It's amazing how many local developers there have or are working abroad on some of the big and great games out there, particularly in more recent times. Our buddy, Rod Green is working on Project Offset, and there's a whole bunch of locally bred guys who worked on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. What's even more interesting to me is seeing them talk about their craft when you stumble on to their videos at places like youTube. I guess part of the surprise is instantly recognising our familiar accent when you're not at the least expecting it. Well, I have two youtube videos which I've been meaning to post up here for a while now, so please enjoy :)

The first of which is actually from non other than the very talented concept artist and Sumea member, Unit! Others may know him as Grant Regan, and may even have worked along side him at Perception and Micro Forte. Grant's currently working for Funcom in Oslo, Norway on the MMOG project called "Age of Conan". I'm sure you've heard of it. Grant actually posted this video up on his journal at Sumea a while ago, and it's only when I was migrating the database over to tsumea.com that I stumbled on it!

Grant wrote about this video on Sumea:

Developer diary number 3 has been posted (You can also find the previous on...

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Xbox Live arcade has opened up some interesting and exciting opportunities for smaller game developers, and we've seen some of our local developers such as Auran (Battlestar Galactica), Sidhe Interactive (Gripshift), and Infinite Interactive (Puzzle Quest) releasing some great games on there. It seems like a great platform and ecosystem for getting games out to gamers and getting them sold.

If you're a developer who's interested in the casual or mobile gaming market, you've no doubt been anticipating the iPhone SDK (software devleoper kit) and roadmap presentation which Apple just held only very recently. In it, Apple discusses the iPhone SDK  and development environment, as well as some very interesting things on game development. I've linked the youTube presentations below, but I couldn't help but feel blown away by its potential. It could also be due to Steve job's reality distortion field, so feel free to bring me down to earth if you must.

Some interesting things about the platform include:

1. Apple has built an "apps store" where games and applications can be searched and purchased. It can be accessed easily by every iPhone user.
2. Apple takes care of the hosting and distribution of your games and applications for a fraction of your game pric...

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Submitted by Ash
  
The Australian Film Commission and ABC TV invite you to help us develop and produce a playable game prototype. 

The prototype will be based on a game design communally developed online by YOU and the Good Game community. It will be split into 2 phases: 

Phase 1 – Coming up with the Idea
The first stage will involve filling out a brief with your BIG IDEA and sending it to us. 

To help you with your thinking we've put together some things you may like to consider when brainstorming your idea.  Your idea may include all of these, some or none of them..  it might just be a game mechanic or concept.  What we're looking for is something innovative and fun. 

Phase 2 – Working Together to Build the Game
1. We will announce which BIG idea (or combination of ideas) has been chosen to go into development. 
2. During the games production process we be constantly seeking your input, from the smallest to the largest details of the game.  Brilliant contributions will be rewarded and will also receive a prize. 
3. Two mentorships will be awarded to work with the developer making the prototype chosen on skills and contribution to the project. 
4. In November a playable prototype will be ready for your testing..  again we'll seek comment and feedback before the game is fina...

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Big Ant Studios want YOU to join our friendly team in Melbourne. We require experienced, talented, and passionate people to work in the following areas:

- Programmers
- Artists
- Designers
- Producers

Why work at Big Ant Studios?

* Big Ant is focused on creating fun, innovative IP. We always have at least one new IP in production at any given time; at the moment we have two.
* Big Ant are a truly next-gen studio, you will be working with the latest technology for Xbox360 and PS3 (plus the Wii too).
* Big Ant supplies lunch every day which is ordered via the intranet and delivered to the office.
* Big Ant offers a professional development policy, we pay 50% of any elected training courses and personal development programmes.
* Big Ant pay overtime.
* Big Ant provide drinks and competitions on Friday afternoon - "Beer O'clock".
* Big Ant will pay for relocation expenses for those interstate and overseas applicants.
* Big Ant people value their culture, foster great working relationships, and are generally the friendliest people to be around  :) 

Big Ant Studios will be doing a recruiting drive from 9am until 9pm in a city near you as follows!

Adelaide 18 March
Sydney   26 March
Brisbane 28 March

Let us know if you need an "out of hours" appointment.

Apply at the link at the ...

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New Zealand's Sidhe Interactive have been a bit quiet of late, and apart from news of Gripshift coming to Xbox live arcade, there hasn't been much of a peep about their other projects. That is, until now! Worthplaying.com have scored themselves ten screenshots of Speed Racer, the movie license that Sidhe Interactive have quietly been working on for a while now. From Worthplaying...The car-fu style of action within the game will closely represent the action style being designed by the Wachowski brothers for the film itself as they lend direction and assets to the development team directly from their Berlin set. John Gaeta, a long-time Wachowski collaborator and Co-VFX Supervisor on the Speed Racer film, is working with Sidhe and WBIE to assist in maintaining a close film-to-game aesthetic connection.
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Publisher SouthPeak Games has announced that Edge of Twilight is coming on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC sometime in 2009. The action / adventure title with a heavy steam punk theme is currently in development at Brisbane's Fuzzyeyes studios. From Gamasutra...“We are very excited to help bring Fuzzyeye’s creative vision to life. The team spent a lot of time developing a comprehensive story to give the universe a history and purpose, which can change based on the players interaction within the world.” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak.
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South Australian Attorney-General, Michael Atkinson, gave a speech against the R ratings classification for games in Australia to Parliament today, but could not finish because of the "raucous interjections" he received during his talk. News.com.au has the full transcript of what Mr Atkinson had hoped to say had he not been ordered to shut up and sit back the hell down...I do not want children to be able to get their hands on R18+ games easily. I understand that the lack of an R18+ classification denies some adults the chance to play some games, however, the need to keep potentially harmful material away from children is far more important.

Proponents for the classification say the latest technology allows gaming platforms and computers to be programmed to allow parental locks. Today’s children are far more technologically savvy than their parents. It’s laughable to suggest that they couldn’t find ways around parental locks if R18+ games were in the home.
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Last night I checked out the opening Game On exhibition at acmi. After the opening speech, of which one of the speakers was one of the founding fathers of video games Al Alcorn, creator of the first commercially available version of Pong, I got to go down and check out the exhibit. I have to say it was really humbling to be amongst the vast array of games that have shaped history through the years. From games that put Australia on the map as a games developer such as The Hobbit, and Way of the Exploding Fist, to revolutionary music games like Rez and Guitar Hero, to icons like Mario, Sonic and Lara Croft. The Game On exhibition does a fantastic job of covering all bases. You’d be very hard pushed to find a console that wasn’t represented there, they had covered the next-gen of course, but there was also a section dedicated to tried and failed virtual reality systems, such as the Virtual Boy, and mobile games got a look in as well, alongside console greats such as the Atari 2600 and ZX Spectrum (running The Hobbit).

I honestly thought I would be a lot older before I saw an exhibition dedicated to the history of games, and as I walked among the games that have shaped our industry, I could not help but feel proud to be part of such a rich and culturally significant industry. Game d...

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