sunshine, Incorporated. During her thirteen years on the front lines of the game industry, she has worked for Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft, SouthPeak Games, Artificial Studios, and Psyonix Studios. Heather has contributed to the production of over 40 games, including Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, Two Worlds, Monster Madness: Grave Danger, Heavy Gear, Dark Reign, Civilization: Call to Power, and numerous games in Ghost Recon series, including Advanced Warfighter. She is the author of The Game Production Handbook and The Game Localization Handbook. Heather has lectured at GDC, Future Play, and the Montreal Game Summit. She graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University and received an M.A. from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
During his nine years in the game industry, freelance game writer Rafael Chandler has worked for Sony, Sega, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Zipper Interactive, Slant Six Games, Edge of Reality, SouthPeak Games, and 1C Company. Currently, he's writing M.A.G. (Massive Action Game), Cipher Complex, and two unannounced projects in development. His shipped titles include SOCOM: Confrontation, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Rainbow Six: Lockdown, and Ghost Recon 2. Chandler is the author of The Game Writing Handbook, and also authored Monster Madness: Battle For Suburbia, a comic book published by Dark Horse. Chandler has been a speaker at the 2006 Game Writers Conference, the 2007 Russian Game Developers Conference in Moscow (where he taught the six-hour master class), and the 2008 Montreal International Game Summit.
This presentation will describe an overview of five Serious Games projects led by Dr. Annetta at N.C. State’s College of Education. Dr. Annetta’s work is grounded in distance learning in multiuser virtual environments and his interests range from K-12 science and mathematics learning to science teacher preparation through training simulations. The five projects presented at the Carolina Games Summit will illustrate how K-12 teachers and students have created games to learn science and mathematics, how a cyberinfrastructure using real-time renewable energy data is being established in a virtual world, and a training simulation being developed for prospective science teachers.
As a second term assistant professor of Science Education at North Carolina State University, my research has focused on distance learning and the effect of instructional technology on science learning of teachers and students in rural and underserved populations. Although there is considerable research on distance learning, I have focused on the untapped analyses of learning science through various distance delivery strategies. My research has cascaded from my dissertation on comparing three different distance delivery strategies on science teacher professional development to my current focus on evaluating video games as a teaching and learning tool and as a vehicle for synchronous online instruction. The results of my dissertation suggested that synchronous interaction proved most effective on learning science in a distance-learning environment. Achieving synchronous interaction in distance-learning was only possible through videoconferencing technology until recent years. As technology continues to rapidly emerge and the push to be connected through the World Wide Web becomes more and more critical, it became obvious to me that there needed to be a strategy to deliver science content, synchronously, over the Internet. Upon accepting a position at North Carolina State University, I vigorously began to parlay the results of my dissertation into a pursuit of how synchronous interaction could come to fruition over the Web. Understanding the popularity of online, multiuser video game play, I began to use my past programming knowledge to build a virtual environment that became the platform for my current research. Through two separate internally funded grants, I designed and created a synchronous, online 3D virtual environment for distance learning courses offered at North Carolina State. The success of the internally funded grants thrusted a quest for external funding to continue supporting my research on gaming technology. My most recent endeavors:
- HI FIVES (Highly Interactive Fun Virtual Environments in Science-ESI-0525115), has been funded by the National Science Foundation to investigate the viability of video games as a supplement to science instruction in grade 5-9. This project seeks to teach both teachers and students to design and build multiplayer games that align with state and national science and mathematics standards. HI FIVES seeks to answer such questions as can students learn STEM content through playing and/or designing video games. We are also exploring the interaction dynamics of multiple students in a 3D online environment as a function of increased engagement and achievement. Further, we seek to explore how teachers use the games as a teaching tool and if the common student experiences can be used for inquiry instruction.
- Exploring Sophisticated Data Mining Analytics as A Strategy for Diagnostic Assessment. Supported again by the National Science Foundation, the investigators believe that a multi-institutional initiative studying the application of SAS analytics to several types of educational applications generating rich datastreams would generate important insights. Two of the investigators already have NSF funding that is producing such datasets through games and immersive simulations, and we plan to also analyze intelligent tutoring system data from the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center. Such a project would develop research findings of value across several NSF directorates, including mathematics, computer science, and education.
