Israeli Virtual Worlds Special Interest Group (SIG) and Forum in the Air!

I’m pleased to see that Virtual Worlds are getting more and more attention from the Israeli Academia and business community:

ISOC-IL's IVWF - Israeli Virtual Worlds Forum @ IBM, 275th of Oct. Today!

The IVWF will meet to discuss innovative virtual interfaces such the Wii and GameAir by GravitX.

Serving on GravitX Advisory Board, I had the pleasure of working out and testing GameAir with young children and adults.

Here's a brief elaboration from Gravitx website: http://www.gravitx.com

GravitX is an Israeli based Exergaming company, founded by Yoav Lerner and Gal Shvebish in November, 2007.

GravitX specializes in developing PC/Console-based active game technologies that deliver "full-motion" participation in video games. The Company is currently developing a revolutionary, Full Motion, Man-Machine Interface Controller, called GameAir. GameAir provides gamers and exercisers with a whole new experience in interactive gaming. It's "Plug & Play" design is compatible with many popular game titles and requires no additional accessories. GameAir allows users to play popular game titles on a PC or game consoles and uses the player’s own physical motion to operate the game, allowing the user to feel the excitement and competitive challenge within the game. [Watch video above].

Get in shape with GameAir!

IMVFOrganizers: Dr. Yesha Sivan and Mr. Gur Shomron

Time: 17:00- 20:00

Place: IBM Israel, Petach-Tikva

Link: http://www.isoc.org.il/conf_heb/interest_group.html

Launch of the Israeli Virtual Worlds Special Interest Group (SIG) @ IDC

Keynote speaker: Prof. Mel Slater of Virtual Reality in University College London.

Organizers: Dr. Doron Friedman, Sammy Ofer School of Communications, IDC, Herzliya, and Dr. Benny Cohen, IBM Haifa Research Labs

When: Next week, Nov 6^th

Time: 17:30 – 19:30

Place: IDC, Herzliya

Room: CB07, Sammy Ofer building

The SIG will meet once every few weeks/months, alternatively hosted by IBM and IDC. By virtual worlds we are referring to online massive multi-user virtual environments, such as, but not limited to, Second Life. Topics include all academics aspects of virtual worlds, ranging from psychology, sociology, and technology, and may also include discussion of business opportunities. Details will be discussed in this first meeting.

Agenda:

17:30 opening remarks from organizers

17:45 A talk by Mel Slater | Topic to be announced

Prof. Mel Slater Heads the Virtual Reality in University College London, an ICREA fellow in Barcelona, Spain, and holds several national and European grants, including the European Senior ERC grant. Mel Slater received the IEEE Virtual Reality Career Award in 2005.

18:30 "Just a Second, Life", a movie by Miri Segal

19:00 Discussion with audience regarding goals and agenda for the SIG

19:15 Refreshments

Please RSVP by sending an email to: avl@idc.ac.il

E.Magiciens Game Contest open to Israeli Students!

Valenciennes, in the north of France, greets, for the 9th consecutive time, Les E-Magiciens 2008, the European meetings of the young digital creation, which will be held from 25th to 28th November 2008.

Organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Valenciennes region, this event is the annual meeting of young creators, students and professionals of digital animation, cinema, sound and video game.

On 5,000 visitors, we include 500 professionals coming from 10 countries. Every year the festival presents in preview nearly 300 animation films and multimedia works from about 50 European countries. In the program on the National Scene of the Phoenix theatre: projections, conferences, previews, tributes and teaching workshops. One of the main event of the festival is a set of student's contest and awards on animation, web sites, games...
This year the ENJMIN (Graduate School of Games and Interactive Media) is in charge of the competition related to video games. Located in Angoulême in the south-west of France, ENJMIN is an educational, professional training and research institute providing an international environment to stimulate creativity and technological innovation.

Link: http://english.enjmin.fr/

The participation is open to students registered in university or college, including students registered for the year 2007-2008.

The game will be appreciated according to the script intentions, the originality of concepts and universe, as well as the feasibility to carry it out. The comprehensive layout represents an illustration of these different aspects.

Information :
For any question about the game contest contact Pr. Stephane Natkin:
stephane.natkin[AT]cnam[DOT]fr

What is the Israeli-Franch connection here?

The good news is that I've contacted Pr. Stephane Natkin.

Participation is is open to Israeli Students too! Game On!

Dr. Hanan Gazit

Les E.magiciens Festival 2008 appears on DiGRA ISRAEL Calendar: Web3D, VideoGames, Virtual Worlds, New Media: Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, Meetings, Exhibitions & Events-All coming your way in one place by DiGRA ISRAEL.

Real World Event (in Blue) | Calls & Submissions Deadlines (in Red)| Virtual World/ Cybernet Event (in Purple).

Know about other events which fit here? Would you like your event to be added here?
Please email details to: info(AT)digraisrael(DOT)org, at least three weeks prior to the event. DiGRA ISRAEL is not responsible for information listed or omissions.
Link: http://www.digra-il.org/calendar

נקודות ציון בעולמות וירטואלים השבוע: 493$ מיליון דולאר.משבר כלכלי.סקנד לייף אקדמיה.לכודים ברשת

493$ מליון דולאר [כסף אמיתי] הושקע עד כה השנה בעולמות וירטואליים! מקור: Virtual Worlds Management

משבר כלכלי בעולם אך בשוק העולמות הוירטואליים צופים צמיחה. למה? אל העולמות הוירטואליים אפשר לברוח ולהתנתק מהמציאות היומיומית הקשה. מקור: Forbes.com

"סקנד לייף מאפשר לסטודנטים לשחק, לשתף, ליצור, להפעיל את הדמיון ולהיות יצירתיים באופנים שאינם אפשריים בעולם הממשי. ....אני צופה שבעוד שלוש עד חמש שנים, מוסד אקדמי ללא יישות בעולמות וירטואליים תלת ממדיים כדוגמת סקנד לייף יחשב כמו מוסד אקדמי שאין לו אתר אינטרנט היום." מקור: EDUCAUSE Review - Chris Collins's (aka Fleep Tuque).

יקירתי, אני מודע לכך. המלצתי על הסרט "לכודים ברשת" ברשת, מנוטרת.בזמן אמת.ברשת על ידי "עין הנץ", אבל כשנישקת אותי הלכתי לאיבוד. קישור: http://video.hi-net.co.il/eagleeye/

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הכותב, ד"ר חנן גזית, עומד בראש MetaverSense הפועלת בעולמות וירטואליים ומשחקים דיגיטאליים ומתמחה בייעוץ, הדרכה ופיתוח פרויקטים לקהל לקוחותיה: משקיעים ויזמים, חברות, מוסדות וארגונים במגזר הפרטי והציבורי. ד"ר גזית הינו יועץ לאיגוד העולמות הוירטואליים העולמי AVW ומייסד די.ג.ר.ה ישראל- המרכז הישראלי של הארגון הבינלאומי לחקר משחקים דיגיטאליים. חבר מערכת כתב העת הבינלאומי למשחקים וסימולציות נתמכות מחשב. חוקר ומרצה ב H.I.T - מכון טכנולוגי חולון