In order to implement an arcade games software factory for the SharpLudus project, I'm studying some XNA game engines atop which I can create a higher-level, domain-specific game engine (for the 2D arcade domain).

 

So I was introduced to the FlatRedBall game engine, and so far I'm having some very nice experiences with it. In order for me to gain some basic skills with the engine, I'm creating some sample games. The first of them, Money Hunt, was just released today. The game theme is quite unusual: you should control some fictional politicians, Raynan and Collorful, to make some money and run away from the federal police.

 

 

Look for the nice pieces of art below! I wonder if the author used any automation to reach such results...

 

Human Tetris

 

Human Space Invaders

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

 

Just adding a legal notice about the contents of this blog. Each and every post will now end with the following disclaimer:

 

 

Just in case... ;)

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

I'll part of the committee of this conference and will be reviewing some papers. Please participate and disseminate!

 

 

CALL FOR PAPERS - Deadline for submissions: 25 February 2008 --

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25 to 27 July 2008
(http://www.gaming-conf.org/)
part of the IADIS Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (MCCSIS 2008)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 22 to 27 July 2008
(http://www.mccsis.org)

* Keynote Speaker
Constance Steinkuehler, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA

* Conference background and goals
As gaming becomes more pervasive we are challenged in our job, learning and personal
life by the growing access to virtual spaces and communities that offer opportunities for
everyday needs and aesthetic experiences. 'Creative Industries' have a need for design
measures that reveal new interaction methods, scenario metaphors and in-depth
co-creation. This conference bring together research and best practices in creative
media design for this new challenging field.

* Format of the Conference
The conference will comprise of invited talks and oral presentations. The
proceedings of the conference will be published in the form of a book and CD-ROM
with ISBN, and will be available also in the IADIS Digital Library (accessible
on-line). The best paper authors will be invited to publish extended versions of
their papers in the IADIS Journal on Computer Science and Information Systems (ISSN: 1646-3692).

* Types of submissions
Full and Short Papers, Reflection Papers, Posters/Demonstrations, Tutorials, Panels
and Doctoral Consortium. All submissions are subject to a blind refereeing process.

* Topics related to Gaming: Design for Engaging Experience and Social Interaction are of interest. These include, but are not limited
to the following areas and topics:

- Creativity and Resonant Interaction
- Multi-modal communication
- Immersiveness
- Experience design
- Perception and performance metaphors
- Alternate and mixed realities
- Creative industries
- Research methodologies in creative practice
- Assessment of exploratory technologies
- (Social and Audiovisual) Usability and playability
- Adaptivity
- Cognition, representation, communication
- User/player centered design
- Game interpretation for design
- Psychological, social, and cultural differences in perception and participation
- Communities, networks, social interaction and social capital
- Cross-cultural and intercultural approaches
- Mechanisms of exclusion
- Game criticism
- Applications in Serious Gaming
- Assessment of exploratory learning approaches
- Emerging practices

* Important Dates:
- Submission Deadline: 25 February 2008
- Notification to Authors: Until 31 March 2008
- Final Camera-Ready Submission and Early Registration: Until 21 April 2008
- Late Registration: After 21 April 2008
- Conference: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 25 to 27 July 2008

* Conference Location
The conference will be held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

* Secretariat
IADIS Secretariat - IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE GAMING 2008 : DESIGN FOR ENGAGING EXPERIENCE AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Rua Sao Sebastiao da Pedreira, 100, 3
1050-209 Lisbon, Portugal
E-mail: secretariat@gaming-conf.org
Web site: http://www.gaming-conf.org/

* Program Committee
Gaming 2008 Conference Program Chair:
Eleonore ten Thij, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

General MCCSIS Conference Co-Chairs:
Piet Kommers, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Pedro Isaías, Universidade Aberta (Portuguese Open University), Portugal
Nian-Shing Chen, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan

Committee Members: *
* for committee list please refer to http://www.gaming-conf.org/committees.asp

 

That's something I'd definitively add to my test cases list!

 

 

[...]

 

Read the full story here.

 

[]s

-- AFurtado

 

"Let the games begin" - Monday, Jan 21, 2008
[This post is part of a series. Read the first one here. Read the last one here.]