- VOLT (Virtual Online Learning and Teaching) is as internally funded distance learning endeavor where researchers from Science education, Training and Development, and the College of Management have teamed to create case-based missions in a 3D virtual learning environment.
- STIMULATE (Science Teacher Immersive Modules for University Learning Around Teacher Education) is a National Science Foundation funded CCLI project partnering with Wake Technical Community College’s Digital Interactive Entertainment and Simulation program. The thrust of this project is to design and construct science teacher training for laboratory safety through immersive 3D environments.
- GRADUATE (Games Requiring Advanced Developmental Understanding and Achievement in Technological Endeavors) is a National Science Foundation funded ITEST project partnering with the Kenan Fellows program and Virtual Heroes, Inc. where we will develop an exemplary model for the newly formed graduation requirement in North Carolina. As part of this project students in Lee County, NC and Hillside High School in Durham, NC will author video games as a product from scientific research they will perform to satisfy the graduation requirement.
In 2008, I was honored with three awards for my extension work teaching K-12 teachers and students video game design for science and mathematics learning. The awards were progressive from the College of Education Outstanding Extension Service Award, to the induction into the NC State University Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension to the Distinguished Alumni Engaged in Extension and Outreach award.
Penny Dreadful Productions is a group of local Atlanta artist who collaborate to "Bring your imagination to life". All of the artists who make up the Penny Dreadfuls come from many different areas of expertise: Costuming, Props, Metal Machining, and Special Effects work in both film and stage productions.
Penny Dreadful Productions is a group of artists from the Metro-Atlanta area who collaborate to "bring your imagination to life". Lead conceptualists Mathew Silva, Brian LuAllen, Erin Bushko, and Devon Simons team up with other production artists, machinists, prop makers, costumers, painters, and special effects artists of all kinds to create props, costumes, and special effects for theatrical productions, film, special events and festivals. Their designs for the Steampunk genre have been seen from coast to coast, and they are proud to make the Carolina Games Summit their first stop for their 2009 Steampunk Panel Tour.
Robert is the author of MMO EVOLUTION (ISBN 978-1-84728-679-6) and an expert on persistent immersive environments, augmented and virtual reality, simulations, virtual worlds and massively multiplayer games as well as large scale communities and social networking. Robert is a visionary and entrepreneur dedicated to pushing the technological and design boundaries for online interactive and immersive environments. With more than 15 years of experience, he is a multi-talented individual with a strong combination of Business, Design, and Technical skills. Recognized as an “Internet Gaming Pioneer” by Advertising Age Magazine in 1996, Robert was also called “a Founding Father of the Digital Nation” in 1998 by The Raleigh News & Observer while he was designing immersive interfaces and next-generation concepts for a 3D internet. Robert is the CEO of Neogence Enterprises and Executive Director of the National Institute for Virtual and Augmented Reality and Simulations (NIVARS).
Neogence is headquartered in Raleigh NC, and is developing new technologies and applications for mobile augmented reality, MMORPGs, and Virtual Worlds and Simulations.
This lecture will be about lighting in CG environments. The discussion will not be software specific. He will talk about light and color theory in general and then move on talk about lighting in CG environments. The discussion should be general enough to cover both gaming and feature animation. He will start at basic lighting and end the discussion with global illumination since there are now game engines on the market that support it.
Raised in North Carolina is currently working as the Program Coordinator of the Animation Department at the School of Communication Arts. He is also working as a director of for a pilot of an animated television series. His graduate thesis is on the Animation Pipeline and Digital Asset Management. He has worked professionally in the television industry as a production assistant and graphic artist. His career focus is on, lighting in CG environments, environmental modeling, 3D character animation, and character setup. He worked as a producer, art director, served on the board of directors of a non-profit organization. He is a graduate of Savannah of College of Art and Design with M.F.A in Computer Art with a concentration in character animation (2004) Also he is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a major in Technology Education with a minor Graphic Communication (B.S. degree 1999)
A hands-on drawing session to explore sketching as a means of developing and communicating design ideas. Participants are introduced to basic concepts of sketching such as line quality, line weight, contrast, perspective, shade and shadow, etc.
