Monday 14 November 2005

Think fast – your games console is about to get a lot smarter

Soon the aliens and monsters will not only outgun you, they're likely
to be outthinking you as well. That's the brave new world of
artificial intelligence in gaming, a big topic for next week's Second
Australiasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment in Sydney.

The IE2005 conference, at the University of Technology, Sydney, is
bringing together high-powered researchers from Australia and around
the world to discuss how computing advances are about to revolutionise
fun and games.

"Developments in computer gaming are just part of it," said Conference
Chair Dr Yusuf Pisan of UTS, whose own research is about developing
characters that aren't simply the pawns of the player.

"Research in artificial intelligence and interactive entertainment is
on the verge of producing whole new forms of entertainment, like
interactive television and interactive stories.

"We're within in sight of creating interactive narratives with
intelligent, AI-controlled characters. That means in not too long you
could be able to buy a package that, for instance, lets you play one
of the cast in your favourite soap.

"Along with that is a revival of the 'virtual reality' concept, and
this time the technology will be able to live up to the original
promise."

One of the developments that will be showcased at the conference is
the RAGE virtual reality engine developed by researchers at Charles
Sturt University, which overlays computer-generated information on
real-world game play.

Other presenters will look at issues including giving players more
control of the environment in multiplayer games and a crucial low-tech
element of successful entertainment of all kinds, story development.

Invited speakers include:

· Games designer, educator and writer Tracy Fullerton, Co-Director
of the new Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab at the University of
Southern California (USC)

· Mark Pesce, co-creator of the first 3D interface to the internet
and the founder of the Interactive Media Program at USC's School of
Cinema-Television

· Stacey Spiegel, Founder, President and CEO of Canadian technology
company I-mmersion, an internationally renowned artist-cum-visionary
in the world of interactive entertainment and education

· Michael Young, assistant professor in the Computer Science
Department at North Carolina State University and co-founder and
conference chair of the recent First Conference on Artificial
Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment (AIIDE 2005)

IE2005 is being held from Wednesday 23 November until Friday 25
November on the Haymarket campus of University of Technology, Sydney
(corner of Quay St and Ultimo Road). A "Game On" event will be held at
the Powerhouse Museum on the November 24 as part of the conference.

Website: http://research.it.uts.edu.au/creative/ie/05/

Ends...

Further Information:
Dr Yusuf Pisan, Ph (02) 9514 4478
Anders Tychsen, 0410 768 711,
ie05@it.uts.edu.au