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

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced the 12 research teams, out of 112 entires, that will receive research grants for use of video games as healthcare tools. In January of this year the foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio launched Health Games Research: Advancing Effectiveness of Interactive Games for Health, “a national program that supports research to enhance the quality and impact of computer and video games that are used to improve health.” As part of the $8.28 million national program, Health Games Research has awarded roughly $2 million in its first round of grants to 12 universities across the country to conduct one to two-years studies centered on their proposals. “Research has shown you can learn whatever a video game offers. The question is, what are you going to teach?” comments Communications researcher at the University of California and program director, Debra Lieberman, Ph.D. “The neat thing about a video game is that it involves a challenge to reach a goal. That’s why we get hooked on games. That’s why we love to play them,” Lieberman said. “We’re always striving to do better and better.”

Some of the winning proposals include developing new games like Breath Biofeedback Video Game for Children with Cystic Fibrosis (University of Vermont, School of Medicine), which uses a breath controller and video game software to help cystic fibrosis patients manage their condition and maintain better health, and BloomingLife: The Skeleton Chase (Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation), an “ARG designed to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles among college freshmen.” Others propose research projects based around using existing games to enhance treatment and understanding of specific health concerns like Action Video Games to Improve Everyday Cognitive Function in Older Adults (University of Florida, College of Public Health and Health Professions) will examine the effects of action driving games, specifically PS2’s “Crazy Taxi”, on adults 65 and older.

Former SXSW panelist Henry Jenkins will serve as a keynote speaker at the
The Games for Change Conference, held June 2-4 at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City, will feature an opening keynote conversation with Jim Gee and former SXSW panelist Henry Jenkins. This annual event brings together game designers, non profits, educators and activists to examine the growing influence of games as an instrument of social change. Jenkins, along with prolific author Steven Johnson, delivered the Opening Remarks at the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival. Click here to listen to the podcast of their talk.

Other Games for Change Conference speakers include SXSW Interactive alums Suzanne Seggerman, Games for Change, Mary Flanagan, Tiltfactor Lab, author Heather Chaplin and Chris Swain, EA Innovation Lab, who’s 2008 SXSW ScreenBurn Panel, Games for Change: Real World Games with Real World Impact, explored “the new uses of game technology for political participation and the social good.” Be sure to check the Podcast Page for all the latest 2008 SXSW Panel Podcast releases.

Sales of the latest installment of the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto franchise (GTA4) may be soaring, but that doesn’t mean everyone who worked on the game is enjoying the spoils. Recently voice actor Michael Hollick, who voiced GTA4 protagonist Niko Bellic, spoke out about the long standing inequities between actors who lend their talents to the videos game industry and their counterparts in the film, television and commercial world. According to the New York TImes, “Had this been a television program, a film, an album, a radio show or virtually any other sort of traditional recorded performance, Mr. Hollick and the other actors in the game would have made millions by now. As it stands, they get nothing beyond the standard Screen Actors Guild day rate they were originally paid.” In Mr. Hollick’s case that translates to a flat rate of about $100,000 for 15 months of voice and motion capture work with no provision for residuals or promotional use of his voice. That may sound like a lot, but considering GTA4 earned $500 million in it’s first week of sales alone, the imbalance becomes a little more obvious.

“Obviously, I’m incredibly thankful to Rockstar for the opportunity to be in this game when I was just a nobody, an unknown quantity,” said Hollick. “But it’s tough, when you see Grand Theft Auto IV out there as the biggest thing going right now, when they’re making hundreds of millions of dollars, and we don’t see any of it.” Hollick points to issues with how the Screen Actor’s Guild structures it’s contracts in regards to electronic media such as video games. “I don’t blame Rockstar. I blame our union for not having the agreements in place to protect the creative people who drive the sales of these games.” Yes, the technology is important, but it’s the human performances within them that people really connect to, and I hope actors will get more respect for the work they do within those technologies.”

This issue will no doubt play an important role in the negotiations between producers and the Guild set for this summer. The New York Times reports that many predict “an actors’ strike to parallel the writers’ strike last year, which revolved around similar issues.”

You might want to get in line now at your local video game retailer. The much anticipated Wii Fit is due to hit stores nationwide tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21.
If the public response to the new game at Nintendo’s day-long launch event held in New York’s Central Park on Monday are any indication, the $90 wireless “balance board” with on-screen exercise and balance games will reach an even broader audience than the original console. With pre-lauch sales on Amazon.com and other retailer websites already sold out, and 2 millions units already sold in Japan, the Wii Fit is poised to initially sell about 3 million units, according to Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities, significantly boosting monthly sales of the original Wii console.

Sony incorporates YouTube uploads into PSN/PS3 in efforts to build community between PlayStation 3 players. Joystiq reports that Sony Computer Entertainment is utilizing tools that will allow developers to permit YouTube video uploads into their game interfaces. In supported titles this will allow players to upload game footage to YouTube directly from inside the game as well. The first game to have this feature will be Mainichi Issho. You can capture in-game video and share it with the world through YouTube, so you best practice your skills.