Timothy Buie is an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Design in the College of Design at North Carolina State University. His research interests include product design; 3D game design, modeling and animation; design drawing and sketching; and design education. Professor Buie is currently Co-Director of the NCSU Digital Games Research Center (DGRC) along with Dr. Michael Young of the Department of Computer Science. The DGRC is a multi-disciplinary center whose focus investigates the scientific, engineering, social, and educational challenges of digital entertainment. The DGRC includes faculty from the colleges of Education, Engineering, Design, and Humanities and Social Sciences involved in a wide range of research and educational initiatives that focus on new modes of entertainment and interaction in digital media. Professor Buie is also part of the North Carolina Serious Games Initiative (NCSGI) which is a collaboration between academia, industry, and government to develop education related games for the state. Professor Buie has a wide range of academic and industry experience in computer game development, product design, accessible design, comic books, magazine illustration, and computer animation. He teaches a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses in the College of Design, and has developed several new courses related to his research interests. His students often work directly with faculty and students in other disciplines, and have found successful careers in design, entertainment, and education.
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Alexander Macris, Co-Founder, President, CEO
Themis Group, Durham, NC
Alexander Macris is co-founder, president, and CEO of Themis Group. In addition to providing the company's leadership and directing its key client engagements, he has served as editor-in-chief of the Themis Report, founder and the publisher of The Escapist magazine, and designer of the award-winning Heroes Mini. Prior to Themis, he was founder and CEO of WarCry Network, a community destination for entertainment enthusiasts, which he grew to over 1 million monthly users. He is a graduate magna cum laude of Harvard Law School, where he authored a study on the effects of game design on community growth.
About Themis Group, Inc.:
Themis Group, Inc. is an interactive media publishing and services company catering to the worldwide community of technology, games and entertainment enthusiasts. Themis Group segments its operations into publishing and services divisions which work cooperatively to reach and relate with today’s NetSet, the tech-savvy young media consumers.
Themis Group, Inc.’s publishing division, including the WarCry Network and The Escapist, operates a network of websites, blogs, and digital magazines offering entertainment, news and editorial content to their respective communities.
Themis Group’s services division includes Playerbase Solutions (PBS) and TAP Interactive (TAP). PBS’ suite of services includes customer support, player interest programs, community relations, quality assurance testing and in-game event management. TAP provides traditional marketing, public relations, cutting-edge viral initiatives and other custom communication solutions for some of today’s largest game developers and publishers.
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Keynote Speaker: Bruce Shankle, Senior Software Development Engineer
Microsoft, Redmond, WA
Bruce Shankle, a native of North Carolina, is a Senior Software Development Engineer on the DirectX team at Microsoft in
Redmond, Washington where he works on advanced graphics technologies for Windows gaming. In the past he worked for Epic Games on Unreal
technology as well as Ubisoft's subsidiary, Red Storm Entertainment, where he worked on the Ghost Recon franchise.
Visit www.bruceshankle.com to learn more.
About Microsoft:
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" ) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft DirectX is an advanced suite of multimedia APIs built into Microsoft Windows operating systems. DirectX provides a standard development platform for Windows-based PCs by enabling software developers to access specialized hardware features without having to write hardware-specific code. DirectX was first introduced in 1995 and is a recognized standard for multimedia application development on the Windows platform.
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Dana Cowley, Public Relations Manager
Epic Games, Cary, NC
Dana Cowley has seven years experience in the entertainment software industry. She was previously responsible for driving the interactive entertainment division at marketing, PR and business development firm ClearImage, and prior to that, she was the marketing and communications manager for Octagon Entertainment, a developer and publisher of PC and console games. Dana is also the co-founder and coordinator of the North Carolina Triangle chapter of the International Game Developers Association, the world's largest non-profit professional membership organization serving game developers.
