Reporting from the VS-Games conference. Yesterday I ran a workshop entitled: designing games for specific contexts. Honestly, I was nervous and excited about it.
The process to get the workshop ready was especially interesting. Once the proposal / paper was accepted, an email came informing me if it was possible to involve Ivan in the workshop. He is an energetic entrepreneur in serious games in Italy. His company is called TiconBlu. As you might know me, collaboration is important and to promote a win-win situation. It seems we managed 🙂 The process took some new thinking on how to combine things. Life is a learning process right?
Perhaps Kajaani is a small city. Remember everything is relative 🙂 . Maybe the submit was “small” but unquestionably in Kajaani they are doing big things.
The event had three tracks on the 28th. Somehow, I dislike to do not be able to clone myself so that I can be in all the talks I want to be. Fortunately, I was with Mikko and we split efforts. From the sessions I was present, I like most of them 😉
Also I must confess I particularly like some rooms from the school. It reminded me a modern version of the type of lecture room I had in Offenburg, Germany.
entrance to lecture room
I like the arrangement that there was doors downstairs and upstairs, and the chairs were really at different levels as a theatre. But what I like the most of this room was the mix of new and old technologies, e.g. beamer and blackboard, white board and paper. Nice!
lecture room
It was surprising to notice that some other people is using HYPER in the game arena besides Hypercontextualized Games 😉
Hyper competition
During this submit, I had the opportunity to re-connect with some people whom I met when I started my PhD. It is until now when we see again. That is a small world! 🙂 and ages of time between events! 😉
Also I was lucky to meet interesting people for first time. For example: from industry I met representatives from Wooga, a firm that I have the impression will be interesting to follow. From academia I met Kajaani game development lab’s team who are utilizing and investigating with eye tracking on drive simulations. Very interesting and inspiring is their work! 😉 It also reminds me a lot to research that is being conducted at the Graduate School of Education in Bristol.
Before this opportunity, my knowledge about eye-tracking was limited to stand alone computers (tobii) which the research group of interactive technologies have been using. Now was the first time, for me, to see a portable and practical eye tracking device. Powerful gadgets I would say 🙂
eye tracking cameras
Summarizing, I like this type of events that help us to connect ideas and knowledge, and when they are small, somehow, they are cozier.
In August 24th after I landed in Oslo, I needed to take a 1.5 hrs drive (aprox.) to my destination, Gjovik. I got surprised in this bus drive, as I could connect to the internet inside the bus, and for free!!!! 😉
Today on my way to Kuopio I am missing the internet connectivity while I am on the road. Of course one can use the mobile phone, but nevertheless, it is not the same….
Finland you are one of the most connected countries in the world, but in reference to bus transportation, we are lacking behind!
