Now in its third year, the GO423 Symposium returns with
two days of industry guest speakers, panel discussions,
workshops, an open mic session and — most importantly —
the opportunity to test and play new games! ‘Routes’ is
the theme of this year’s symposium, reflecting the local
game-making community’s journey and the many stories they
have to tell.

> Free, register online

+ go423-symposium-routes.eventbrite.com.au

+ GO423 page

+ LOOK program

Program Handout-1 (PDF)

Register via Eventbrite: http://go423.eventbrite.com.au/
Free event – all welcome – please book tickets for all days attended so we can check numbers – Thanks

Opening Party @ The Games as Art ExhibitionDate: Friday August 2
Time: 6.00 – 8.00 pm

Venue: Games as Art Exhibition, the block, Creative Industries Precincts, Kelvin Grove
A chance for a party and our own private view of the Games as Art exhibition before it closes. Featuring pizza, beer and sounds provided by our own very adored Zedgames (no registration required).

GO423 Symposium @ The Cube, P Block QUT Gardens Point Campus (George St. Brisbane) – DAY 1: Saturday August 3

10.00    Welcome

10.05    Panel: WHY we (cannot not) make games?

Meg Summers / Anthony Wood (Screwtape Studios), Nicole & Jason Stark (Disparity Games), Robert Wriedt & Liam O’Sullivan  (WalkThru Walls)

A panel of local indie game devs chat about why they make games and why they simply cannot stop themselves making games even if it does involve shoving the cat off the sofa to make room for a studio space.

10.45    WHO (else) makes games?

Ben Huxter, Punya Huxter (Minimega), Sarah Smith (Smithsoft), Hans van Vliet (7bithero), Jason Nelson (Griffith Uni)

We think we all know who our game makers are…or do we? This panel invites some folks who make games as a pleasurable side line in a different business, those who make different forms of games and those who make games for more profound reasons.

11.30    Morning Tea – tea, coffee biscuits

11.45    WHERE to make games (the answer is Brisbane)

Chair: Tony Reed. Panel: Morgan Jaffit (Defiant), George Fiddler (Kixeye), John Passfield (Right Pedal Studios)

The changing Australian game development scene and the evolving small studio shape has meant that new studios are often faced with having to move interstate. This panel invites the RPS accelerator folks and our own local indie publisher and recipient of Screen Aus funding to talk about local opportunities and why they stay in Queensland. Is it really only for the weather?

12.30    The industry through the eyes of the GDAA – Featuring: Tony Reed (GDAA)

1.15    Lunch

2.00    Workshop  – John Passfield (Right Pedal Studios), Kieran Lord, Peter Laurie (River City Labs)

Making Games – Getting to that difference – How to take an existing game genre and add that ‘something’ that helps differentiate it from other games?

Kieran Lord and John Passfield will workshop some techniques to help you develop different mechanics and scenarios that can be applied to any game.

4.00    End of Day 1 – See you tomorrow at 10am!

GO423 Symposium @ The Cube, P Block QUT Gardens Point Campus (George St. Brisbane) – Day 2: Sunday August 4

10.00    Classic Post Mortem – Flight of the Amazon Queen

John Passfield (Right Pedal Studios)

Flight of the Amazon Queen (FOTAQ) is a classic point and click adventure for MS-DOS and Amiga made by Interactive Binary Illusions in Brisbane, released in 1995.The game was re-released for the iphone / ipad in 2009. In the spirit of the GDC ‘classic post mortem’ style join us for an in depth look at the game, some stories about its era, its process and perhaps even some insights into the revitalisation of the genre.

11.00    Classic Post Mortem – Fruit Ninja

Luke Muscat (Halfbrick Studios)

‘Fruit Ninja came out in 2010 for ipod and iphone devices and became an instant classic for its Brisbane based studio. The player slices fruit! The game is joyful and addictive and has subsequently been ported to a range of other platforms. Come and hear the story of the game told by Halfbrick’s chief creative officer and the brains behind Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride and Monster Dash.

12.00    Lunch

12.45    Panel – New Start-Ups – New Tech

Alex Norton (Visual Outbreak), Sean Edwards (Shovsoft)

The current indie studio scene and the need for the small – fast – indie development cycle does not mean we have to play safe. Both Alex Norton (Malevolence – The Infinite RPG) and Sean Edwards (Lunar Flight) have been very successful exploring the potential of new technologies and new ways of making the game experience.

1.30 – 4.00 Open Mic and The GO423 Games Show-n-tell Exhibition

A full afternoon of open mic stories from many of our finest local game developers as well as a selection of fabulous local works, both the finished and unfinished on show.

The 2013 brIGDA / Game On public programs are kindly supported by:

Save the dates:

GO423 Symposium, featuring the best and most loved of the local game development scene. Two days of speakers, panels, workshops and our favorite GO423 Games Show-n-Tell exhibition and OPEN MIC afternoon.

GO423 Day 1: August 3rd – Panels and workshops all day at the new CUBE space, Gardens Point

GO423 Day 2: August 4th – Classic Post Mortems, Panels and the GO423 Show-n-Tell exhibition and Open Mic

Join in

This is a first call for Expressions of Interest (EOI). Do you have a work you would like to show in the exhibition? We welcome everything from the fully ready to be published (or indeed actually published) to the half made prototype that needs some play testing and feedback.

Do you have something to say? Tick the OPEN MIC slot and tells us what you want to shout about. This could be about experiences, a game you have on show, or just a story you need to share.

EOI is now closed – DO contact brIGDA (via truna) if you have something to show and tell and you missed out.

Please note: This is an EOI only. Spaces are limited – get your proposal in ASAP. We will contact you and discuss as soon as possible.