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Now We Are All Sons of Bitches
Now We Are All Sons of Bitches MICHAEL BONTATIBUS “Wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes,” the enigmat- ic G-Man murmurs as he leers into the camera, finishing an eerie opening monologue—and so begins Half-Life 2, Valve Corporation’s flagship game. The last time we saw Gordon Freeman, the protagonist, the same rigid and mysterious (though more poorly animated, since the prequel was released six years earlier) G-Man was handing him a job offer after witnessing the former scientist transform into a warrior, bent on escaping from the besieged Black Mesa Research Facility alive. Now, suddenly, Freeman finds himself on a train. No context.1 Is it a prison train? The three other individuals on it wear uniforms like those the inmates wore in Cool Hand Luke. The train soon stops at its destination, and we realize that it is a prison train, in a way—Freeman has arrived at the Orwellian “City 17,” where the ironically named Civil Protection abuses and oppresses, where antagonist Dr. Breen preaches poet- ic propaganda from large monitors hung high above the town. In the years since scientists at the facility accidentally opened a gateway between dimen- sions and allowed a bevy of grotesque creatures to spill into our universe, Earth has been taken over by the Combine, an alien multiplanetary empire. Breen is merely Earth’s administrator—and we realize that the ashes the G- Man spoke of were the ashes of the prelapsarian world. It’s classic dystopia, complete with a Resistance, of which Freeman soon finds himself the “mes- sianic” leader (HL2). -
Gabe Newell Announced As Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ Hall of Fame Inductee and Keynote
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GABE NEWELL ANNOUNCED AS ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS & SCIENCES’ HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE AND KEYNOTE Valve President Headlines Thursday D.I.C.E. Summit Conference Calabasas, Calif. – Nov. 15, 2012 – The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce that Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve Corporation, will be the 17th inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame, and will be taking the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit stage as its Thursday conference keynote. Gabe’s leadership in founding and managing Valve, creator of SourceTM game engine, Steam, and award- winning game franchises like Half-Life®, Counter StrikeTM, Left 4 DeadTM, PortalTM, and Team FortressTM have done much to push the interactive entertainment industry forward. The AIAS Hall of Fame honor is bestowed on game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward. These individuals demonstrate the highest level of creativity and innovation, resulting in significant product influence on a scale that expands the scope of the industry. The 2013 Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Gabe by Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps, who serves on the AIAS board of directors and the AIAS awards committee, at the 16th D.I.C.E. Awards on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Past AIAS Hall of Fame recipients include: Tim Sweeney (2012), Dr. Greg Zeschuk (2011), Dr. Ray Muzyka (2011), Mark Cerny (2010), and Bruce Shelley (2009). “Gabe is one of the most cherished and respected figures in the industry not only for his technological innovations in advancing many of today’s highly successful video games, but also for his unique stance towards leadership and management,” said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. -
Machinima As Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation
A Binary Within the Binary: Machinima as Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Megan R. Brown December 2012 © 2012 Megan R. Brown. All Rights Reserved 2 This thesis titled A Binary Within the Binary: Machinima as Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation by MEGAN R. BROWN has been approved for the School of Film and the College of Fine Arts by Louis-Georges Schwartz Associate Professor of Film Studies Charles A. McWeeny Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 ABSTRACT BROWN, MEGAN R., M.A., December 2012, Film Studies A Binary Within the Binary: Machinima as Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation (128 pp.) Director of Thesis: Louis-Georges Schwartz. This thesis traces machinima, films created in real-time from videogame engines, from the exterior toward the interior, focusing on the manner in which the medium functions as a tool for marginalized expression in the face of commercial and corporate inclusion. I contextualize machinima in three distinct contexts: first, machinima as historiography, which allows its minority creators to articulate and distribute their interpretation of national and international events without mass media interference. Second, machinima as a form of fan fiction, in which filmmakers blur the line between consumers and producers, a feature which is slowly being warped as videogame studios begin to incorporate machinima into marketing techniques. Finally, the comparison between psychoanalytic film theory, which explains the psychological motivations behind cinema's appeal, applied to videogames and their resulting machinima, which knowingly disregard established theory and create agency through parody. -
