The 2008 ScreenBurn Festival
March 7 - 11, 2008
Austin, Texas

Last night at the SXSW ScreenBurn + Austin Community College Information Session we had a great turn out and had engaging group discussions on building careers in the gaming industry. The Information Session, held at the Austin Community College’s High Technology Institute, was lead by ACC Staff, the ACC Advisory Board, Instructors, and Industry Professionals and industry leaders such as Gordon Walton of Bioware and Lisa Dionne of Aspyr. Congratulations to the winner of the FREE 2008 SXSW Interactive + ScreenBurn registration, Matthew Weigel, a Software Engineer at NCsoft in Austin. A special thanks to those who came out and participated. Stay tuned for more details on the SXSW ScreenBurn February Seminar.

Photo from the ScreenBurn + ACC Game Information Session.

Sure, gaming and gadget conferences like CES08 have always been a go-to source for sexy new screenshots, industry announcements and geek-luxe accoutrements aplenty. But these days, in light of an ever-younger gaming market and the popular media blaming video games for a host of societal ills, any gaming festival worth its salt better be ready to show its concern for The Youth. To that end, the Sandbox Summit at CES presented the D is for Digital report, which reviewed over 300 interactive media products aimed at children. The report, compiled by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, found only two videogames they deemed educational by current curriculum standards. Their verdict? Acknowledging gaming’s educational potential for today’s tech-literate kids, the report called for a push toward more educational game development–with a focus on adults and kids playing games together. Ben “All Kids’ Games Are Crap” Sawyer, founder of the Serious Games Initiative and himself a recent conference speaker on the state of youth gaming, no doubt wholeheartedly agrees.

Please join the SXSW Interactive + ScreenBurn team as we connect with old and new San Francisco area friends Tuesday, January 8 at the Sip Bar & Lounge (787 Broadway). The event will be held from 7:00-9:00 pm, and the mixer features complementary beverages and great music. Please RSVP, as space is limited and admittance is on a first-come-first-serve basis. SXSW will be hosting mixers in other national cities during the months of January and February, including Chicago (January 14), New York (January 21), Seattle (January 28), Dallas (February 4) and Austin (February 11). Come network with other like minded digital creatives, whether you are already signed up for the March 2008 event in Austin, Texas or not sure if SXSW Interactive is the right fit for you. These get-togethers provide a great opportunity to start networking in preparation for SXSW 2008 and to hear more about the festival from attendees and the Interactive + ScreenBurn team. Also, be sure to bring your business card when you attend, and you will have a chance to win a FREE Interactive + ScreenBurn registration for SXSW 2008. These pre-SXSW mixers are co-presented by Porter Novelli.

Photo from 2007 Interactive Mixer at Beauty Bar.

Join us with Austin Community College’s High Technology Institute Wednesday, January 9 from 7:00-9:00pm, located in the Highland Business Center at 5900 Middle Fiskville Road in Austin, Texas, for the “Information Session” lead by ACC Staff, Advisory Board, Instructors, & Industry Professionals. Hear the latest career-building tips in the gaming business from educators and industry leaders, and enter to win a FREE 2008 South By Southwest Interactive + ScreenBurn registration.

Photo of SXSW’s Get Into The Game Seminar with speaker, Rodney Gibbs.

Sony reveals the news via their CES 2008 promo site that Skype will be available on the PSP. Skype, the free application similar to instant messaging that enables people to have live phone-like conversations over the internet, will be a client for the handheld PSP game system. More details will be announced during the CES conference next week in Las Vegas. Sony states that you’ll be able to “Call friends, talk trash to fellow gamers or catch up with acquaintances via Skype for PSP system.” Get your game play lingo down for the New Year.