Serious Games Canada

Parts 2-5 of this video are available here:

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

That would be some Sun Media video from our event yesterday: Game On Manitoba.

Future Play 2009@ GDC Canada May 12-13, 2009This special session of Future Play has partnered with the Game Developers Conference® Canada (GDC Canada) 2009 to bring you a series of influential speakers, panels and sessions to foster thought-provoking and industry changing ideas. Our objective is to provide an atmosphere for discussion and networking between researchers, educators, industry-professionals, and students to advance the game industry by focusing on three main themes:
                             

Future Game Development

Addressing academic research and emerging industry
trends in the area of game technology and game design.
                                     

Future Game Impacts and Applications

Including academic research and emerging industry trends focused on designing games for learning, for gender, for serious purposes, and to impact society.
                                 

Future Game Talent

Providing industry and academic perspectives on the knowledge,
skills, and attitude it takes to excel in the games industry. http://futureplay.org/

Speakers include:
Gardner Congdon

Duane M. Dunfield

Eric Gagnon

Jerry Heneghan

Lucie Lalumière

Captain Jeremy MacDonald

Kevin McNulty

Khal Shariff

Julia Walden

Kenton White

Tour the ISS!

Winnipeg August 14th, 2008

Canadian Space Agency's Immersive Learning Environment Contract Awarded to Winnipeg's Project Whitecard and Team!

The Canadian Space Agency this week has awarded a contract for a new immersive learning product to Project Whitecard and Team. 

The product will be designed to teach mathematics at the elementary and high school levels, featuring the famous Canadarm2 and Dextre robots. Canadian astronaut Julie Payette's role as the robotics lead on upcoming space shuttle mission STS 127 will be featured as students are immersed in the space robotics environment, take control of the virtual robotics systems, learn and apply age-appropriate math concepts and complete a series of robotics tasks similar to those assigned to Ms. Payette.  Innovative modes of learning and assessment will be employed, harnessing the power of modern game technology, thus introducing a new era in education to classrooms across the nation.  

“It will feel real – and students will control their learning environment and math education will take on a whole new dimension,” says Khal Shariff, CEO of Project Whitecard, “Canadians have some beautiful technology up there in space, and the new immersive technologies are finally catching up to the point where they are going to provide the next space generation with virtual, hands-on access to space so that they can use it as the ultimate learning platform.” 

The project will assemble a world-class international team which includes Project Whitecard, famed advanced learning technology experts Virtual Heroes Inc. of North Carolina, Cinetik Studios of Montreal, Canadian Space Agency robotics and training experts and even a Canadian astronaut!  The Canadian Space Agency's new learning products will launch in early 2009. 

The challenge of the Team is to create a specific curriculum-based product which at the same time remains fun and is engaging to students and educators alike. The DVD will feature a cutting-edge, multiplayer immersive environment on the International Space Station, space shuttle in tow, with high-fidelity 3D graphics and an unprecedented level of interactivity. 

Project Whitecard is a company specializing in the new "Serious Gaming" field for space exploration, health, training and education. They are located at the University of Manitoba Smartpark as part of the Eureka! Business Incubator. CEO Khal Shariff has participated in several NASA outreach projects as a speaker and also maintains the Serious Games Canada industry group.    

Partner Virtual Heroes Inc. (VHI), the “Advanced Learning Technology Company” creates collaborative interactive learning solutions for U.S. Federal Systems, Healthcare and Corporate Training markets.  VHI applications facilitate highly interactive, self-paced learning and instructor-led, distributed team training on the Virtual Heroes Advanced Learning Technology (A.L.T.) platform.   

Cinetik Studios have been developing game based training and simulations since 2004.  Their mission is simple and straightforward: to develop profitable efficient game-based training and simulation systems for corporate, institutional and government clients using existing and proven game technology. 

This is Project Whitecard and Virtual Heroes' first project with the Canadian Space Agency. Project Whitecard also produces “Project Moonwalk,” a science education game featuring Apollo and Constellation Missions. Needless to say, all the team members are very excited to be working with the Canadian Space Agency on such a creative and forward-thinking project.

Be sure to come to breakfast on Sept. 18th, and meet, Khal, Rick, Julia, and Deborah.
Modsim2008

This year, the conference focus is on Decision-Making in Complex Environments. Speakers, educational tracks, presentations, and product demonstrations will center on using modeling and simulation tools and practices in decision-making in today's challenging operating environments. Attendees will learn about new applications and practices and have an opportunity to network with other industry professionals. One conference fee enables exhibitors and attendees to attend the pre-conference on Monday, September 15 and all educational tracks. An exciting cross-cutting Gaming Track is featured throughout each of the education tracks and will offer the most
up-to-date developments in "Serious Gaming". MODSIM World 2008 will be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Meaningful Play 2008: CFP Extended!Meaniful Play

Presentation submission deadline has been extended to July 13, 2008...

 

"

Whether designed to entertain or for more “serious” purposes, games have the potential to impact players’ beliefs, knowledge, attitudes, emotions, cognitive abilities, and behavior.

Meaningful Play 2008 is an interdisciplinary academic conference that explores the potential of games to entertain, inform, educate, and persuade in meaningful ways. The conference includes thought-provoking keynotes from leaders in academia and industry, peer-reviewed paper presentations, panel sessions (including academic and industry discussions), innovative workshops, roundtable discussions, and exhibitions of games..."
Link

The Serious Games Canada mailing list is now in operation.

If you are not a member please click and join the Serious Games Canada mailing list here.

Thanks Jim!

GDC 2008 Serious Games Summit
Thanks to Ben Sawyer and Jim Parker for asking me to speak for Canada at the  Serious Games Summit.


"Companies from Bioware to Ubisoft to EA and Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg,Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver businesses taking SG's seriously
Canada: cities are coalescing working agreements and entering the Serious Games “sector.”
In Canada, as in America, it's time for SG.
Canada of course, your good neighbor, is home already to many talented designers and developers.
Talk to your local Canadian Embassy"

Download the presentation(s) below

Attachment	Size
GDC2008.pdf	657.33 KB
gdc-serious-games-canada-1203350537419255-5.pdf	4.37 MB

"The CGSA invites one and all for membership. If you would like to be a contributing member to the Canadian Game Studies Association, please download the following form and mail to the address therein. We do ask for a $10 membership fee to cover the costs of organizing events such as the upcoming 2nd Annual CGSA Conference in May so we hope that in submitting your membership via mail that this fee is appended."

http://contagion.edu.yorku.ca:16080/cgsa/about-cgsa.php