Online Media Piracy: Convergence, Culture, and the Problem of Media
Online Media Piracy: Convergence, Culture, and the Problem of Media Change Sean Fuller Department of Gender and Cultural Studies The University of Sydney A thesis submitted to fulfil requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney i DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or any other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Sean Fuller April 7, 2018 ii Abstract This thesis proposes that there is a symbiotic relationship between the emergence of online media piracy and the industrial, economic and legal changes that have shaped contemporary popular media in the early 21st century. The Internet is at the heart of most recent transformations of the popular media environment, such as the emergence of video- on-demand formats for film and television consumption and the impact this has had on the nature of those media forms. This thesis discusses the powerful role played by online media piracy in shaping these developments, both through changing the expectations of consumers, and the options that are available for distributors of media content. As well as exploring the diverse forms and practices of online media piracy today, this thesis also explores theories of media change, considering how we might understand such piracy as a force underpinning media change, and how the changes it has helped shape might be placed in a broader historical context. -
EA and Valve Unveil the Black Box and the Orange Box
EA and Valve Unveil The Black Box and The Orange Box Innovative Action Titles Ship in Fall 2007 and Include Portal(TM), Team Fortress(R) 2 and Half-Life(R) 2: Episode Two in One Box REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2007--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment company, and Valve®, the award-winning studio behind the blockbuster franchises Half-Life® and Counter- Strike®, today announced the naming and product configurations The Black Box and The Orange Box, two of the most anticipated action game offerings shipping worldwide in Fall 2007. The Black Box will ship for the PC, and includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2. The Orange Box will ship for the PC, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, and includes all the content of The Black Box, plus the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One. Innovative games included in The Black Box and The Orange Box include: -- Half-Life 2: Episode Two -- the second installment in Valve's episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17. -- Portal -- a pioneering type of single player action game that rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment - much like how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun reinvented the way gamers interact with objects in the game. -- Team Fortress 2 -- an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games. The game's daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date. -
2006 DICE Program
Welcome to the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’® fifth annual D.I.C.E. Summit™. The Academy is excited to provide the forum for the interactive enter- tainment industry’s best and brightest to discuss the trends, opportunities and chal- lenges that drive this dynamic business. For 2006, we have assembled an outstanding line-up of speakers who, over the next few days, will be addressing some of the most provocative topics that will impact the creation of tomorrow’s video games. The D.I.C.E. Summit is the event where many of the industry’s leaders are able to discuss, debate and exchange ideas that will impact the video game business in the coming years. It is also a time to reflect on the industry’s most recent accomplish- ments, and we encourage every Summit attendee to join us on Thursday evening Joseph Olin, President for the ninth annual Interactive Achievement Awards®, held at The Joint at the Academy of Interactive Hard Rock Hotel. The creators of the top video games of the year will be honored Arts & Sciences for setting new standards in interactive entertainment. Thank you for attending this year’s D.I.C.E. Summit. We hope that this year’s confer- ence will provide you with ideas that spark your creative efforts throughout the year. The Academy’s Board of Directors Since its inception in 1996, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has relied on the leadership and direction of its board of directors. These men and women, all leaders of the interactive software industry, have volunteered their time and resources to help the Academy advance its mission of promoting awareness of the art and science of interactive games and entertainment. -
Global Flows in a Digital