While there are few industries that can claim to be truly recession proof, the video game industry is showing little sings of slowing down in light of what most analysts agree to be an overall economic downturn. According to the NPD Group, a leading market research company, the latest data available for March of this year shows that U.S. retail sales of game consoles, software and accessories grew 57 percent to $1.1 billion. “You’d never know the U.S. economy was under distress,” said Anita Frazier, NPD’s video game analyst. “People still want to be entertained and to enjoy a diversion from their everyday concerns.” In a research note to clients earlier this year, Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets, wrote that the video game industry is entering the “largest, most robust cycle in history” with software sales predicted to exceed $10 billion in 2008. As if on-cue the latest installment of “Grand Theft Auto” from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., which was released this April, sold $500 million in its first week on shelves, and Amazon.com has already sold out of pre-orders for the much anticipated addition to the Nintendo juggernaut, “Wii Fit,” an exercise game aimed at groups not traditionally associated with video game sales.

These figures bring up an interesting point. What has driven this unprecedented growth? And can that growth really be sustained in the face of a lagging economy? In a gamasutra.com interview, Ed Barton, Screen Digest said, “Of greater importance to industry growth is the hardware cycle and games release volume and pipeline rather than the wider economic environment.” With the expanded market provided by Nintindo’s Wii fueling the interest of the casual gamer, and high profile established title releases like GTA keeping the hard-core gamers in tow, this seems to hold true. But as Nick Williams of OTX Research says in the same interview, “While the expansion of the market beyond hardcore gamers has undoubtedly contributed to the record growth in 2008, these new gamers will likely be the first ones to stop buying games if they need to cut their entertainment budget.” If the this industry is to thrive in the coming year, it may be on the backs of the hardcore gamer. “Although the hardcore represent a small percentage of all video games consumers,” said Ed Barton, “their purchasing power and frequency should not be underestimated.” An April 22, 2008 NPD Group report on consumer entertainment spending would seem to back that up. A little less than half of those who responded to the survey thought they would spend the same amount on entertainment in 2008 as they did in 2007. “Teens were the only age group where spending tipped positive; 30 percent believed they would spend more than last year, versus 25 percent who thought they would spend less.”The report went on to say that “consumers who plan to spend more on entertainment this year are primarily focused on buying new devices (e.g., Blu-ray Disc players and the latest gaming consoles), rather than on purchasing new entertainment content (e.g., DVDs, music)… The uncertain state of the U.S. economy, and worries about disposable income had little to do with these consumers’ entertainment spending outlook.”

As the summer sun drifts higher in the sky, and the days get longer and longer, let us not forget the fun times we had just a few short weeks ago at the 2008 SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

To jog your memory you may want to check out gamespot.com for a day by day wrap up of the 2008 SXSW Interactive and Screenburn Festivals, as well as some SXSW Film Festival highlights. Homer Rabara, Managing Producer for Gamespot, takes viewers on 5 short video tours (one for each day of the festival) highlighting ScreenBurn panels, the ScreenBurn Arcade and the iF Tradeshow.

Also featured are videos specifically highlighting the ScreenBurn Arcade and the very popular Dorkbot party. Homer Rabara shows off the Championship Gaming Series event and takes time out to chat with Amy (aka Valkerie) of the frag dolls and former pro-gamer Kristen Reilly from Hewlett-Packard about their SXSW ScreenBurn Arcade experiences. At the Dorkbot party Homer talks with Rodney Gibbs about “electricity, robots and beer” and John-Mike Reed from Bleep Labs shows off a light controlled analogue synthesizer called the Thingamagoop.

Grand Theft Auto IV outdoes anticipated sales figures by achieving the $500 million mark in sales in the first week since the release of the title. This increases the anticipation in the recent proposition Electronic Arts made to acquire Take-Two Interactive, Grand Theft Auto’s publisher. “The significance of the sales extends beyond buoying Take-Two, a company that has had its share of legal, financial and management struggles in the last few years. The company is the subject of a $2 billion hostile takeover effort by Electronic Arts, which is offering Take Two shareholders $25.74 a share for control of the company. If Take-Two can exceed sales expectations on Grand Theft Auto IV, it has the potential to drive up the share price and force Electronic Arts to raise its offer,” reports the New York Times . Who’s hands will be behind the wheel?

Bummed ’cause you missed that don’t-you-dare-miss-it panel at the 2008 SXSW ScreenBurn festival? Bummed ’cause you couldn’t make it to the 2008 SXSW ScreenBurn festival at all? Really bummed ’cause you did go, but can’t seem to remember a thing? Never fear, podcasts are here! Now you can listen to full length podcast recordings of all the SXSW 2008 ScreenBurn and Interactive panels sessions by clicking on the podcast page.

Join Susan Wu (pictured above) for Human and Property Rights in Virtual Worlds. This session addresses the real question of what form online property rights take. Beyond property, what is the shape and form of online human rights in virtual worlds and how do we get there from here? And The Female Takedown of Casual Gaming will explore the evolving demographics of the growing and changing casual gaming market. Panelists will discuss - and debate – how gender and age play a role.

Visit the podcast page each week for new additions to the line up.

Future game developers won’t want to miss out on the next ACC Video Game Seminar “Introduction to Mac Game Development,” presented by Michael Agustin & Daniel Treiman from Gendai Games.

The Mac platform is undoubtedly getting much attention these days because of new products such as the MacBook Air and the iPhone. In this lecture, Michael & Daniel will give a jump start overview of the development tools and API on the Macintosh platform, as well as the Objective-C language. They will also cover the Mac and iPhone game markets, and how they are compelling for both startups and established companies.

Be sure and join us Wednesday, May 7, from 7pm to 9pm in room 301.0 of the Highland Business Center for this free seminar!