Melbourne is the capital of many things, (sports, coffee) but did you know they are also the gaming capital of Australia? 48% of the industry is located within Victoria, thanks to the generous support of the various local government schemes. They also host many gaming related events and venues such as Freeplay, GCAP, PAX AUS and the ACMI. Melbourne continues to show off the best that the industry has to offer, culminating in their International Gaming Week in November.
This workshop will highlight some pivotal gaming areas that help contribute to this culture, and allow the gaming industry to be as strong as ever here in Australia. The sites scheduled are world leaders in their fields, covering Virtual Reality, Serious Games and Collaboration, all fostering growth within the industry. The tour will visit 3 sites that demonstrate how powerful games as a medium can be for reaching your audience and conveying information. Showing the ability for collaboration with other industries to create amazing works that Australia can be proud of.
The event will start with departure at 9:00am at the exhibition centre, and return to the exhibition centre at 17:30pm. Lunch will be provided as part of the day. The workshop is open to everyone willing to look at simulation from a different perspective and interested in how serious games may help their business or academic studies to better your overall participation and results. Details on the sites to visit will be placed up in the coming days.
More information about the day is as follows:
After departing the Melbourne convention centre at 0900 from the Convention centre place Bus stop near the south wharf Hilton, The first visit for the day, will demonstrate the influence of serious games, and what companies can do when collaborating with academic and industry bodies.
Opaque is the epitome of what a small Aussie company can do within the serious games and simulation space. As winners of the world citizenship competition at the imagine cup 2015 for their work with Alzheimer’s Australia Vic, through to their collaboration with NASA for their Earthlight astronaut simulation experience. They are always looking at new collaborative opportunities and innovative technologies to build on. This visit will allow you to hear how they have grown and look at some of their past and future projects.
The second part of the tour will look at the workforce of the games industry, focusing on two different areas.
Big Ant is one of the oldest game developers in Australia, they have worked on a range of sporting titles including AFL Live, NRL Live 3 and Don Bradman Cricket. They have also completed projects within the simulation space, working with Qinetiq on a mine driving simulator and training scenarios for Victoria police.
The Arcade is a non-for-profit collaborative workspace that allows smaller game companies to focus on what they do best. Established in 2013 in conjunction with the GDAA, the Victorian government and Big Ant Studios, the space encourages the sharing of knowledge and regularly hosts workshops and seminars to improve the industry. The Arcade has become a model copied around Australia and the world.
During this visit, we will get to see and hear from some of the tenants and employees at both sites, see the talent we have here in our own backyard and hear about the growing gaming industry. After the tours, lunch will be provided to encourage additional conversation and maybe inspire some further collaboration.
The final Visit of the day will show of Virtual reality and worlds in all its glory.
Zero Latency are world leaders in free roam VR (FRVR), allowing you to participate in “The best, most captivating, immersive and present virtual reality experience”. Using a range of commercial and self-developed wireless hardware and software, step into the virtual world with your friends and colleagues to explore a new way to engage, train and investigate. This visit will allow you to experience the system for yourself to gain a better understanding the power of virtual worlds.
We aim to be back at the convention centre by 18:00 in time to allow everyone to get ready for the evening events, especially Simplay Drinks, which will have more information on the website in the coming days.
Date: Monday 26 September 2016
Time: 09:00 - 17:30
Pick up/Drop off from: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre