Artificial Creativity 0x03
2016-07-20 19:30 (Europe/Berlin) | Spektrum, Bürknerstraße 12, Berlin, 12047, Germany
Join us for a monthly evening of informal conversations and presentations on the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence. We are interested in the use of AI techniques (neural networks, genetic algorithms, Markov chains, natural language systems, etc.) to generate creative works, be it stories, poems, paintings, musical compositions, drawings, Super Mario levels, or anything else, and in tools for assisting human creativity.
There will be time for anyone to share and discuss a project they have made. Don’t hesitate showing work that’s in progress or incomplete. We also encourage you to share tutorials/frameworks to enable others to reproduce or even expand on your work.
No prior knowledge about AI is required to participate; just a sense of curiosity about the future of machine-made art and its philosophical and cultural implications!
Code of Conduct
The meetup adheres by the Berlin Code of Conduct: http://berlincodeofconduct.org/. Please make sure you agree with its content before attending.

Berlin Brettspiel Con 2016
2016-07-16 - 2016-07-18 | Alte Münze, Molkenmarkt 2, Berlin, 10179, Germany
Information about the Berlin Brettspiel (Board Game) Con:
New Board Games
Play a lot of new releases.
Tournaments & special events
Tournaments with prizes e.g. Krazy Wördz, Pandemic Survival Qualifier, Gipf Project, Agricola WM Qualifier, Mage Wars.
Publishers
Ravensburger, Kosmos, Hasbro, Asmodee, Huch! & friends, Lookout, Morning Players, Müller-Matzig Spiele, Feuerland, 2Geeks, dlp, Franjos, Spieltrieb, Frosted Games, Games Up.
Board Game Retailers
Buy board games from our professional dealer Brettspielgeschäft.de
Board Game Flea Market
A big fleamarket for used games. We take your games in commission.
Berlin Con Panel
Lectures about board games (German)
Prototypes
Play board game prototypes with designers

Stell dich in den Schatten | for TOA Festival 2016
2016-07-15 16:00 - 19:00 | Kleistpark U-Bahn Station (upper level platform), Kleistpark, Berlin, Germany
Get ready to compete with your own shadow using Kinetic technology.
In conjunction with TOA (Technical Open Air) Festival, Platform-Berlin invites you to dance with your dark side. At this time we will install a Kinetic game in our box at the U-Bahn platform. People have been playing games for centuries, it’s one of the oldest cultural techniques and forms of human social interaction. We invite you to cool off underground with some cool beverages to some groovy music – on the condition that you come and play, manipulate your shadow and explore the game of FRU.
Let’s play!

Agile Game Lab #15 @TOA Satellite Event
2016-07-14 19:30 - 22:30 | Ahoy Berlin, Wattstraße 11, Berlin, 13355, Germany
RSVP: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/agile-game-lab-tickets-26179910818
AgileGameLab #15 Tech Open Air Satellite Event: The Lean Startup
This event is part of Tech Open Air festival. Please register at the TOA Satellite Eventbrite page!
To learn more about the TOA festival read here.
This edition of the AgileGameLab has a focus on the Lean Startup. So bring a game to our test drive that you think might help a group to experience the Lean Startup. You have no idea what to bring? Check our links below. Want to learn about the Lean Startup? Just join us and have an evening full of play and learning.
Agile Game Lab is your test drive to play games in business
The Agile Game Lab is a test drive for serious games. This open space is for everyone* to learn about Agile while having fun and playing games, to improve facilitation skills by hosting a game session or to find peers to design a new game. The Agile Game Lab is special since we bring agile people and game developers together to have an evening full of creativity and fun.
Games to solve serious challenges
We are convinced that games and simulations are useful tools to experience agile practices, to communicate complex problems and to learn how to apply agile and lean thinking to solve them. They are also a great way to explore an issue at work, e.g. how to get rid of command and control, improve flow etc. That’s why games are a very important element of the learning environments we create.
Bring a game! No superpowers but an open mind is required!
Don’t be shy and bring your own game idea to find out if it works while playing with peers. Or try out facilitating a game that you are not yet familiar with. Or just join a session and learn from others. We have some basic moderator materials but please bring anything you need to host a session. There are slots of about 50 minutes for each game. If you need more time, you can play two slots in a row.
Feel free to announce with a post what you like to play
You want to get feedback for your game idea? Just post it as a comment in this meetup or on http://agalab.ideascale.com/.
Resources to get inspired
You need some inspiration?
Have a look at these web sites:
http://tastycupcakes.org/
http://innovationgames.com
http://www.gamestorming.com/
or check out this presentation about designing a game: http://youtu.be/gecZSiymlxM
Spread the word, and promote our community
Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/podojo
Tweet about us using the #AGALAB tag.
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgileGameLab.
Stefan Haas and Jens Otto Lange from #PoDojo
are looking forward to meeting you

Virtual Reality – Workshop and Platform Beta Test
2016-07-14 19:00 - 23:00 | Spielfeld, Skalitzer Str. 85-86, Berlin, 10997, Germany
We will do this workshop together with TOA
1. VR Storytelling Workshop The challenges and surprises of Virtual Reality. Learn the basic in VR including a hands-on class.
2. VR Learnings from commercial cases Get insights on how VR technology can be a new tool for storytelling within e.g. film and commercial communications.
3. Beta Test our New Platform
There are 4 slots so please use the link to register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-reality-workshop-and-platform-beta-test-tickets-26194664948

Katherine Isbister: How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design
2016-07-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Urban Spree, Revaler Straße 99, Berlin, 10245, Germany
A MAZE. presents in cooperation with BerlinGameScene.com a surprising talk appearance by Katherine Isbister, Professor of Computational Media, and core faculty in the Center for Games and Playable Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She was the founding research director of the Game Innovation Lab at NYU, and a founding faculty member of the NYU Game Center. Isbister has written several books about game design, most recently How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design, published by MIT Press.
Isbister’s analysis shows us a new way to think about games, helping us appreciate them as an innovative and powerful medium for doing what film, literature, and other creative media do: helping us to understand ourselves and what it means to be human.
Description copied from https://mitpress.mit.edu/how-games:
This is a renaissance moment for video games—in the variety of genres they represent, and the range of emotional territory they cover. But how do games create emotion? In How Games Move Us, Katherine Isbister takes the reader on a timely and novel exploration of the design techniques that evoke strong emotions for players. She counters arguments that games are creating a generation of isolated, emotionally numb, antisocial loners. Games, Isbister shows us, can actually play a powerful role in creating empathy and other strong, positive emotional experiences; they reveal these qualities over time, through the act of playing. She offers a nuanced, systematic examination of exactly how games can influence emotion and social connection, with examples—drawn from popular, indie, and art games—that unpack the gamer’s experience.
Isbister describes choice and flow, two qualities that distinguish games from other media, and explains how game developers build upon these qualities using avatars, non-player characters, and character customization, in both solo and social play. She shows how designers use physical movement to enhance players’ emotional experience, and examines long-distance networked play. She illustrates the use of these design methods with examples that range from Sony’s Little Big Planet to the much-praised indie game Journey to art games like Brenda Romero’s Train.

VRDB#05: Free VR coding
2016-07-09 15:00 | Maxim Gorki Theater, Am Festungsgraben 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany
Hi Everyone,
It’s time for another hands-on developing session! Each of us, whether they are already an experienced developer or are just starting out, will be working on their own project, which might be one you are just beginning or are already working on.
Please bring your laptop and any VR equipment you have/need. If you don’t have anything yet, we encourage you to buy a cardboard VR viewer for your phone. This will allow you to try out anything you develop.
We meet at the office of Viorama, the creators of the app Splash, a really cool way to create 360 videos with just your mobile phone (try it out, it’s free!). The office is in the building next to Gorki Theatre. When you enter the building, go right, take the elevator to the second floor, exit the elevator and go straight, then right, past the offices of “Junge Islam Konferenz”, then Viorama’s office will be to your left.
Let’s share the VR developing spirit and give each other tips and feedback!
See you Saturday!
Tore and Carl

Creative Code Stammtisch #33
2016-07-08 19:30 | co.up, Adalbertstraße 8, Berlin, 10999, Germany
The Creative Code Stammtisch is an open conversation between artists, makers, designers, coders, performers, learners and anyone interested in the use of computing skills for artistic expression. The event is free and open to all, regardless of age, origin, gender or experience. Beginners and first-timers should feel especially welcome!
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
There is a time for people to present something if they want to, followed by informal discussions. Every topic is fair game, from net art to computational design and interactive installations all the way to wearable electronics and generative literature… It’s a whole evening packed with fun, inspiration and human connection.
Join us on Friday and see for yourself, ask questions if you want, contribute with your comments and maybe show a project you’re working on. We’re looking forward to meet you all!
Note that this event is NOT just for coders! If you like art and/or technology, you will certainly enjoy yourself, and perhaps even learn something!
A NOTE ON DIVERSITY
Our best meetups have also been the most diverse. This is no coincidence. If each of us took the initiative to invite one female friend to join, everyone involved would benefit. We kindly ask you to pause for a minute and think who that friend could be… seriously, just stop reading and do it! ?
This invitation extends, of course, to members of all groups that are usually underrepresented at art & tech events.
SAFE SPACE POLICY
We support the Berlin Code of Conduct:
berlincodeofconduct.org
Please read and make sure you agree with its content.
IS THE PLACE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE?
Co.up rooms are located on the third and fifth floor, so we will happily provide assistance with the elevator to those who need it. Please let us know how we can make the space more accessible and your visit more comfortable!
DO I NEED TO SPEAK GERMAN?
We speak mostly English so international guests are more than welcome! Our team also speaks French, Italian, Spanish, Finnish and German… Language availability may vary depending on which organizers are present :)
CONTACT
Raphaël de Courville
raphael.de.courville@gmail.com
+49 (0) 176 29120374
Or shout random words at us on Twitter: @creativeCodeBLN
WHERE IS IT?
Co-up Coworking space Adalbertstr. 7-8
(back of the compound, to the left, across from white mailboxes)

Deviant Robot – Meet, Greet, Mingle, Play
2016-07-06 19:00 | interFace Bar, Perleberger Straße 17, Berlin, 10559, Germany
Exporting one of our great meetups to Berlin.
deutsch und englisch willkommen :)
This will be the second Meetup in Berlin and a good place to start if you are new to our group!
Doors open at 19:00
Around 19:30: official start and short introduction speech
the rest of the evening is up to you; we set up small groups to play board or card games (feel free to bring a game you’d specifically like to play & the venue holds many games also, digital or otherwise) or you just hang out and have conversations and relax.
We would love for everyone to socialise throughout the evening, so the main aim of these games is to get to know the other people at the table!
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of our games before or if you’re a bit nervous about coming along. We have a team member on hand to welcome you into the group and explain the games as we go along. We’re really looking forward to seeing you at the meetup!
–nochmal auf deutsch–
Nach der kurzen Begrüßungsrede liegt dir die Abendgestaltung frei; entweder schliesst du dich einer kleineren Gruppe an um ein Spiel zu spielen oder tummelst dich einfach mit den anderen Leuten, lernst sie kennen und quatscht z.B. ein bisschen über dieses oder jenes gaming Thema.
Keine Sorge falls du die Spiele nicht kennst oder nicht alle Star Trek Charaktere auswendig kannst oder vielleicht generell etwas nervös bist, ins unbekannte zu stolpern. Wir haben ein Teammitglied, Yasmin, vor Ort um dich Willkommen zu heißen und ggf. Spielregeln zu erläutern. Wir freuen uns einfach auf dein Dasein und hoffen, dass auch du Spaß haben wirst.
***
Bitte beachten! :
Interface house-rules;
Everyone has to be at least 18 of age and order a drink (there is a vast variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks), aside from that everything on location is free and you can bring your own food if you like.
Alle müssen 18 sein und Getränke (es gibt diverse alkoholische und nicht-alkoholische Optionen) bestellen, ansonsten is aber alles kostenlos und Essen könnt ihr mitbringen, wenn ihr wollt.

★ ąяţǥąʍ€$ 009 ★
2016-07-04 19:30 - 23:00 | Spektrum, Bürknerstraße 12, Berlin, 12047, Germany
ąяţǥąʍ€$ is a community of artists using game technology &/or game design to create artistic &/or experimental works.
///
★ AGENDA ★
• 7:30 – [Talks/Presentations/Questions/Open Mic]
• Vladimir Storm // HEPTA VR

• Dominique Davis

• Jörg Brinkmann
• 9:30 onwards – General Discussion
gr8 music & gr8 drinks & gr8 people & all things gr8 art gr8 games.
Presentations must be planned in advance (so we can cut it off at 9:30 and have time for socialising)
///
Absolutely everybody is welcome, all levels of experience and all walks of life!!! – So long as you RSVP ;^)
ąяţǥąʍ€$ practices the Safe Space Policy, more information below.
///

★ ąяţǥąʍ€$ ★ = SAFE SPACE POLICY
This group is dedicated to providing a harassment-free social experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, experience level or game preferences. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from the venue at the discretion of the organisers.
Harassment includes verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or games, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately.
If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, the organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the venue. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an organiser immediately.
We are dedicated to to help participants contact security or police, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.
We expect participants to follow these rules at all our venues and social events.