About Epic Games:
Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, recently shipping “Unreal Tournament 3″ for PC and PlayStation 3. Epic’s breakthrough game, “Gears of War,” sold over 4 million copies and was awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others.
Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including the Game Critics Awards’ Best Console Game and Spike TV’s 2007 RPG of the Year “Mass Effect” by BioWare and the 2007 BAFTA Best Game and Spike TV Game of the Year “BioShock” by 2K Games. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and three-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine’s Front Line award for Best Game Engine. Epic was also recognized as 2006 Studio of the Year by Spike TV, Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine and 2007 Large Company of the Year by the North Carolina Technology Association.
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David Sipple, President
Music Wizard Group, Longmont, CO
David Sipple is president of the Music Wizard Group. David has 20 years experience in the software and TV industries, in sales, marketing and executive management roles. Mr. Sipple joined the Music Wizard Group in 2004, helping it grow from a development company into revenue and operations. His unique insights and approaches have consistently led to increased sales and ROI's with previous employers, the Home Shopping Network, Quarterdeck Software and SAS. A diverse and experienced business leader, he also owns his own consulting firm Poseidon Dynamics. David has a BS in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wyoming and an MBA from the University of South Florida. His interests include reading, swimming and music.
About Music Wizard Group:
Music Wizard Group is the leader in music videogame software that teaches anyone how to play real musical instruments. Music Wizard provides a
simple and non-violent, gaming solution that "cracks the musical code" of reading notation and delivers on the promise of real musicianship for
everyone. Music Wizard Group seeks to improve the quality of life by empowering more people with the gift of playing music and by promoting music
as something to be shared and enjoyed together.
Music Wizard welcomes everyone to experience the joy, self-expression and liberation naturally gained through a relationship with playing music.
Backed by award-winning software, university produced Music Wizard Academy tutorials for parents and teachers, a proven song-based curriculum and a never-ending supply of musical content, the means is now available to unlock and ignite the creative musical genius inherent in all.
Music Wizard Group believes that the language of music is a birthright, something that anyone can learn and enjoy at any age, regardless of
experience. The company's core mission is to help bring about universal music literacy.
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Diane Pozefsky, Research Professor
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Diane Pozefsky is a research professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, working in software engineering and serious games. Focusing on computers as tools, she works with a broad range of collaborators from medicine and pharmacology to archeology. Prior to returning to her alma mater, she spent twenty-five years at IBM, where she was named an IBM Fellow. She has worked in technologies from networking and mobile computing to software engineering and has worked across the development cycle from architecture to deployment.
About University of North Carolina Chapel Hill:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the nation's first state university to open its doors and the only public university to award degrees in the 18th century. Now in its third century, UNC belongs to the select group of American and Canadian campuses forming the Association of American Universities. UNC's academic offerings span more than 100 fields, including bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees as well as professional degrees in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and law. Five health schools — which, with UNC Hospitals, comprise one of the nation's most complete academic medical centers — are integrated with liberal arts, basic sciences and high-tech academic programs.
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Graham Rhodes, Principal Scientist
Applied Research Associates, Inc., Raleigh, NC
Graham Rhodes is a principal scientist at the Southeast Division of Applied Research Associates, Inc., in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has been creating software for interactive and real-time 3D graphics, gaming, and physical simulation for many years. Graham has been the lead software developer for a variety of simulation and training projects, including a series of sponsored educational simulations for the World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia; and more recently, first/third-person action simulations for industrial safety and humanitarian demining training using state-of-the-art game engine technology. He is currently involved in developing software that provides procedural 3D environment modeling and physics-based solutions for simulation and training. Graham has contributed articles to several books in the Game Programming Gems book series, and authored the section on real-time physics for the textbook, Introduction to Game Development. He is the moderator of and frequent contributor to the math and physics section of the gamedev.net game development Internet portal, has presented at the annual Game Developer's Conference (GDC) and other industry events, and regularly attends GDC and the annual ACM/SIGGRAPH conference. He is a member of ACM/SIGGRAPH, the International Game Developer's Association (IGDA), the North Carolina Advanced Learning Technologies Association (NC ALTA), and the Long Now Foundation.
