Let’s Make Games is proud to announce our next event:
Title: Short Talks by Perth Game Developers
Time/Date: 5:00pm – 8:00pm, September 10, 2010
Location: eCentral TAFE, 140 Royal Street, East Perth
Description: Let’s Make Games has invited four local game developers (Matt Comi, Saxon Druce, Aranda Morrison, and Paul Turbett) to share their first-hand experiences developing and releasing games for various platforms (iPhone, Flash, Xbox360, Playstation 3, and PSP).
We’re very excited to have such a great line-up of speakers talking about recently released games on multiple commercial platforms. Perth game development has sure come a long way in the last few years!
Last month we reported that Star Hammer Tactics had been released on the Xbox Live Marketplace, and we lamented the lack of availability here in Australia.
We are happy to hear that Black Lab Games‘ futurist turn-based strategy game is now available in Australia for Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable via the Playstation Network.
Black Lab Games have released a new game trailer to coincide with the launch:
It’s quite an achievement for a solo developer to release near simultaneously on three platforms. So Paul Turbett, our collective metaphorical hat goes off to you! Good work!
Star Hammer Tactics is an easy-to-learn game of tactical battles. Deploy your forces, engage your enemy and outwit them to achieve victory by blasting them to pieces! Along with the single-player campaign, Star Hammer Tactics features a choice of skirmish modes – single player against a devious AI, or the local multi-player mode in which gamers will compete for glory and bragging rights!
It’s fantastic to see a locally developed game readily available for download on a major console. Although, it’s a shame that it’s not readily available in Australia as Xbox LIVE Indie Games is yet to launch here!
Congratulations Paul!
Note: How does a local developer go about making games for the Xbox360? Why can’t we buy Xbox LIVE Indie Games here? Answers to all these questions and more when Paul Turbett talks about his experiences at our next Let’s Make Games technical session in August (or September).
Thanks to everyone who has responded to our surveys thus far. It’s great to receive feedback on events and to see all these submissions for developer profiles and a game directory listings.
Just a reminder that we are currently running three surveys:
Community (Scene): For everyone involved in games in Perth!
Developer: Former and current game developers, submit a profile!
Game: Provide us with information on games that you have worked on!
We hope that prolific local game developers will take some time to submit multiple responses to the developer and game surveys (assuming that they have worked at various companies and on various games, even if those companies are no longer around).
So how are the surveys going? Our estimates place the current response levels at:
All those responses and we still want more!
If you have yet to respond, please consider the following:
If you previously experienced some technical issues (the dreaded “you have already completed this survey” bug), please give it another go. We’ve patched the server software and everything should be peachy now.
Maybe you have worked on a game, but figure that someone else who worked on it will submit a profile (so you don’t have to). Well, they may be thinking the same thing! If we get multiple submissions for the same game, we will merge the results (resulting in an ever BETTER profile!)
Maybe you feel that your game was: made a long time ago, not that great, unworthy of a listing… who cares anyway… sigh. Well, WE CARE! We want to know all about it and when you are a rich and famous game developer you’ll want to relive the old times!
By simply responding, you could join the ranks of these great local developers:
Codename – Edmonster (gosh, top secret project with no link!)
In summary: Every response we get helps us paint a more complete picture of game development here in Perth. Our past, present, and future becomes more clear with everyone bit of information you submit! So please, keep those responses coming!
Special thanks also to all companies that contributed to the showreel (apologies to Binary Space for not getting their “Class 3 Outbreak” teaser in) and to Game Pride for bringing along some laptops to demonstrate their latest game “Boo!”. Thanks also to Ben, who took most of the photos.
Here are some photos from the night in chronological order:
Anthony (Let’s Make Games Treasurer) returns from his wedding just in time to sort out receipts and payments. What a champion!
Saxon, Steve, and Nigel went on quite a journey in order to bring everyone else food. For that (and everything else) we salute you! :D
I asked Paul and Alex to look glamorous while presenting the prizes. Alex looks suitably Wheel-of-Fortune while Paul looks disinterested (his tactic is obviously “hard to get”).
Jim and I were happy to see so many other mo-bros at iParty 2.0.
It’s crowded in this direction…
It’s crowded in this direction too…
Jean-Marie (Subversive Games), Christel-Lee, and Simon (Different Methods, Subversive Games) kindly pose for a photo from the paparazzi!
Tim intimidated Simon with his superior hair. Simon succumbs to a natural reaction.
Not content with their already tall statures, Simon, Shanon, and Greg reach for the sky.
Tony (from Subversive Games) presents Richard with a massive box (containing Altech Lansing speakers)
Simon (from Rockethands) presents Graham with a copy of Shadowrun
Paul carefully draws a raffle winner from the Golden Bag of Tickets
The crowd during the raffle draw (image also features Simon’s hair).
Greg looks happy with his Krumpler laptop bag, and Paul (Black Lab Games) somehow managed to time the prize presentation to coincide with his game (Star Hammer) being on display behind him!
