Garage gamer

Ben Croshaw

Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw is a comedic writer, video game journalist and author of adventure games created using Adventure Game Studio software. He writes articles for Australia's Hyper magazine, a major games publication. He is internationally recognised for his series of video-reviews named Zero Punctuation for The Escapist. He is one of the four founders of The Mana Bar; an Australian bar and video gaming lounge based in Brisbane and Melbourne

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Shainiel Deo

Shainiel Deo is CEO of Halfbrick Studios, a game development company based in Queensland with offices in Sydney, Spain and San Francisco. Halfbrick is the creator of hit game Fruit Ninja, one of the most successful apps of all time. To date, it has been downloaded more than 300 million times and is on more than one third of all US iphones. Shainiel’s current roles include CEO of Halfbrick Studios and serving on the Board of the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA) He was formerly the President of Electronic Games Queensland.

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Jane Turner

truna aka Jane Turner is a game design researcher, teacher and artist working at the intersection of games design and educational design. Regarded as the ‘Aunty’ of the Queensland games scene, truna has supported countless young developers undertaking games studies at Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University. Truna has published numerous work on games pedagogy, curates the annual 48 Hour Gaming Challenge, and runs the Game On program at QUT Creative Industries precinct.

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John Passfield

Credited as a founding member of the Australian games development community, John co-founded some of the first development houses including Interactive Binary Illusions in 1993, Gee Whiz! Entertainment in 1996, and Krome Studios in 1999. John co-created Krome Studios TY the Tasmanian Tiger series and also created and owns the innovative Halloween Harry, Jaruu Tenk, Flight of the Amazon Queen and Brainiversity properties. John currently makes games as Red Sprite Studios.

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Game Changers: In conversation with Queensland entrepreneur Shainiel Deo

The Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame celebrates, records and retells the stories of outstanding Queensland business leaders and their contributions to our state.

Facilitated by Ray Weekes, Chair of CEO Institute, the Game Changers series brings innovation leaders from business, technology, and creative industries to share their insights with aspiring Queensland entrepreneurs. This is your chance to ask how our local entrepreneurs and business leaders build companies, reinvent themselves generation after generation, inspire teams, and envision success.

Join us as we hear from Shainiel Deo, CEO of Halfbrick Studios, a game development company based in Queensland with offices in Sydney, Spain and San Francisco. Halfbrick is the creator of hit game Fruit Ninja, one of the most successful apps of all time. To date, it has been downloaded more than 300 million times and is on more than one third of all US iPhones.

Shainiel’s current roles include CEO of Halfbrick Studios and serving on the Board of the Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA). He was formerly the President of Electronic Games Queensland.

A Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame initiative presented by SLQ, QUT Business School and the Queensland Library Foundation.

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Alex Norton

This is a special edition of Pechakucha dedicated to games. Our speakers show off their latest projects, share their inspiration, and reveal the lesser-known design processes that inform game development.

Alex Norton (Creative Director, Malevolence: The Sword of Ahkranox)
What it takes to achieve success: Pride, Passion, Desire and Sacrifice

Alex Norton is the mind behind the first ever procedurally infinite RPG, Malevolence: The Sword of Ahkranox. He has been writing games for the PC since the age of 12 and is entirely self-taught. A relative newcomer to the indie scene, he has overcome serious illness and adversity in pursuit his dream of being a full-time game designer.

When Wed 27 Mar 2013, 6:00 pm - 09:00 pm
Venue: slq Gallery, level 2, State Library of Queensland

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Nicole Stark

Nicole Stark (Co-Founder and Director, Disparity Games)
Changing Games

Nicole Stark has worked in the games industry since the nineteen hundreds. She was one of the first female developers in Brisbane, and is passionate about encouraging more girls to make and play games. Nicole was a Lead Animator on Barbie's Sparkling Ice Show and Jimmy Neutron, Jet Fusion. She also worked on all three Ty the Tasmanian Tiger games. In 2011 Nicole, her husband Jason and their four daughters moved to Noosa and formed Disparity Games. Their first title, Run Fatty Run, reached number one in the Australian iOS charts.

This is special edition of Pechakucha dedicated to games. Our speakers will show off their latest projects, share their inspiration, and reveal the lesser-known design processes that inform game development

When: Wed 27 Mar 2013, 6:00 pm - 09:00 pm
Venue: slq Gallery, level 2, State Library of Queensland

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Rhys Cassidy

Rhys Cassidy (Vice President, ATOM QLD)
Games+Design+Systems=Reflection

Rhys Cassidy is Vice President of ATOM QLD and a Film, Media and English Teacher at Runcorn State High School. His passion for student and teacher media and digital literacy prompted the introduction of iPads into media subjects at his school. He has recently completed a social issues documentary project with Kyabra Community Association and led a cross-school media project, mentoring students and teachers through the process of creating a promotional video for their school. Most recently, he has developed a game design toolkit for designminds.org.au. Rhys is a member of Metropolitan Region Aspiring Leaders Program, a District Panellist for Film, Television and New Media and a member of the QSA Arts LARC

This is special edition of Pechakucha dedicated to games. Our speakers will show off their latest projects, share their inspiration, and reveal the lesser-known design processes that inform game development

When: Wed 27 Mar 2013, 6:00 pm - 09:00 pm
Venue: slq Gallery, level 2, State Library of Queensland

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Daniel Flood

Daniel Flood (Creative Production Manager, The Edge)
A History of Games

From the bad parts of Melbourne, via Launceston, Daniel has brought to Brisbane a history in community arts and digital cultural engagement as colourful as two scoops of bubblegum ice-cream. A nerd with first class honours, Daniel loves to indulge in digital tom foolery and hacktavist activity. In his spare time he makes theatre with young people, writes for stage/screen /comic books on the train, and can be found designing interactive installation works most Sundays (between bread making and playing Dungeons and Dragons). Available for weddings, parties and corporate functions, he is best identified as the other, other bearded bloke working currently at the Edge, currently acting as the Creative Production manager.

This is special edition of Pechakucha dedicated to games. Our speakers will show off their latest projects, share their inspiration, and reveal the lesser-known design processes that inform game development

When: Wed 27 Mar 2013, 6:00 pm - 09:00 pm
Venue: slq Gallery, level 2, State Library of Queensland

View Daniel Flood on full page