About Applied Research Associates, Inc.:
Applied Research Associates (ARA) is an employee-owned company whose mission is to “solve the problems of national importance.” We are composed primarily of engineers and scientists who create and invent applications that protect our public servants, prevent disasters to homeowners, and provide strength to our military heroes. We do not just accept the ordinary. Our motto is to "Expand the realm of possibility.”
ARA develops software technologies that can greatly reduce the cost of developing art content for games and simulation-based learning applications (aka “serious games”), including our RUGUD and U2MG suite of tools for procedurally generating game-ready 3D models of detailed urbanscapes. Additionally, we develop high fidelity, but fast-running physics simulation technology that provides engineering quality results within games, training, and mission rehearsal software.
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James Cowgill, Senior Game Designer
Destineer Studios, Raleigh, NC
James Cowgill has been in game development since 1996 and has held a variety of roles from Lead Game Designer to QA Manager to Producer. He has contributed to a number of commercial, serious game and simulation titles including "America's Army", "Asheron's Call", "Warbirds", "Adaptive Thinking & Leadership" and "SimPatient". He is currently a Senior Game Designer with Destineer Studios in Raleigh contributing to several commercial game and simulation products in development.
About Destineer Studios:
Destineer develops and publishes commercial videogames for both consoles and PC, and creates PC-based virtual training systems for military, intelligence and first-responder organizations. Destineer is a privately held corporation headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, with development studios in Minneapolis, Raleigh, NC, and Austin, TX, and publishes games under the Destineer, MacSoft, and Bold Games, brands.
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Jim Van Verth, Software Engineer
NVIDIA, Raleigh, NC
Jim Van Verth is a OpenGL Software Engineer at NVIDIA, where he works on device drivers for NVIDIA GPUs. Prior to that, he was a founding member of Red Storm Entertainment, where he was a lead engineer for eight years. For the past nine years he also has been a regular speaker at the Game Developers Conference, teaching the all-day tutorials "Math for Game Programmers" and "Physics for Game Programmers." His background includes a B.A. in Math/Computer Science from Dartmouth College, an M.S. in Computer Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
About NVIDIA:
NVIDIA, (Nasdaq: NVDA), is the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, a high-performance processor which generates breathtaking, interactive graphics on workstations, personal computers, game consoles, and mobile devices. NVIDIA serves the entertainment and consumer market with its GeForce® products, the professional design and visualization market with its Quadro™ products, and the high-performance computing market with its Tesla™ products. NVIDIA is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. and has offices throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
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Joel Gonzales, Engineer
1st Playable Productions, Troy, NY
Joel Gonzales is an engineer at 1st Playable Productions. Before then, he received his Master's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. During his time there, he played a major part in helping the university be the first in the state of Louisiana to offer courses in video game design & production. His credits include a serious game called "A Force More Powerful" as well as a kids game "GoPets: Vacation Island. " He enjoys long walks on the beach.
About 1st Playable Productions, LLC:
1st Playable Productions, LLC is an independent game development studio with a focus on handheld games for kids. We're here to make fun and great looking games! Games that build, not exploit, the entertainment brands that they represent. We love finding ways to get more out of limited game platforms, and are a licensed developer for Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Xbox, as well as other embedded game platforms.
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Laura Angell, Instructor
Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC
Laura Angell teaches Game Design and 3-D Modeling in the Simulation and Game Development Department at Wake Technical Community College. After receiving a BA in Broadcast Journalism at UNC-G, Laura began working as a freelance employee for On Location Film and Video as well as a tape operator for Associated Media Production Services. Her career in video games began when she was hired as an encoder/asset manager for SouthPeak Interactive . SouthPeak Interactive released PC games including "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Wild Wild West: The Steel Assassin" as well as Play Station games such as "Boombots" and "The Dukes of Hazzard: Racing for Home". After SouthPeak Interactive Laura worked as a video editor at SAS.
