Ludology.org

The DAC pack

DAC is responsible of many things happening, including this blog. The first one, set in 1998, was where I met many people who are now game researchers. During the following DACs, I met most of my current colleagues here at the Center for Computer Game Reserach. I attended to all DAC conferences but one: the one held in Melbourne (but I am catching up, since I'll be in Melbourne next month). It'll be hard for me to escape from the next DAC, since it will be held at the IT University, my employer. It'll happen from Dec 1st to Dec 3rd, 2005 (no, it's not that cold in December in Copenhagen. Sure, it's cold, but not enough for you guys chickening out from showing up). Here's the CFP, so start polishing your submissions.

Ubisoft U

The word has been out for a while, but I thought that maybe I should post about it anyway. Ubisoft is launching their own degree on game production (undergrad, it seems) as a joint venture with the Canadian goverment.

Are you thinking about what we are thinking?

What follows has nothing to do with videogames, so feel free to skip it.

rI just ran into the UK's Tories political campaign (via Elastico.net, of course). First things first, my knowledge of UK politics is superficial and I dislike Mr. Blair (and Jack Straw). This post is more philosophy than applied politics, I guess. Anyway, the posters -as well as the banners on their site- go like this: "Put more police on the streets and they'll catch more criminals. It's not rocket science, is it?". Another one: "What's wrong with a little discipline in schools?". Yet another: “It’s not racist to impose limits on immigration”. All the banners finish with the same question: “Are you thinking what we’re thinking?”. The campaign, for the record, was penned by MC Saatchi and I must say, is a masterpiece.

Miyazaki, the New Yorker

The New Yoker Magazine feaatures an interview with Miyazaki (January 17, edition). TL Taylor was nice enough to bring me a copy of the article (sorry, it's not online). It's a really good piece about this grumpy old workaholic who creates highly emotional films. With probably the exception of Totoro, I never truly loved Miyazaki films as organic films: there's always moments when my attention declines or things get a bit boring (this happens to me with Japanese films in general, and particular with other anime) Still, I can never get those movies out of my head. I am not, by any means, a manga or anime fan. I do love Japanese toys, though, and many Japanese manga characters. Anyway, the New Yorker article describes the Ghibli Museum that I got a chance to visit last year with Jason Della Rocca, escaping from the Tokyo Game Show. It is certainly a house of beauty, a place for discovery and a banquet for the eyes. My only regret was that we only stayed there for about an hour and a half. It was a rainy day and we had some other compromise (I think it was our talk at the University of Tokyo). The New Yorker article shows Miyazaki as a grumpy pessimist and I am not surprised: you have to be an obsessed freak to work like he does. But at least he built that little house outside Tokyo and I know it's still there. A Disneyland for kids who are not obese, for quiet people who like to play with insects while laying on the grass. Miyazaki keeps complaining about videogames and he has a point: too many videogames can fuck your childhood up. It seems that he dislikes the genre upfront and would not agree with me that it is a matter of degree. Videogames could eventually allow us to chase the same ghosts than his films'. But he is right on the fact that we need to get out more.

KANA KANA KANA, HAKKLIHA!

I've got the flu. Even though I am feeling much better today, maybe the flu got into my brain. For some reason, I just ran into a small quicktime file. Boing Boing claims that it is some TV ad from Estonia from the Seventies. Again, maybe I am totally nuts, but I think it is one of the best videos I've ever seen. And the soundtrack!!! Fantastic soundtrack (Bjork would be envious). Check it out for yourself (takes a long time to load, but worth the wait. Warning: video is not vegan compliant).

Game Interface Design

I ran into this book on game interface design while preparing one of my courses. I haven't read it yet (it seems that it was published just two months ago), but it looks like something that you may want to have, both if you are an academic or a designer (or both).

Mindbending

Finally a way to brainwash our kids in the best possible way. Witness the games plugins that the Neuroscience world has been raving about. It works with any OpenGL game running on Linux, but the possibilities are endless. This is the product of decades of research by Drs. Berger and Praxmarer. Better than stem cell research! Guaranteed to change your kid!

Something rotten

Sad, sad, sad. You probably didn't hear about it in the media since Denmark is such a tiny place, but the current goverment got re-elected. That wouldn't be too bad if they weren't a bunch of xenophobes (a coalition supported by a extreme right wing party), who like to brag about having the toughest immigration policies in the EU. They should learn something from Spain.
rI've been particularly interested about immigration issues lately, how policies fluctuate and how they relate to xenophobia. It's a complex issue and would make a hell of a game. Who knows, with time, I may be able to work on something on that direction.

ICONOCLAST

(via Edge) Italian Eye-toy like game/installation where you play Marcel Duchamp and you fight against art. Make sure that you watch the trailer to get an idea.

Media Convergence

The NYTimes reports (free reg. req.) on movie studios getting more and more interested in buying game developers. If only Spielberg bought EA and forced everybody (and their wives) to work on a sequel to The Neverhood...