Hey there folks!


Back from GDC. As I'm sure you can all imagine, it was an epic blast. I've even uploaded a little photo album diddy to facebook, which you can get to by clicking the delicious pacific clams and beer below.

Click for Album

As for sessions, I have to say the expo floor was a bit of a bummer this year. Some of the most interesting bits involved NeuroSky, Inc., a new company based in San Francisco that has a contract with Square Enix on Judecca, a brain-controlled action RPG. Some neat high end technologies (such as engines and motion capture suits) were also announced, but I won't bore you with those. If you're really interested you can check out www.gamasutra.com.


The game choice awards were great - Tim Shaeffer was a funny guy as usual, and LittleBigPlanet and Fallout3 absolutely CLEANED UP, taking nearly every award in almost every category. The lifetime achievement award deservedly went to Hideo Kojima.


Absolute highlights of the session include accidentally spewing tomato on a colleague, bumping into Hideo Kojima in the hallway, and my conversations with Peter Molyneux.


I absolutely recommend going to the conference, to ANYONE. It gives one a new perspective on the games industry; and is worth every penny.

Hey folks,


I'll be presenting at Memorial University's Aldrich Interdisciplinary Conference tomorrow (Business building, for those of you local enough to attend).


Abstract below:


050OA : 21 March 2009 - 10.00-11.15 AM - BN2015
Second Language Learning through a Role-Playing Game; Toward a Needs Assessment Model for the design of Educational Gaming Software
Matthew M. White
Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.
More than ever before, the possibility of the implementation of gaming software into instruction – both classroom and industry – is becoming studied and considered by instructors and instructional designers worldwide. However, as many writers have illustrated, educational games sometimes fall short of being effective for a variety of reasons. As such, it has become necessary for instructors and instructional designers alike to employ valid needs assessments that pertain specifically to the design of games and simulations for learning, for which there currently exists no salient model. This paper attempts to lay a framework for a needs assessment model for the design and implementation of instructional and educational games and simulations, and provides a sample needs assessment report completed in the process of designing a role-playing computer game for the teaching of English as a foreign language.

Come check it out!