Topic: Games and Gaming
Humanity has been playing games such as chess, Mahjong, dominoes, and various card games, in some cases for thousands of years. These games are fundamentally social and tactile and have stood the test of time. David Merrill, President and Co-founder of Sifteo, proposes a new chapter in social games that he believes maintains human community while making full use of cutting-edge technology.
Many ask, "What is the future of gaming?" The future is more difficult to determine without knowing the past. Sven Oliver "Svolli" Moll takes a step back in time to review and analyze the development, intricacies, and specifications of one of the most monumental gaming systems in history; The Atari 2600.
Our guest today is James Portnow of Extra Credits. We are also joined in the studio by David Fullerton.
People like free, especially when it comes to apps. Ben Lorica, a Senior Analyst at O'Reilly Media, Inc., summarizes the popularity and economic trends of apps for both iPhones and iPads. He also presents statistics on how long apps stay popular, what makes them popular, and why price might not be a major factor after all.
Everyone knows that books have been a cornerstone in our society for millenia. But according to Kevin Kelly, we're moving away from them at a rapid pace. Through a mix of powerful trends, Kelly takes a look into the future. What he finds are more tough questions. He predicts a questionable future for producers everywhere. He also offers a few ideas that may drive the market to services in what Kelly calls our new vizuality.
In a world of media fragmentation, how can a big telemedia company keep its edge? By bundling deals with content providers, aimed at targeted markets. Gerd Leonhard says "curation" is the name of the game. Previously, big broadcasters and communicationss companies were the only game in town. It's now time for a new telemedia to care about content, branding, and audience.
"Cutting through the hype," game designer and social architecture expert Amy Jo Kim breaks down the process of creating games. She presents 'gamification' and game design with target audiences in mind. The underlying goal, she stresses, is to know your audience and meet it's desires in terms of technology, fun, and trends. Whether your are a game designer or game player, you'll enjoy learning core principles of game design.
What is a Transmedia Producer? Although this new role was recently recognized by the Producer's Guild of America, many people are unaware of it. Jeff Gomez explains how a Transmedia Production works, weaving in examples from Avatar and other projects, he introduces the audience to a new creative phenomenon in our culture. Transmedia story telling is the process of conveying storylines to a mass audience through the artful, well-planned use of multiple media platforms.
Imagine what it would be like to find out that your best friend had cancer; what would you do? In this keynote presentation about social media and social action, Jennifer Lynn Aaker shares a touching story of what a small group of people did when they found out that their friends were dying, and how that changed the fate of leukemia patients from South Asia. Jennifer explains how the group achieved incredible results in a short time and shares the four keys to creating infectious action.
Jef Raskin started Apple's Macintosh project, and he wants to set the record straight. He decries mistakes in published accounts of the creation of the Macintosh. For example, he cites the "creation myth" that the Mac was built by "college drop-outs and intuitive engineers flying by the seats of their pants." Jef spices his account with anecdotes of square pixels, one-button mice, bit-mapped fonts, and more. A longtime BayCHI member, Jeff passed away a year after this program, the last of his six BayCHI appearances since 1994.