About Wake Technical Community College:
Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) is a two-year, public institution providing an open door to education and training for the citizens of Wake County and surrounding communities. Known as “College for the Real World,” the college provides a comprehensive array of learning opportunities and serves an annual enrollment of more than 57,000 students. Curriculum (for-credit) programs in more than 168 academic, vocational, and technical specialties offer two-year associate degrees in science, applied science, the arts, and general education; university transfer programs for entry into four-year institutions; and diploma and certificate programs that prepare workers to succeed at jobs in high demand in the community. Wake Tech also offers a broad scope of continuing education courses, including training for entrepreneurs and small business owners, public safety officer training (fire, rescue, and law enforcement), high school equivalency classes, and non-credit courses for personal and professional development. As the second largest community college in the state, Wake Tech provides customized workforce training for new and expanding industries and a cooperative education program that interfaces with the corporate community.
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Marx Myth, Art Director
Lockheed Martin 3D Learning Solutions, Cary, NC
Marx Myth is an Arts Manager/Art Director. He spends most of his time overseeing the productive creativeness of others. His profession within the gaming environment must always stay focused on milestones and quality assurance...all the while supervising and orchestrating the creative work of his fabulous art team. Networking has opened many doors for him and if he was to give any words of advice it would be this: "always be genuine and kind to everyone...stand on firm conviction, but be flexible...and always remember to stay true to the course your heart has set."
About Lockheed Martin 3D Learning Solutions.:
3Dsolve, Inc. was a privately held company that created simulation-based learning solutions for government, military and corporate applications. The company’s innovative software tools assist clients with collaborative training utilizing interactive 3D graphics (aka, “serious games”). 3Dsolve’s core competencies include multi-media, software engineering, digital artwork, instructional design and project management for use in state-of-the-art simulation learning solutions. Acquired by Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] in August of 2007 the company is currently being transformed into Lockheed Martin 3D Learning Solutions but will remain in Cary, NC and continue developing simulations for the government, military, and corporate customers.
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Melanie Sparks, Instructor
Pitt Community College, Greenville, NC
Melanie Sparks is an instructor in the Computer Programming curriculum at Pitt Community College. She is responsible for all undergraduate courses in C++, Java, and Perl, and teaches courses in Simulation and Game Development Programming. She holds a BS in Computer Science and MS in Instructional Technology.
Prior to teaching, her experience included design and development of HIPAA-compliant networked client/server database applications, Cold Fusion driven learning object server for a medical school, application programming for a RAVE immersive environment, NLE (editing) for a television show airing on ESPN2, and touring solo and with her band supporting Phish, Lenny Kravitz, Tori Amos, and more, and at music conferences including NEMO, SXSE, and the Philadelphia Music Conference.
She is the adviser for the IGDA-affiliated Pitt Game Developers Association, which has created on-campus workshops and produced a short film on the basics of game development and written over a dozen small 2D and 3D games (and a 2D level editor) using Flash, C, C++ (and Allegro and Irrlicht), Blender, and Maya.
About Pitt Community College:
Pitt Community College is a two-year, public institution providing an open door to education and training for the citizens of Greenville and surrounding communities. Pitt Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Associate Degrees.
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Michael Young, Associate Professor
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Michael Young is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. His interests center around the use of artificial intelligence techniques in virtual worlds like computer games. His work involves research on planning and plan recognition, natural language generation, computer games and computational models of narrative.
About North Carolina State University:
North Carolina State University is known for its leadership in education and research, and globally recognized for its science, technology, engineering and mathematics leadership. NC State is the largest four-year institution in North Carolina with more than 31,100 students from all North Carolina counties and nearly 100 foreign countries. NC State students, faculty and staff are focused. As one of the leading land-grant institutions in the nation, NC State is committed to playing an active and vital role in improving the quality of life for the citizens of North Carolina, the nation and the world.
NC State’s research expenditures are approaching more than $315 million annually, with almost 70 percent of faculty engaged in sponsored research and 2,500 graduate students supported by research grants. NC State is ranked third among all public universities (without medical schools) in industry-sponsored research expenditures.
