E3 2009 - electronic entertainment 2009

• Relationships major at E3
• News
• June 01, 2009 8:19 PM
• Paul Govan

One day into E3 2009 and we seem to have a theme emerging - celebrity. Each of the first three press conferences have rolled out some impressive celebrity figures. Microsoft had Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Stephen Spielberg and Tony Hawks, whilst EA had Pete Sampras and Ubisoft had Ridley Scott.

More than the name checking though is the ease and willingness at which these folk are happy to stand alongside our favorite videogame experiences. More than ever it seems that games are part of the fabric of our society now, and no longer the reserve of the hardcore gamer.

Alongside these names we find similar technological changes. Particularly interesting to a family gamer was the new ways to play together, as well as the new ways to control games. From the ability to connect LastFM, Facebook, Twitter and Netflix to your Xbox 360, to the new super simple Natal and Hawkscontrollers, it seems like there is a recognition that more casual gamers are more interested in relationships than technology.

As a Dad, I found two of the Natal demonstrations particularly interesting. Here we have a controller that lets you direct a game by standing in front of a camera and moving your body. With this simple concept we watched as they demonstrated a magical painting game - something my kids would love. The player could grab pots of emulsion and fling them onto the canvas, Jackson Pollock style, to impressively creative results.

The second demo using the Natal controller was the creation of a computer controlled character, a little boy called Milo, who could notice and respond to communication as subtle as a smile or as human as sunken shoulders. We watched as the player conversed with Milo, and had as genuine an interaction as you could imagine between a screen and a person.

Then came a moment of magic, when they lent forward to play the fishing activity and we could see their reflection in the pond they were poking and prodding. A simple idea executed seamlessly and without a visible controller.

Time will tell how well the technology stands up to rigorous (and untrained) testing - we should have a hands on for you soon - but hopes are high that this is a big step towards a whole different way of creating game experiences.

Corporate Gaming as development

http://www.thegogame.com/team/offerings/index.asp

The Go Game is a cutting-edge company that helps other companies succeed through innovative, technology-driven team building games. At the core of all of our products is the belief that technology should facilitate real, meaningful interactions that foster creativity, collaboration and above all, fun. Our patented software is the play-dough that our writers and game gurus mold to create experiences that will make a lasting impression with real results for your company. Whether you're planning a team-building experience for your department, an offsite training for your sales staff, a product launch for a conference, or a creativity training session for your producers

Mediascapes at ICA

Yesterday, International Women's Day(!) I attended a Mediascapes workshop at the ICA, run as part of the Birds-Eye-View week - where women film-makers are celebrated and featured.

Pervasive Media Studio's 'Mediascapes' are rich in interactivity — full of sound and music, images and text, videos and animation, narrative and dialog, all embedded in the space where you’re standing and I believe will play a big part in the future of gaming and education. www.mscapers.com

This promotional video from HP called Roku's Reward is an exciting and insightful look at the possibilities for the future of GPS gaming and is something I will be planning to try and create as part of my research studies.

BBC/AHRC Knowledge Exchange

I was at the BBC Headquarters yesterday taking part in a Knowledge Exchange workshop where academics were invited to collaborate with BBC production staff to consider the future of interactive media. We were introduced to Adventure Rock and then worked in groups to create the 'impression of a public service space, environment or thing'.

I was interested in BBC research which had been conducted through a series of orientations and workshops with children, which revealed 8 'types' of game players - explorers, social climbers, collector consumers, life-system builders, self-stampers, fighters, power users, nurturers and 13 'reasons' why children play games - socialising, creative, control, explore, status, location, purpose, humour, help, video, home, shops, retreat..

We had an hour to come up with a concept of a vision for a virtual environment to which the public could contribute and with the use of coloured pens and plasticine here are some of the ideas that were generated.

It was great fun and thought-provoking and something that I will be researching further..