Phillip warmly thanks Avril (from Reveries: Virtual World) for his slick black keyboard and mouse.
Stewart was the first volunteer to arrive and made a huge difference on the night! Here he is coming up to draw a raffle prize.
The game in Jetha’s hand somewhat contradicts the game (logo) on his shirt.
How is that title even related to this image of Saxon drawing a raffle prize winner!?
Saxon (from Binary Space) awards Jeremy his Krumpler mini-case. Jeremy totally loves it.
A huge thanks to the Game Pride team for demonstrating their latest game “Boo!” Impressive. :D
Simon and Alex looking cute. Go team!
Peter’s heading back to the UK. Sad face. :(
It’s life imitating art (previously Simon was content to just photoshop himself into all group photos).
Now *that* is what I call eyebrow furling!
At this point I realised that Simon was in every single photo taken after I handed the camera to Benny Goodtimes.
Russia, France, an the USA all come together in Perth! :D
Liza gets in between Jeremy and Simon.
Three games companies in the foreground (and one in the background).
What’s going on here? Who’s just out of frame? At least there’s no incriminating evidence…
It’s difficult to appreciate how tall Shannon and Simon are in this picture. Paul isn’t a short man!
I gather that eCentral TAFE is totally rockin’. :D
Nice.
Is apparantly more accessible than Jeremy’s. He looks like he knows it too.
It looks like Jeremy is chuffed with a joke he told… but actual responses are fairly mixed.
Greg has posing for photos down. Simon hasn’t quite got the staying still bit down yet. :P
It’s a camera!
Happy organisers are a good sign of a fun event. :D
Literal caption: Rowan is looking at Rj’s hair.
There are always a few rowdy types that ruin the end of the night for everyone.
Guess which person is nick-named “Dodgy” ;)
Chris (PIGMI overlord) is back from the UK!
A low-angle shot that’s still above board.
This upcoming “Summer” exhibition looks interesting. Everyone should go.
iParty’s over… but Kitchen Party is just beginning!
We’re such big fans of our iParty 2.0 sponsors that we sleep with the following image under our collective pillow:
iParty 2.0 wouldn’t be possible without the kind support of our sponsors. When we put the call out a few weeks ago, we didn’t know what sort of response to expect. We’re incredibly appreciative and humbled by the level of sponsorship offered by the following local organisations, companies, and individuals:
Different Methods: Apparently Simon is not content with just organising local and globalGame Jams, hosting and maintaining Planet PIGMI, and undertaking some of the most amazing games-related work in Perth. He’s also come on as our biggest sponsor, making us feel all warm and fuzzy with his support.
Innovation Centre: Always keen to lend a hand to local industry groups (such as ours!) the Innovation Centre kindly offered the use of their fantastic professional events venue. Our drinks will be kept cool in their fridges and our work will be displayed on their projector and plasma screen. It’s great!
Subversive Games: Subversive creates training games and advergames for the rapidly expanding serious games market. One of a handful of larger professional games companies with a studio in Perth, Subversive Games continues to show it’s strong support for the local scene.
Rockethands: If the group shot on their website is anything to go by, Rockethands are the coolest game developers in Perth… ever. You can tell that they keep it real, and evidently put their money where their mouths are. We know that money can be hard to come by for indie developers and it means a lot to us that you guys have sent some our way!
Black Lab Games: The latest game development initiative by one of Perth’s veteran game developers (Paul started his first games company back in 1992!) Paul has an infectious passion for games and independent development, which he shares with others as a founding committee member of IGDA Perth Chapter.
Reveries Virtual World: Avril is obviously a real trend-setter, jumping right in as our first financial sponsor. Reveries has all of us at Let’s Make Games very excited with anticipation. Thanks for being so forthcoming in supporting our community events Avril!
With all this support iParty 2.0 is shaping up to be the best night of the year for local game developers. If you haven’t yet RSVP’d, please do so using the contact page or by registering for the event on Facebook. It’s a free event with food and drinks provided (thanks to our awesome sponsors!).
Let’s Make Games events are fun social get-togethers for local game developers and gamers. It’s great to catch up with the local scene and see what people they have been working on, and there’s always a friendly atmosphere for curious newcomers.
GameTraders (Carillon City and Carousel) will be bringing along two PSPs for a pre-release demonstration of Dissidia: Final Fantasy. One PSP will be connected to a projector for general viewing. Dissidia: Final Fantasy is scheduled for local release in September.
Crewjo are looking for local mobile game developers and may make a brief announcement. Finally, GO3 will be announcing a special opportunity for local developers to showcase their work and to network with other companies at the upcoming GO3 Electronic & Entertainment Expo in October.
We hope to see you there!
We apologise if we missed mentioning any developers who plan to demonstrate and have RSVP’d. Feel free to bring along short promo videos (on a USB stick) for our video loop.
Update: Anthony will be bringing Bomberman for multi-player wireless DS gaming tonight!
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