[Linux-aus] Gaming Miniconf Program Released! - but we still need your help!
Tim Ansell
mithro at mithis.com
Wed Dec 20 21:39:03 UTC 2006
Hello everyone!
I'm happy to announce that the Game Development and Gaming Miniconf has
released it's Program. You can find the latest program at
http://lca2007.linux.org.au/Miniconfs/Gaming/ProgramNew
I've included the current program at the bottom of this email so you can
check it our without even having to click a link!
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*** Tickets are quickly selling out so you need to get in fast! ***
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Don't forget that you can come to the Gaming Miniconf even if you
registered for another Miniconf!
We still need your help however to make the Gaming table at the Open Day
a great success. If you have any hardware you can lend us please contact
me!
Thanks for your help and hope to see you there!
Tim Ansell
=== So how can you help? Bring some hardware ===
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the Linux.conf.au 2007 Open Day (http://lca2007.linux.org.au/OpenDay)
the Miniconf the will be hosting a stand to demonstrate successful and
fun Open Source games to the public.
To do this we need hardware. If you or anyone you know is willing to
loan hardware for this event, could you please contact me.
We are specially looking for the following hardware:
* DDR Mats compatible with PC Converters
* PCs with working Linux 3D drivers
* Xbox's which run Linux
* Handheld consoles with "Homebrew" Open Source software
* Large monitors or TV screens
The Open Day is on Thursday the '''18th January''' from 2pm till 8:30pm.
Hardware would need to be available for the complete time and delivered
earlier that day.
We will try our best to make sure no damage occurs to your hardware, but
please note we won't be held responsible for any damage which may occur.
=== So how can I help? Actually come along ===
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So you don't have time to make a talk, and your travelling so can't
bring along any cool hardware.
Another good way is to just come and listen. There would be no point of
the Miniconf if nobody came to it! Don't forget to bring your brain so
you can ask insightful questions and learn lots of cool stuff.
All people attending the Miniconf MUST be registered with Linux.conf.au.
Don't forget that you can come to the Gaming Miniconf even if you
registered for another Miniconf!
=== Program ===
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Main Miniconf - Tuesday, January 16th
09:00 LCA Keynote
10:30 Morning Tea
11:00 Introduction
by Tim Ansell
11:15 Mystery Talk
by Unknown
11:45 FOSS License for Content Developers
by Brendan Scott
12:15 License Panel Q&A
with Brendan Scott, Rusty Russell and Kimberlee
Weatherall
12:30 LUNCH
14:00 Love and Algorithmically Generated Content
by Chris McCormick
14:45 Wesnoth for Kernel Hackers (and everyone else)
by Rusty Russell
15:30 Afternoon Tea
16:00 Why it didn't fly - Game Dev BoF Post Mortem
by Lee Begg
16:25 Code be free! - The quest to free Rayzom
by Jeremy Brun
16:50 Lightning Talks
by whoever turns up
17:30 CLOSE
=== Open Day - Thursday, Janurary 18th ===
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Miniconf will have a stand somewhere in the venue
demonstrating cool FOSS games. Come and see Open Source
programmers make fools of themselves on games like pyDance!
=== Talk Descriptions ===
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
11:00 - Introduction
by Tim Ansell
A quick introduction to all the things that are happening on the
day and other cool info. Maybe even a special surprise or two.
11:10 - Mystery Talk
by Mystery Speaker
This talk is yet to be announced but it will be by a well known
company in the gaming industry.
11:45 - FOSS License for Content Developers
by Brendan Scott
12:15 - License Panel Q&A
with Brendan Scott, Rusty Russell and Kimberlee Weatherall
14:00 - Love and Algorithmically Generated Content
by Chris McCormick
Commercial game budgets are getting huger and huger all the
time. In the Free software world it's hard to make games with as
many 3d assets, sprites, characters, textures, and huge levels
using only a group of enthusiastic programmers. The aim of this
talk is to offer an alternative to the idea of game artists and
level designers hand creating every single asset in the game. We
will cover a brief history of procedurally generated game
content, and then introduce a host of algorithmic techniques for
generating game content.
14:45 - Wesnoth for Kernel Hackers (and everyone else)
by Rusty Russell
I've (Rusty Russell) been a Wesnoth developer for about 12
months, since the 1.0 timeframe. This talk will deal with
several things:
1. How and why I got involved,
2. The Wesnoth code itself,
3. The Wesnoth project people & politics
4. Some example contributions I made
5. The improvements between 1.0 and 1.2
16:00 - Why it didnt fly, a Game Development Bird-of-Feather Post
Mortem
by Lee Begg
At LCA 06, Lee Begg ran the Game Development Bird-of-a-Feather
(BoF) meeting where the state of Linux/Free/OSS Games,
frameworks, projects and the lack of reuse in game development
was discussed. Some actions were suggested. Very little progress
has been made, and Lee blames himself squarely for that. He will
explain what went wrong, why, and how he might try to do things
differently, and how these lessons learnt also apply to other
open source projects, especially Game projects.
16:25 - Code, be free! The quest to free Rayzom
by Jeremy Brun
Earlier this year the company which made the popular MMORPG
Rayzom went bankrupt. Jeremy Brun has been actively involved in
trying to get the Rayzom code released to the community in a
similar manner to Blender. This talk will document this process
is going and how to organise such events yourself.
16:50 - Lightning Talks
by whoever turns up
Each person gets 5 minutes to give a quick talk about a project
they are part of. No time for questions or slides, just the
speaker at the podium.
No need to prepare or send the organisers anything, just put
your name up on the lightning talk list at the conference.
(Located at the entrance to the Miniconf room.)
=== Speaker Descriptions ===
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Ansell
Tim Ansell is the lead developer of the Thousand Parsec project
which he started in 1999. Previously he has organised the
Embedded Miniconf but this year is trying something different.
Lee Begg
Lee Begg has been Open Source Game Programming since 1998 when
he joined the Worldforge project. He is now co-lead developer of
Thousand Parsec with Tim Ansell, and is still working on his
leadership abilities. He suggested and ran the LCA 06 Game
Development BoF in Dunedin.
Jeremy Brun
Description still pending :-).
Chris McCormick
Chris McCormick is a director and programmer in the video games
company he helped start, Hypercube Pty Ltd. He has worked
commercially in the games industry, and given lectures on games
programming at Murdoch and Edith Cowan universities in Western
Australia.
Brendan Scott
Description still pending :-).
Rusty Russell
Rusty Russell is an experience Linux kernel coder who last year
morphed into a Wesnoth developer to justify the inordinate
amount of time he spent playing the game.
==== About linux.conf.au 2007 ====
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
linux.conf.au is Australia's annual technical conference for the Open
Source and Free Software developer community. Now in its eighth year,
linux.conf.au is regarded as one of the premier global FLOSS technical
events and attracts many international open source software developers
and users.
Returning to Sydney from the 15th to 20th of January, linux.conf.au 2007
is supported by our Emperor sponsors, HP and IBM, and hosted at the
University of New South Wales. For more information about linux.conf.au
2007 visit our website at: http://lca2007.linux.org.au/
==== About Linux Australia ====
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Linux Australia exists to serve and promote the Australian Linux and
Open Source community. The organisation aims to do this best by taking
enthusiasms within the community, such as FOSS issues, projects,
education, advocacy just to name a few, and help them flourish, to
succeed. The lifeblood of this organisation is the people in the
community, and Linux Australia strives to be both relevant and useful to
the community. For more details about Linux Australia visit:
http://www.linux.org.au/
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