08 March 2011

GEElab Launch Symposium: The Future Of Games and Entertainment

The Games and Experimental Entertainment Laboratory (GEElab) is a new Research and Innovation Initiative of RMIT University’s School of Media and Communication.

To RSVP contact:Wendy Little at wendy.little@rmit.edu.au

The GEElab will invent new game and entertainment visions, products, services, narratives and business models, whilst critically reflecting the role of games and entertainment in culture and how play, games, and game mechanics can be used to innovate.

At the GEElab, games will be understood as a cross-disciplinary function as well as the engine of entertainment media and Internet innovation. Practice oriented game and entertainment media research will be carried out by the way of cross-medial experimentation and an understanding of science as fiction, and not being afraid to think and design differently and speculatively. GEElab members will investigate how to “gamify“ traditionally non-linear media such as TV, film, radio, developing design strategies, narratives and service prototypes.

One of the major goals of the GEElab is to explore the potential of games and entertainment to positively influence and change behaviour, seeking to suggest solutions for a more peaceful, sustainable, healthy and egalitarian – or playful - world. The GEElab will work closely with stakeholders from across RMIT, international game research institutions and sponsors from the game and entertainment industry.

The GEElab has two locations: the headquarters in Melbourne, impacting the Australian and Asia regions, and in Europe, which will serve as an RMIT satellite location to foster overseas collaborations in IT and creative media industries. Both labs are headed by VC Fellow, Dr Steffen P Walz, an award winning game and interaction designer & researcher, futurist and media experimenter, chart breaking pop musician & producer, former screen writer and TV satire journalist.

In conjunction with the launch, the GEElab websites will go live on March 15 -www.geelab.rmit.edu.au / www.geelab.eu.

Speakers at the Symposium include:

• Professor Daine Alcorn, RMIT University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation
• Professor Stephanie Hemelryk Donald, Dean, RMIT School of Media and Communication
• Dr Steffen P Walz, Director, GEELab
• Gabe Zichermann, Gamification Expert & Author, Chair of the Gamification Summit, San Francisco
• Professor Dr Zhao Chen Ding, Director of New Medium Research Center, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology & Founder of the Milan/Beijing Digital Entertainment Jam

Guest Panel featuring:

• Antony Reed (Game Developers' Association of Australia)
• Brad Giblin (Film Victoria)
• Dr Christy Dena (Cross/Transmedia Designer)
• Giselle Rosman (IGDA Melbourne)

For further information contact:

Dr Steffen P Walz
Director, Games & Experimental Entertainment Laboratory (GEElab)
Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow
steffen.walz@rmit.edu.au