Sony Playstation VR: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why
2016-06-30 18:30 - 21:00 | Rotor Film im Studio Babelsberg Building/Gebäude 4, August-Bebel-Str. 26, Potsdam, 14482, Germany
Please join us. Our speaker will be Richard Marks from Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Marks’ topic this evening is “What Works in VR, What Doesn’t and Why.” He should know, as he is one of VR’s pioneers, running the Sony PlayStation Magic Lab that came up with the PlayStation VR technology. Sony is making a major investment in PlayStation VR and plans to launch it in October.
Marks has worked at Sony’s game division for 17 years. He has a doctorate in philosophy, aeronautics, and astronautics from Stanford University.

Talk & Play #19
2016-06-28 19:00 - 23:00 | Game Science Center, Besselstrasse 14, Berlin, 10969, Germany
Talk & Play is a free event, taking place every two months, that provides the opportunity to game enthusiasts, players and makers to meet and exchange knowledge in a friendly, relaxed and safe environment.
Everybody’s welcome, regardless of their background and knowledge level: if you like games, we’ll make sure you have a good time! Important: this is NOT an event only aimed at developers.
Important: RSVP via meetup.com is mandatory to attend the talks, due to limited seating capacity. Registrations will open on Tuesday, June 14th at 14:00 CET (Berlin time). Please note that registration won’t be required to attend the event from 21:00 for the game showcase part.

HOW IT WORKS
The event is structured in two parts:
— TALK: A series of short game-related presentations
— PLAY: All participants are welcome to bring games they’ve made or are still working on so that the audience can play them – a perfect opportunity to discover and play new games, collect feedback and, who knows?, maybe find collaborators for future projects.

THE TALKS

Let’s continue with the new format introduced at the beginning of the year: 5 minutes for each presentation, with no questions – if you want to ask a question to the speakers just go talk to them! ;)

HappyFunTimes by Gregg Tavares
Expand your 4 player 1 screen game to a 10 screen 100 player game with HappyFunTimes.
—
Gregg Tavares has made games from Centipede on Commodore 64 up through more recent generations including Lororoco for PSP and some PS3 titles he’s too embarrassed to mention but he redeemed himself by making WebGL for Chrome at Google and is now making random tech for fun like HappyFunTimes.
http://greggman.com // @greggman

Slayaway Camp by Ido Yehieli
Take a look at Slayaway Camp- a murder puzzle, now in beta.
—
Ido is an indie game dev living in Berlin.
http://www.tametick.com // @tametick

What Let’s Plays Taught Me About Game Design by Jennifer Wergin
An overview of Lets Player thoughts on game mechanics, broadening the topical scope and value of indie games in general.
—
Jenni is all-rounder who loves and lives everything gaming-related: she records let’s plays, functions as master of ceremonies at Game <3 Cinema, studies European Media to obtain a masters degree, is the project manager for Womenize (part of the International Games Week Berlin) and works in the field of community-/support-management for Clans.de GmbH.
http://bit.ly/1lM9Epu // http://bit.ly/1YlFecS // http://www.clansweb.com // @yun_jenni

Scratch: More Than a Kid’s Toy! by Johanna Jacob
What professional and hobby developers (and anybody else) can do in the visual programming environment Scratch.
—
Johanna is a game designer who is currently founding an edutainment game studio for developing the awesome game “Treasure Monkeys” and who is teaching the two most basic skills to children: reading and game development.
http://www.johanna-jacob.de // https://www.facebook.com/treasuremonkeys // @johanna_jacob// @TreasureMonkeys

