GDTW 2006 Conference Announces Details

Author: by Beth A.

The Fourth Annual International Conference in Computer Game Design and Technology (GDTW 2006), which takes place November 15-16, 2006 at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Centre in Liverpool, United Kingdom has revealed speaker and session details, while announcing a call for participation for its keynotes, guest lectures, and program sessions. The conference is a two-day event of lectures, tutorials and exhibitions on Computer Games Research and Development hosted by Liverpool John Moores University and the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. Ken Perlin, Computer Science professor at New York University, will start off the Keynotes with "The Illusion of Life, Revisited," where he will explore what he refers to Walt Disney's concept of the human quest to create the "Illusion of Life," which he asserts can now be created interactively. Perlin will show recently developed techniques for giving life to interactive characters and point to the ways in which cinema intersects with interactive narrative and online community. Perlin was founding director of the Media Research Laboratory and also directed the NYU Center for Advanced Technology from 1994-2004. Dr. Perlin received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from New York University in 1986, and a B.A. in theoretical mathematics from Harvard University in 1979. He was Head of Software Development at R/GREENBERG Associates in New York, NY from 1984 through 1987. Prior to that, from 1979 to 1984, he was the System Architect for computer generated animation at Mathematical Applications Group, Inc., Elmsford, NY, where the first feature film he worked on was TRON. He has served on the Board of Directors of the New York chapter of ACM/SIGGRAPH, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New York Software Industry Association. "Stop Complaining: At Least 10 Reasons Why the Game Industry Doesn't Suck" will be Keynoted by Jason Della Roca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), a professional society committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers. Jason and the IGDA focus on connecting developers with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community, such as quality of life, creative freedoms, workforce diversity and credit standards. Other keynotes and guest lectures include Dr. Gino Yu, Head of Multimedia Innovation Center and Director of MERECL and Chairman of The Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association; Luis Rodríguez-Roselló, Directorate General of Information Society and Media European Commission; Dr. ir. Maddy Janse, Principal Scientist in the Department Information Processing at Philips Research; Malte Behrmann, Lawyer Specialised in Media Affair and Director of the German National Association of Game Developers, Professor Stephane Natkin, Director of ENJMIN/CNAM in France; Dr. Alexander Nareyek, Head of Interactive in the Intelligence Labs at National University of Singapore; and Jason Chown, Technical Director and Lead Programmer at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, among others. In addition to sessions, a comprehensive exhibition on the latest advances in game technology, applications, and services will be featured during GDTW 2006. Exhibitors include commercial game companies and organizations involved in the design, production, sale or distribution of game technology equipment and professionals services. For the full program schedule, visit the GDTW 2006 website.