McKinsey Global Institute McKinsey Global Institute Global flows in a digital trade, finance, How age: people, anddata connect worldthe economy April 2014 Global flows in a digital age: How trade, finance, people, and data connect the world economy The McKinsey Global Institute The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, was established in 1990 to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. Our goal is to provide leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors with the facts and insights on which to base management and policy decisions. MGI research combines the disciplines of economics and management, employing the analytical tools of economics with the insights of business leaders. Our “micro-to-macro” methodology examines microeconomic industry trends to better understand the broad macroeconomic forces affecting business strategy and public policy. MGI’s in-depth reports have covered more than 20 countries and 30 industries. Current research focuses on six themes: productivity and growth; natural resources; labor markets; the evolution of global financial markets; the economic impact of technology and innovation; and urbanization. Recent reports have assessed job creation, resource productivity, cities of the future, the economic impact of the Internet, and the future of manufacturing. MGI is led by three McKinsey & Company directors: Richard Dobbs, James Manyika, and Jonathan Woetzel. Michael Chui, Susan Lund, and Jaana Remes serve as MGI partners. Project teams are led by the MGI partners and a group of senior fellows, and include consultants from McKinsey & Company’s offices around the world. These teams draw on McKinsey & Company’s global network of partners and industry and management experts. -
Unity Playground
Unity Playground Instructor: Prof Pisan [email protected] Overview Game Engine Architecture Unity's approach to creating a game engine Defining a game - components, criticism Role of Game Designer Unity Playground https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/s/unity-playground 2 HW1: Unity Basics Review answers Grading: #2 2pts #5 2pts #8 2pts Rest 4pts 3 Game Designer Advocate for the player See the world through the player's eyes Player experience Playtesters - providing feedback Game design as hosting a party - an interactive experience Communication - sell your game, good listener and compromiser Teamwork - personalities Process - games are fragile, prioritize goals Inspiration - world as challenges, structures and play. Money to relationships Beyond existing games Will Wright - ant colonies to SimAnt What parts of your life can be turned into games? 4 Fail and Fail Again https://officechai.com/startups/51-failed-games-rovio-created- angry-birds-now-going-public-1-billion-valuation/ Playcentric Design Process Keeping the player experience in mind and testing the gameplay with target players through every phase of development. Setting player experience goals Players have to cooperate to win, but structured so cannot trust each other Players will feel a sense of happiness and playfulness Prototyping and Playtesting Paper is easy to modify, software decisions harder to reverse Iteration Design → Test → Evaluate → Design → Test → …. 6 Game Development 1. Brainstorming 2. Physical prototype 3. Presentation (if you need $$s) 4. Software prototype 5. Design documentation - putting the notes together 6. Production 7. Quality assurance Approaches: Jump from concept to writing up design to coding. Works OK when the game is a variation of an existing game Game Jams: Tapping into community for ideas and prototypes Innovation: unique play mechniques, beyond existing genres, integrating into daily lives, taking on new business models, emotionally rich gameplay, …. -
IMPORTANT COMPANIES, THEIR CEO's & HEADQUARTERS 2017
IMPORTANT COMPANIES, THEIR CEO’s & HEADQUARTERS 2017 COMPANY CEO/Chairman HEAD QUARTER 1. Accenture Pierre Nanterme Dublin, Ireland 2. Aditya Birla Group Kumar Birla Worli, Mumbai, India 3. Adobe systems Shantanu Narayan San Jose, California, USA 4. Amazon Jeff Bezos Seattle, Washington, USA 5. Apple Tim Cook Cupertino, California, USA 6. AT&T Randall L Stephenson Dallas, Texas, USA 7. Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal New Delhi, India 8. BMW Harald Kruger Munich, Germany 9. Cisco Systems Chuck Robbins San Jose, California, USA 10. Coca Cola James Robert B. Quincey Atlanta, Georgia, USA 11. Dell Michael Dell Round Rock, Texas, USA 12. Eastman Kodak Jeff Clarke Rochester, New York, USA 13. eBay Devin Wenig San Jose, California, USA 14. Electronic Arts Andrew Wilson Redwood City, California, USA 15. Facebook Mark Zuckerberg Menlo Park, California, USA 16. Ford Motor Jim Hackett Dearborn, Michigan, USA 17. Google Sunder Pichai Mountain View, California, USA 18. HCL Technologies C. Vijaykumar Noida, India 19. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Antonio Neri. Palo Alto, California, USA 20. Hp Inc. Dion Weisler Palo Alto, California, USA 21. IBM Ginni Rometty Armonk, New York, USA 22. Infosys Tech. Salil S. Parekh Bengaluru, India 23. Intel Brian Krzanich Santa Carla, California, USA 24. Larsen & Turbo SN Subrahmanyan Mumbai, India 25. McDonalds Steve Easterbrook Oak Brook, Illionois, USA 26. Mercedes Benz Dieter Zetsche Stuttgart, Germany 27. Microsoft Satya Nadella Redmond, Washington, USA 28. Motorola Greg Brown Schaumburg, Illionois, USA 29. Mozilla Chris Beard Mountain View, California, USA 30. Nike Mark Parker Beaverton, Oregon, USA 31. Nissan Hiroto Saikawa Yokohama, Japan 32. Nokia Rajeev Suri Espoo, Finland 33. -
