Melbourne, Australia, September 21, 2005 - The Australian Game Developers Conference (AGDC), the region's leading forum for games industry professionals, is now open for registrations and again features a stellar line-up of international and local speakers. This year's Conference brings national spotlight on the role of games in schools, and the industry's place in the multi billion dollar global games community. [www.agdc.com.au]
Organiser, Interactive Entertainment Events [IE Events], are expecting approximately 1000 delegates, drawn by speakers such as Ray Muzyka, Joint CEO, Bioware Corp; Ian Livingstone, Creative Director, Eidos Interactive and Brian Jacobson, Senior Software Engineer, , Valve Software; and the increasingly significant role the region is playing in the international games sector.
Founder of the AGDC, John De Margheriti said this year's conference theme was 'Developing Dreams' which refers to aspiration qualities of both the Australian games industry, and the outstanding titles coming out of the industry - particularly those with original IP.
'We are also particularly excited this year to present the one day pre-conference Forum showcasing powerful opportunities for schools to engage with computer games. The Schools and Computer Games Summit 'Harnessing the Future' is a must attend for anyone in the education sector who wants to know how games are, and will, be used to enhance learning in the classroom environment, and how to harness their motivational appeal,' said De Margheriti.
He said the Forum was inspired by the fact there has been a proliferation of higher and vocational education providers offering Electronic Games courses over the last few years, but no corresponding increase in games study in schools.
'In addition there has been a great deal of negative publicity and media stereotyping that has, understandably, caused many schools to be wary of the whole electronic games area,' said De Margheriti.
The Schools and Computer Games Summit will be a highly practical day involving teachers, careers advisors, game developers, educational leaders and researchers.
A key fixture at the AGDC is the highly prized Australian Game Developers (AGD) Awards that celebrate and honour game developers in the Australian and New Zealand game industry who have devoted time and effort into creating innovative interactive entertainment. Nominations for the Awards are now open and close on October 21, 2005.
Winners also receive a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional [Special Edition] valued at over AUD$900.00
As if AGDC wasn't xpensive enough before, now they've gone and rasied the price even further! This better be the best damn AGDC I've ever been to!
Actually, I think the prices have actually come down. The full 3 Day delegate pass last year (and the year before?) was S900? Early bird was S800.
http://www.sumea.com.au/snews.asp?news=1161
Full 3 day delegate pass is now S770 without earlybird. It seems like student entry has gone up, but it's worth noting that AIE students get in for free this year.
interesting, and not entirly fair either. surely they dont get a full 3 day delegate pass for free. oh well, not much i can do about it but feel shafted.
I'd be inclined to call this anti-competitive behaviour. The sort that results in anti-trust cases: here is the AIE, using monopoly power in one area ("professional" games industry conferences in aus), using that monopoly to gain market share in another (games courses).
I hope someone takes them to the dept of fair trading.
Ahh, when I went to the AGDC as an AIE student, I had to pay my own way. This was on top of the S7500 tuition costs. Maybe they've included the AGDC costs in this (finally)
I don't think that's it Bob (hi btw)
From http://sumea.com.au/svotes.asp?id=40
7. Monday, November 22, 2004 - 9:32:08 PM John De Margheriti
2005 Game Development course students at both the Melbourne and Canberra campus will be able to enter AGDC 2005 for free. The course fees will not increase.
I'm beggining to understand why my lecturer gave us a class called Reasons Not To Go To The AGDC
It's worth it if you can cut the price down a bit, wether by cheap accomodation, frequent flyers, and/or student passes.
Also, i wonder how AIE students get the free pass, is it now part of the course (even though the price hasn't risen), or is it just a bonus that's been given to that instituion (by themselves, essentially). If it's a bonus, a way to help students, then there would be no reason that they couldn't give the same bonus to Australia's other large games course provider - QANTM, though in the interestes of compatition and self promotion i doubt that would happen. meh, just rambling comments that dont hold much water. it's late and i'm tired.
Ah guys, it's no longer 3 days - it's been reduced to TWO DAYS.
So the cost per day has actually gone up.
Hahaha I stand corrected, Burn!!
o_O
Perhaps The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission might be interested in this little effort of Mr De Margheriti's. It really does seem anti-competitive, and I doubt free tickets to QANTM students would change that much. Maybe if it was free for all australian games students.
The ACCC is supposed to
"promotes competition and fair trade in the market place to benefit consumers, business and the community. It also regulates national infrastructure services. Its primary responsibility is to ensure that individuals and businesses comply with the Commonwealth competition, fair trading and consumer protection laws." http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/54137/fromItemId/3744
Perhaps some of the large universities might be interested in doing something about this. One way to find out... I'll ask :)
Haha, you know if the ACCC do take an interest shit could really splatter, just look at the list of sponsors caught up in it http://agdc.com.au/sponsors/sponsors_overview.php . The victorian government would *not* be pleased I'm sure :)
Platinum sponsorship is S110k. Why on earth would you spend 110k on ADGC you wouldnt get a cent back.
*AIE Education Student Registrations*
As *advertised* on multiple publications by AIE Education, AIE *Education* is offering free registration for this year's diploma of computer game development students only. AIE Education still pays registration fees to *Interactive Entertainment Events *(it is simply a benefit offered by AIE Education to their students).
Like "Interactive Entertainment Events" is someone different. They're a division of AIE limited :) From http://agdc.com.au "AGDC is organised by IE Events, a division of AIE Ltd". They are paying themselves.
I wonder if they are giving themselves a nice discount too... :) For those who don't know, they are all (mf/aie/agdc/etc) in the same building complex- the Canberra Technology Park, which used to be a campus of the Canberra Insitute of Technology (a TAFE). The CTP is another division of the AIE, so I guess that means MF pay the AIE a token rent.
The relationship with MF is so close even they don't seem to know who created what:
from http://agdc.com.au/about/about_aie_ltd.php
In 1999 AIE Ltd also established the Australian Game Developers Conference (AGDC) and the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA).
from http://microforte.com.au/comp/about.htm
Micro Forte enjoys a strong leadership position in the Australian games industry, having founded the Academy of Interactive Entertainment Ltd (AIE), Australia's leading educational institution for computer game developers. Micro Forte is also responsible for the creation of the Australian Game Developers Conference and the Game Developers Association Australia,
:D
Does any AIE graduate actually work in the industry? Anyone in the industry know one?
Yes, some do, at Bluetongue, (afaik) atari and irgurus down here. Rumour has it several have been fired around Melbourne for incompetence too.
Some (many?) of us choose not to work in the games industry.
Do paid IGDA members get any discount. I know the US/Europe GDC do give discounts to paid IGDA members. It doesn't seem to be the case here.
Simply to expensive.
The last couple of years a number of dev houses simply didn't send people to the adgc. Last year it seemed that the majority of attendees where conected to the AIE.
For developers much cheaper alternatives existed (eg freeplay) or for the money you may as well attend the gdc in the states which is worth the cost.
There are rumours of an alternative cheaper conference being organised which actual developers will may attent, without AIE involvement.
GDC ain't that great either, it suffers from the same "is it a tradeshow or a conference?" identity crisis. Go to SIGGRAPH or something that isn't directly related to games. Our industry is so parochial, we need to look outward, not for more ways to recycle the same dogma.
"Simply to expensive. The last couple of years a number of dev houses simply didn't send people to the adgc."
Threaten not to go as a studio and in the past they have started trying to push 'free' tickets on you. Question is who actually ends up paying for 'free' tickets...