SXSWORLD

SXSW ScreenBurn Grows Along with the Gaming Industry by Michael Trice ScreenBurn Arcade W released, and the first Playstation saw the light of day in Japan. Also, HTML 2.0 was about to be finalized, opening a door that would even- tually create multiple generations of amateur and indie game designers inspired by these classics. By 2006, SXSW ScreenBurn would give those developers and their fans an annual place to gather. In retrospect, it is easy to call such a time period foundational. some of the great titles in modern gaming, with Arena: The Elder Scrolls, Command and Conquer, and Warcraft: Orcs and Humans arriving for the desktop. In the world of consoles, Super Metroid and Final Fantasy VI/III were hen SXSW Multimedia began in 1994, there were two only real choices in gaming platforms: console games and desktop games. At that time, the industry was debuting massive social gaming phenomenon FarmVille (65 million users) and the recently released CityVille, will redefine who plays social games. ARGs: Andrea Phillips, who has designed experiences for Sony central to the cable station's online pres- ence. Massive Black also offered a hand in displaying the best in gaming artwork. The indie design company Twisted Pixel, which is back in 2011, made its debut with 'Splosion Man. In 2011, the evolution continues with a track of panel programming (within SXSW Interactive) that addresses present and future platforms. Some of the high- lights will include: Activist Gaming: Jane McGonigal will stop by to inspire developers with her take on how game design can work toward social change by correcting the reality's flaws through great design. Social Gaming: Zynga, creators of the Pictures and True Blood, will examine the ethics of ARG immersion to see where that fine line between reality and game exists. Mobile Gaming: Volker Hirsch of Scoreloop will unveil how the Eventually, SXSW Multimedia became SXSW Interactive. SXSW ScreenBurn was added as a recognition of the momentum and power of gaming's growth since 1994. The center of SXSW ScreenBurn has been the popular ScreenBurn Arcade. Each year, it has grown a little bit more. The 2007 Arcade showcased the rising role of teaching game design. sion. Gendai Games presented the first release of its WYSIWYG game builder, Game Salad, for the iPhone. The Go Game also brought inter- active ARG gaming to the Arcade for the first time. If those weren't enough, Critical Mass Interactive got into the movie business by screening the gamer-inspired film The 2 Bobs. The 2010 Arcade infused more elements than all others combined. Want proof? The USA Network stopped by, as flash games became 30 SXSW ORLD / F EBRUAR Y 2011 GameCamp! and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) offered programs in design for everyone from middle school students to established professionals. As for platforms, 2007 not only brought con- sole and computer stalwart Ubisoft to the Arcade, but also welcomed the nascent social gaming trend with The Electric Sheep Company. The 2008 Arcade brought back many of these longstanding partners, but it also brought in classic game developers, like Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast. Yet, the major platform breakthrough in 2008 came in the form of GameTap's on-demand gaming, as the web increasingly became the place to go for quality games. The 2009 Arcade heralded a true breakout year in platform expan- future of social gaming is actually mobile gaming. By exploring who has an Internet connection versus who has a mobile phone, Hirsch will evaluate the future of social games. Cross-Platform Gaming: Chris Early of Ubisoft will cover the strategy of "companion gaming," in which a company designs a series of games across multiple platforms that relate to one another in order to provide gamers a shared experience across each of those platforms. Educational Gaming: Nina Walia of PBS will offer a number of real case studies and professional perspectives on how teaching game design to kids at an early age affects their digital literacy and ability to learn. next several years. Who knows, 2011 could be 1994 all over again. n This list is only the beginning. SXSW ScreenBurn has more than 40 panels on gaming and gaming-related topics set to examine how the industry has evolved this year, and where it plans to go over the ScreenBurn Panels and Evening Events will held March 11-15. The ScreenBurn Arcade will be open March 11 from 2-6pm and Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14 from 12-6pm. Check sxsw.com/interactive/screenburn for additional information and schedules. RAN AN

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