 

So I wake up at 7a.m. and get pretty excited: this is my first day at Microsoft! It was quite a freezing day, below 0 degrees (Celsius). When I get downstairs from the apartment, a big surprise: all the windows of my car were completely covered by ice! Impossible to see anything from the inside!

Since may past experiences dealing with inner car temperatures in Brazil were restricted to turning the air conditioning on and opening the windows as quick as possible in order to not get all sweaty, I was hopelessly lost with that “frozen-window situation”. I remembered the Washington State Driver’s License Guide said you should remove all of the ice from the windows before driving, but how was I supposed to do that without being late for my first day at Microsoft??

Then I had the (stupid) idea to go back home, empty the cereals bowl and put some hot water inside, to give the car a hot shower. The hot water melted the ice as expected and I was free to go, but as I was told later, this could have caused the window glass to expand and explode into pieces! Damn, now I understand why we have physics classes in our Computer Science curriculum! Please don’t tell this to the car rental agency… (Adding some ironic bits: a couple of days later I've discovered the car came with an ice scraper tool, it was inside a compartment in front of my eyes!)

So I arrive at Microsoft on time. As it was my first day, I was supposed to attend the NEO, the New Employee Orientation. Quite an interesting coincidence, since the night before I was watching The Matrix on TV (BTW, the temporary house which Microsoft assigns you has a hundred of TV channels)…

 

Then I had the real surprise of the day: 150 people were attending that same NEO session! This means that 150 people were starting at Microsoft at the same day! Since NEO happens each Monday, this means that about 600 or more people start their jobs at Microsoft per month! Really impressive, as it is to realize the company has more than 85,000 employees, and growing.

And then I had the multi-cultural experience I was expecting for: people from all around the world exchanging their experiences and sharing their opinions, feelings, expectations, challenges, fears and potential in their very first day of a new professional experience.

As deeper explanations of Microsoft in many aspects went along, NEO presented me many more surprises about the company. It was a moment to realize how huge Microsoft is and the responsibility the company has to take care of their employees: different options for rich medical and dental coverage, life insurance, “stay fit” incentives (you can enroll in the US’ biggest health club for free as a MS employee), support for having a secure retirement in the future, participation in the company stocks, legal consultancy, family benefits, a discount card that can be used in many places such as restaurants, commuting options and incentives, free shuttle service inside the MS Campus, tuition assistance, donations matching and many other global citizenship initiatives (what "evil empire"??), cafeterias with dining services all around the campus, free beverages (sodas, coffee, hot chocolate, etc.) everywhere and, finally, the so famous company store where employees can by Microsoft products with many discounts (Xbox 360 Elite is already part of my list!). Many of the benefits apply to your spouse or SSDP (same-sex domestic partner) and family.

Other thing that impressed me quite a lot is the huge infra-structure that Microsoft has internally. Physically speaking, I believe there are more than 100 buildings. Check the main campus layout in the picture below (there's a half-dozen others, but not the same size).

 

Not only the physical, but the virtual infra-structure is huge as well. Everything you need as an employee is on the intranet. For example, I was impressed when searching for how could I adjust my seat at my office and found an ergonomics video just about that. And now I have more than a couple of dozen online courses to do: not only technical ones but others covering many distinct topics (anti-harassment, employee performance, etc.). I believe I couldn’t describe it all here, not only because the topic is large, but probably due to confidential reasons as well.

I’m quite suspect to say this, since I’m a company employee now, but Microsoft’s NEO really provided the feeling that this is one of the best companies to work for. Does this also happen in other places such as Google, Yahoo, General Electric, Toyota, …? I don’t know, probably yes. I don’t want to make comparisons here, but to share a professional experience from a personal point-of-view. And the impressions, so far, are great.

And of course, skiing sites are located 50 minutes from the MS Campus. I definitively need to try this, as they are places where snow and ice are supposed to be your friends... or not? Answers in a near future.

[]s
-- AFurtado

 

I don't like "echo blog posts" that much, but this one deserves it: Microsoft made today a proposal to acquire Yahoo!.

 

The story is now a top-story in many IT websites. eWeek summarizes it well: "In the larger picture, the new Microsoft! would look far more like a media company than a software developer". This means many new opportunities upfront and, what is more exciting, many challenges ahead.

 

If it really happens, it can definitively be said that this is an excellent time to be starting in the company!

 

[]s

-- AFurtado