Baltimore IGDA chapter to meet 7:00pm Tue 8/28

Baltimore has an active local chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IDGA). The IDGA describes itself as

“The IGDA is a non-profit professional society that is committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.”

The Baltimore IGDA chapter will meet this Tuesday, August 28th, at the Treehouse Restaurant & Lounge in Cockeysville starting at 7pm (Map). The meeting is open to everyone, but attendees are encouraged to sign up as IGDA members.

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Maryland: East Coast Hub For Gaming

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development has published a a new directory that lists dozens of companies and facilities in Maryland focused on Modeling and simulation. These include companies that develop and publish games as well as others that develop products and services that use the same technology for non-game applications. See the full 2007 Maryland MODSIM Modeling and simulation Directory for a complete list of companies and organizations.

The introduction asks “Why Maryland?” and offers these points in answer.

• East Coast Hub For Gaming

  Maryland has one of the largest clusters of Modeling and Simulation (Mod-Sim) companies and facilities on the East Coast which provides great opportunities for growth and talent.

• Core to the rapidly growing medical modeling and simulation (MM&S) and serious gaming segments

  Maryland is the largest regional cluster of MM&S and Serious Gaming companies as well the home for The Games for Health conferences.

• Access to market and technology

  
  Maryland offers a concentration of Mod-Sim and MM&S companies and a proximity to over 50 federal agencies and associated research facilities that have Modeling and Simulation technology as their specific focus.

• Access to a knowledge workforce and research

  Maryland provides immediate access to top universities producing the knowledge workforce of today and tomorrow as well as cutting edge research.

• Technology transfer opportunities

  A wealth of untapped technology transfer opportunities exist for cutting edge companies involved in Mod-Sim, 2D and 3D animation, Digital Production, Digital Design, Interactive Technology, MM&S, and emerging applications.

• A cluster of affinity organizations to promote the Mod-Sim market place

  This includes the Maryland Modeling and Simulation Analysis Council (MMSAC), Games for Health Initiative, and the Advanced Initiative in Medical Simulation.

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Gamedevmap shows game companies worldwide

gamedevmap is a “living map and catalog of game development organizations.” It shows hundreds of companies world-wide and has both a map and query interface. You can

• Click on a colored dot on the map to search for all the companies and organizations in that location.
• Type a company, city, country, or region name into the search area and press the search button to find more specific data.
• Click on a category below the search bar to quickly see all the companies that fall under that category.

They describe their criteria for entries as

“Publishers, development studios with a staff of five or more, studios with previously published games, and studios under contract with a publisher are listed. Middleware companies, service providers, and schools are not currently being tracked. gamedevmap does not track individual talent, consultants, or mod groups.”

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Security and games: exploiting online games

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) like World of Warcraft and Second Life are large, complex, dynamic distributed software systems with hundreds of thousands of users scattered around the world. A new book, Exploiting Online Games explores a range of security issues associated with these games, including topics like the following.

• Why online games are a harbinger of software security issues to come
• How millions of gamers have created billion-dollar virtual economies
• How game companies invade personal privacy
• Why some gamers cheat
• Techniques for breaking online game security
• How to build a bot to play a game for you
• Methods for total conversion and advanced mods

Tim Wilson of Dark Reading motivated it this way in his post about the book

“You’re playing an online game in which players are warriors who can only walk, jump, or run. Suddenly, another player appears out of nowhere, draws his sword, and hacks you to bits. Game over. But were you really beaten by a superior player? Or did a hacker or cheater simply rig the game?”

This book illustrates a theme that underlies the game track in the CMSC program. Studying computer games is a good way to learn the basic principles of computer science and studying computer science is a good way to prepare yourself for a career in the interactive entertainment industry.

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How do I become a special effects expert?

The George Washington University’ is hosting a talk and discussion by Academy Award nominee and visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer on the topic How do I become a special effects expert?. Westenhofer holds a BS in computer engineering from Bucknell University and received a MS in computer science from GW in 1995.

Bill Westenhofer, visual effects supervisor and Academy Award nominee, will discuss what it’s like to supervise hundreds of digital artists in creating special effects for major film productions. In his work on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Westenhofer was responsible for overseeing nearly 400 digital artists and was one of four individuals nominated for an Academy Award for Achievement in Visual Effects in 2005. Westenhofer’s other credits include Elf, The Rundown, Men in Black 2, Cats and Dogs, and Babe: Pig in the City, which also was a British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominee.

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Baltimore IGDA chapter meets 6pm Thr April 19 2007

Baltimore has an active local chapter of the International Game Developers Association (IDGA). The IDGS describes itself as

“The IGDA is a non-profit professional society that is committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.”

and now has over 12,000 member.

The Baltimore Chapter of IGDA is focused on “strengthening professional game development in the Baltimore area” through four specific goals:

• Fostering a sense of community among working game developers
• Keeping talent in the Baltimore area
• Attracting talent to the Baltimore area
• Showcasing the fact that Baltimore has a thriving professional game development community

Their next meeting is tonight starting at 6:00pmat the Treehouse Restaurant and Lounge in Cockeysville. The Baltimore IDGA meetings are “open to all who want to attend, regardless of IGDA affiliation”. If you are serious about a career in the game industry, you should check it out and consider joining.

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The Power of Play: Effective Training Through Games and Simulations, 4/25

The Seventh Biannual UMBC Spring Training Forum is focused on The Power of Play: Effective Training Through Games and Simulations. It will be held in the Main Seminar Room of the UMBC Technology Center from 6:30-8:30pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Refreshments will be available starting at 6:00pm. Three experienced speakers will talk about how to use games and simulations to motivate and actively engage learners, improve teamwork and accelerate learning. Topics will include

• The impact of the “gamer generation” on Training and Development
• Learning the game development process, from concept to completion
• Using low-tech and high-tech games to fit your learners
• Innovation in games and simulations

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