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Paula Hindman, Instructor
Piedmont Community College, Roxboro, NC
Paula Hindman is Director and also Instructor for the Digital Effects & Animation Technology Program at Piedmont Community College. She teaches animation and motion graphics using Maya, 3DS Max, Flash, After Effects, Final Cut Pro and more. She received her bachelor of science in Mass Communication from Middle Tennessee State University and minored in Fine Arts and Computer Science. Also Paula is a Alias Certified Instructor.
About Piedmont Community College:
Piedmont Community College provides educational opportunities to approximately 55,000 residents in rural Person and Caswell counties. Piedmont Community College offers an Associate of Applied Sciences in Digital Effects and Animation Technology. Graduates from the program are currently working at Out of Our Minds Studios, Epic Games, Icarus Studios, Fox 50, and various other companies. As one of the 58 member institutions of the North Carolina Community College System, PCC awards Associate Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates in more than 35 curriculum programs. PCC's premiere location, just 40 miles north of the booming Research Triangle Park, positions the College to provide training for the high-tech, in-demand jobs of the 21st century and makes the College an integral factor in the economic development of both counties it serves as well as the state. From the most basic skills classes to college-level courses to specialized industrial training, PCC has it all! Whatever the need, PCC is committed to serving its students in a warm and friendly, caring atmosphere.
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Tiffany Barnes, Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Tiffany Barnes is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, co-director of the Games + Learning Lab, and director of the Game2Learn Research Group. Dr. Barnes works to engage more people in computing, through the STARS Alliance and Culturally Situated Design Tools projects. Dr. Barnes conducts research in Games, Artificial Intelligence, and Learning.
About University of North Carolina Charlotte:
University of North Carolina Charlotte is the fourth largest of the 16 institutions within the University of North Carolina system and the largest institution in the Charlotte region. The university comprises seven professional colleges and currently offers 17 doctoral programs, 59 master’s degree programs and 85 leading to bachelor’s degrees. More than 900 full-time faculty comprise the university’s academic departments and the 2006 fall enrollment exceeded 21,500 students. UNC Charlotte boasts more than 75,000 living alumni and adds 4,000 to 4,500 new alumni each year.
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Timothy Buie, Assistant Professor
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Timothy Buie is an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Design in the College of Design at North Carolina State University. His research interests include product design; 3D game design, modeling and animation; design drawing and sketching; and design education. Professor Buie is currently Co-Director of the NCSU Digital Games Research Center (DGRC) along with Dr. Michael Young of the Department of Computer Science. The DGRC is a multi-disciplinary center whose focus investigates the scientific, engineering, social, and educational challenges of digital entertainment. The DGRC includes faculty from the colleges of Education, Engineering, Design, and Humanities and Social Sciences involved in a wide range of research and educational initiatives that focus on new modes of entertainment and interaction in digital media. Professor Buie is also part of the North Carolina Serious Games Initiative (NCSGI) which is a collaboration between academia, industry, and government to develop education related games for the state. Professor Buie has a wide range of academic and industry experience in computer game development, product design, accessible design, comic books, magazine illustration, and computer animation. He teaches a variety of graduate and undergraduate courses in the College of Design, and has developed several new courses related to his research interests. His students often work directly with faculty and students in other disciplines, and have found successful careers in design, entertainment, and education.
About North Carolina State University:
North Carolina State University is known for its leadership in education and research, and globally recognized for its science, technology, engineering and mathematics leadership. NC State is the largest four-year institution in North Carolina with more than 31,100 students from all North Carolina counties and nearly 100 foreign countries. NC State students, faculty and staff are focused. As one of the leading land-grant institutions in the nation, NC State is committed to playing an active and vital role in improving the quality of life for the citizens of North Carolina, the nation and the world.
NC State’s research expenditures are approaching more than $315 million annually, with almost 70 percent of faculty engaged in sponsored research and 2,500 graduate students supported by research grants. NC State is ranked third among all public universities (without medical schools) in industry-sponsored research expenditures.
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