Press & Presentations

Press

Upcoming Presentations

  • Available for speaking engagements

Recent

  • PAX West 2016
    • Write Better Games NOW!—How to Level Up as a Game Writer (Panel)
    • There have never been more opportunities to write for games than right now, whether you’re writing at a game studio, working as a freelancer, or taking the indie route and writing your own games. Whether you’re making your first game or your tenth, how do you ensure that your writing is the best that it can be? Join our all-star panel of professional game writers as they share tips from the trenches and real-world examples that will help transform your writing from merely good to downright amazing!

Past

  • OrcaJam 6
    • The Juice Must Flow : Avoiding Creative Blocks as a Game Creator (Panel)
    • One of the most rewarding creative endeavours in the modern world is making video games, whether you do so on your own or as a part of a company. But unfortunately, just like those in other creative fields, you are in constant danger of being victim to the ever dreaded “creative block”. But fear not! Our panel of local game developers are here to give you expert advice on how to beat the block. Join us for practical tips on how to keep the creative juices flowing for your on-going game projects, or maybe just a little help to get you through the game jam weekend!
  • Remaking Learning using Games, Interactive Technology, and Hands-on Projects
    • The Global Video Game Industry (Online Panel)
    • The July 2015 Google Hangout was focused on The Global Video Games Industry. The purpose of the Hangouts is to discuss a topic of interest to an Affinity Group called Remaking Learning using Games, Interactive Technology, and Hands-on Projects. As we are involved with this technologically focused education group, we thought it would be fantastic to give our viewers and listeners a look inside the global aspect of the video game industry.

  • East Coast Game Conference 2015
    • What Tomorrow’s Game Writer Needs to Know (Panel)
    • The game industry as we currently know it is an evolving creature with new and exciting things developing all the time. Emerging markets, new platforms, novel interfaces like virtual and augmented reality; all of these changes can provide intriguing opportunities for telling conventional stories in new ways and even telling new kinds of stories that we have yet to conceive of. As a narrative professional, beginner or veteran, you’ll need to stay aware of such shining opportunities. Join our expert group of prognosticators as we look into our collective crystal ball to glimpse the future of game writing. The Amazing Criswell said it best, “We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives.”
  • OrcaJam 5
    • Mysteries of the AfterJam: Is there life after game jams? (Panel)
    • Now that you’ve made a game at a game jam, what do you do next? Polish it up to sell? Use it as a springboard for more experiments? Pad out your portfolio? Let our panel of local game devs help guide you towards the available options and decide what new form your game jam creation will live on as… in this world or the next.
  • PAX Prime 2014
    • You’re SO mature! Is storytelling in games coming of age? (Panel)
    • It feels like video games have been around for ages, but in truth they’re still a relatively young medium. In the last few years we’ve witnessed them beginning to take on more serious subjects and mature themes in their narrative. Is this the start of the adulthood of storytelling in games? Join our all-star panel of game writers and narrative experts as we discuss this exciting new direction in game narrative and speculate on a bold new future of interactive storytelling.
  • GottaCon 2014
    • Creating DIY Video Games – Indie Style! (Panel)
    • In recent years, making games on your own has become easier and more affordable than ever before. As part of a global do-it-yourself movement, independent or “indie” game companies are springing up all over the world and creating some rather remarkable and personal games. Our panel of local, indie game developers is here to talk about their experiences in the wild world of DIY game creation and answer any questions you might have about making your own games.
    • Storytelling in Video Games: Telling Tales Around the Digital Campfire (Panel)
    • With the increasing popularity of story heavy video games such as the Walking Dead and the Mass Effect series, more developers are looking towards story as being an essential element in modern games. Others disagree, even going as far as declaring story “unnecessary,” “irksome,” and “a waste of resources and time.” Our panel of industry veterans will discuss the importance of narrative in games, talk about the games that prove their point, and attempt to answer the question: are games the future of storytelling?
  • OrcaJam 4
    • From Tourists to Tetris (Panel)
    • Redefining Victoria as a Game Development Destination From AAA studios to indie developers, both internationally and locally grown, more and more game developers are calling Victoria home. We’ve assembled a panel of local industry veterans to discuss this transformation, share stories, and talk about what makes Victoria a desirable place to make games.
    • Bring Me The Brain! On the Mad Science of Game Design (Panel)
    • Making video games has always been a bit of an experiment: combining art and technology, mixing genres, tinkering with mechanics. For this panel, we’ve combed the laboratories and padded cells of Victoria for the maddest game designers to share their best secret formulas and eureka moments, and maybe even tell a few horror stories
  • PAX Prime 2013
    • Is Storytelling the Most Important Element in Games? (Panel)
    • Top secret research has recently revealed that the majority of gamers value one thing in video games more than any other element: story. Some game creators see in these results a call to arms for a new wave of story- and narrative-based games. Others disagree, even going as far as declaring story “unnecessary,” “irksome,” and “a waste of resources and time.” Our panel of industry veterans will argue whether narrative is important for games, discuss the games that prove their point, and attempt to answer the question: story-based games: fad or the future?
    • Video link: http://www.twitch.tv/pax2/c/2860391
  • VoxPopCon
    • Here There Be Dragons – A Guide to the Terra Incognita of Game Writing (Talk)
    • Video games are a bold new world, an exciting art-form that holds many possibilities for narrative and storytelling. Many writers are eager to explore these unknown shores but are unfamiliar with the land-forms found therein. With exotic names such as player agency, emergent narrative, and collaborative narrative design, the explorer can become easily waylaid. In this talk, Chris will touch on some of these topics, giving attendees a clearer idea of the complexities, artistry and craft involved in the creation of interactive stories in video games.
  • Camosun College
    • So You Want To Be A Game Developer? (Talk)
    • These days, there are numerous game companies operating in Victoria and more opening all the time. For someone to pierce the mystery of gaining employment in the industry, the Computer Systems Technology students now have folks like Mel and myself to give them a hand. Getting a game job is easier than ever, but as we mention in our talk, it still requires a bit of work.
  • IGDA Victoria
    • Highlights from the IGDA Summit
    • At the August monthly meeting for the Victoria BC chapter of the IGDA, I gave a short presentation on the highlights of the recent IGDA Summit in Seattle.
  • IGDA Summit 2012
    • Rummaging in the Geek Culture Toolbox (Talk)
    • Have you ever wondered how you can put those long nights of playing an elf wizard at your friend’s kitchen table and to good and practical use? Are you intrigued by the succinct prose that emerges from the pages of the comic section of your newspaper? Do you sometimes find yourself in a rut when writing for video games? If you answered yes to any of these questions then this is the session for you. Join us as we delve deeply into geek culture and extract a glittering bounty of tools and techniques that you can apply to your next foray into interactive digital storytelling. 20-sided dice optional.

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