Firepower Added to 2006 Dice Speaker Lineup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Shelling Wendy Zaas Rogers & Cowan 310-854-8192 310-854-8148 [email protected] [email protected] Geri Gordon Miller Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences 818-876-0826 x202 [email protected] MORE FIREPOWER ADDED TO 2006 D.I.C.E. SPEAKER LINEUP Industry Icon, Key Publishing Execs, Hollywood Panel Discussion Added to Roster CALABASAS, CA – December 15, 2005 – An already all-star lineup of speakers for the 2006 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit has shifted into overdrive with the addition of some of the best known talents in digital entertainment. The 2006 D.I.C.E. Summit takes place at the Green Valley Ranch Hotel in Las Vegas February 8 – 10. The registration deadline is Friday, December 16, 2005; to register, visit the event web site, www.dicesummit.org. Added to the roster of speakers are: Gabe Newell – As Managing Director of Valve Software, Gabe Newell has been the driving force behind the wildly popular Half-Life franchise and Valve’s Steam content distribution system. Newell will discuss Valve’s success in developing compelling entertainment and creating an effective means of delivering their content to the gaming public. Reggie Fils-Aime – As Chief Marketing Officer for Nintendo of America, Fils-Aime made an immediate impact on the video game industry when he opened the Nintendo E3 Press Conference in 2004 with the following statement: “My name is Reggie. I'm about kicking ass, I'm about taking names, and we're about making games.” D.I.C.E. Summit attendees should expect provocative commentary when Fils-Aime discusses Nintendo’s vision of the future for interactive entertainment. -
April 9Th, 2021 Dear President Biden, I Am Wr
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., DC 20500 [VIA EMAIL] April 9th, 2021 Dear President Biden, I am writing to deliver a petition, attached to this letter, signed by 29,318 people urging you to put an end to the racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants and end the Justice Department’s “China Initiative.” Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC worked with directly impacted persons, who were inspired to take action but chose to remain anonymous due to fear, to launch this petition urging you to immediately end the “China Initiative” and the federal government’s racial profiling and targeting of Asian American and Asian immigrant scientists, researchers, and scholars, particularly by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). We thank you for your public condemnation of racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States and look forward to the administration's efforts to combat profiling within our federal institutions. Along with almost 30,000 impacted persons, concerned citizens, and community members, we seek to draw your attention to the increasing targeting and racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants, particularly those of Chinese descent, who are working in science and technology. Asian Americans and immigrants across the country face not only the deathly impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating attacks of hate on their most vulnerable, but are also being scapegoated and targeted by law enforcement and the federal government. This fear is only heightened by racist policies and xenophobic rhetoric from public officials fueling this resurgent xenophobia. -
Valley Girls
VALLEY GIRLS They’re storming Silicon Valley with their sharp ideas. Meet six American Indian women who are paving their way to technological superstardom with their ambition and aptitude. By AARTI VIRANI and PARIZAAD KHAN SETHI Photographed by THAYER ALLYSON GOWDY Styled by KIERSTEN ANN 281 SHRADDHA CHAPLOT, 30, GREENGINEER, CISCO Shraddha Chaplot was that kid. The one who asked for more math homework, the one who worked out of a ninth-grade math book when her fourth grade class was struggling with theirs. In fact, at 30, she’s still that kid. “I’m really looking forward to my 10 pi birthday (31.4 years) and my 5-bit birthday (32). For the latter, microprocessors will be the party favours!” she says. After growing up in Walnut, a small town outside Los Angeles, Udaipur-born Chaplot studied electrical engineering and machine intelligence at the University of California, San Diego. “I had six different internships in college, and the last one was at Cisco, which turned into my first job. I always wanted to do things that made a real impact, changed a person’s perspective and dreams.” At Cisco, she’s a ‘Greengineer’, where her tasks have included building the Energy Star Compliance Test Lab for ensuring energy efficiency of products. She is also a board member of the Foundation Board of Directors for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York) and she brought on the first two hearing-impaired interns to Cisco. “For me, technology is the enabler for us to be our true selves.