THE GAMES

Here’s the list of confirmed games that will be shown during the second part of the evening, from 21:00:
— Boundaries of Light by Nantroll Studios
— Fail Loop by Martin Fleck
— Farbenspiel by Rat King
— HappyFunTimes by Gregg Tavares
— Heavy Metal Tennis Training by Shape Minds & Snakeoil
— Hubert’s Hideout by TeamOmelette
— MOMENTUM (formerly Orbit) by Team NeonChameleon
— Monster Garden by Zack Wood
— Nocturnal Hunt by Wolf Pack
— Ohrwurm Game by Aidas Bendoraitis
— One Show Only by Tristan Dahl
— PipWorld by David Smit
— Pool Party Arena by 7Liter
— Scratch Showcase by Johanna Jacob
— SimonSkates by Sven Ahlgrimm
— Slayaway Camp by Ido Yehieli
— Stars of Icarus by Crunchy Leaf Games
— Tanks Ballet by Waterman7
Game showcase registrations are now closed. If your game is not on the list above you’re still welcome to bring it, but we can’t guarantee there will be space to show it – please check with a member of the team from 21:00.
If you want to make it easier for people to understand your game controls at the event, the Games Input Pal tool (made in Berlin!) might help you: http://xantomen.com/gamesinputpal/

AGENDA
— 19:00 Doors (if you come earlier you’ll have to wait outside, as we need to prepare the venue)
— 19:30 Talks start
— 21:00 Game showcase & networking: play games and chat with their creators, or just hang around and meet new people
— 23:00 The end aka “Gone Home”

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Our Safe Space Policy encourages the behaviour at Talk & Play. We request that everyone who is affiliated with and participates to the event honours it.
Besides recording the talks (thank you Iwan!), we’re also documenting the game showcase part in pictures (thank you Julian!) and vines (thank you Nomi!). Documentation is important for us, as it helps promote the event and attract a new, wider and more diverse audience (that’s how it worked so far at least). For those who’d like to attend, but don’t want to be appear in any pictures or videos, we’re going to distribute some neon stickers at the door that you can wear on your chest to make it clear that you don’t want to appear in any picture or video.
The event is free to attend.

FINAL NOTES
Do you have any questions? Would you like to give a talk in the future? Then get in touch!
Talk & Play is organised by BerlinGameScene.com with the promotional and technical support of the monthly Berlin Mini Game Jam and A MAZE.

June Mini Game Jam
2016-06-25 12:00 - 22:30 | co.up, Adalbertstraße 8, Berlin, 10999, Germany
Time for some game prototyping! Type and draw away, make strange sounds and create fun out of thin air: Welcome to this edition of the Berlin Mini Jam!
Berlin Mini Game Jam is a relaxed 8 hour prototyping workshop: After we have chosen a theme together, we form teams or go solo to make game graphics, concepts and prototypes on computers, phones, cardboard or physical space. At the end, we present the results to each other.
Schedule:
12:00 Doors open (5th floor), write nametags, get to know people
12:20 Vote on themes via vote.berlinminijam.de
12:40 Info speech & theme announcement
13:00 Jam Starts, 3rd floor opens
21:00 End presentations start (3rd floor)
22:00 Socialize & play games
Create whatever you want, just bring any materials you need. There is no hardware or material provided on-site unless specifically mentioned.
Everyone is welcome! Really! Artists, game designers, coders, hobbyists or professionals. Any gender, any background! We always have lots of new people, so don’t worry if you don’t know anybody yet: You’re quite welcome too. If you want to, you will find a team at the jam, so coming alone is no problem.
There is no participation fee thanks to co.up coworking. You can return their kindness by buying some of their 2€ drinks.
We have a Facebook group too, by the way: Berlin Game Developers Meet-Up.

Creative Code Jam
2016-06-21 12:00 - 19:00, 2016-05-21 12:00 - 19:00 | co.up, Adalbertstraße 8, Berlin, 10999, Germany
The Creative Code Jam is a monthly gathering of artists, makers, designers, illustrators, coders, musicians, performers, learners and anyone interested in the use of computing skills for artistic expression. The event is free and open to all, regardless of age, origin, gender or experience. The jam is an opportunity to meet likeminded people and get creative together in a relaxed and safe environment. Beginners and first-timers should feel especially welcome!
SO WHAT’S GOING ON EXACTLY?
Participants are encouraged to team up and produce new work together. Our focus is on collaboration between disciplines, spontaneity and experimentation.
We sometimes propose exercises that foster creativity, collaboration as well as an exchange of skills between attendees.
The format is open and we like to keep it experimental so if you want to suggest an activity, please let us know! If it fits, we will make it happen :)
A NOTE ON DIVERSITY
Our best meetups have also been the most diverse. This is no coincidence. If each of us took the step to invite one female friend to join, everyone involved would benefit. We kindly ask you to pause for a minute and think who that friend could be… seriously, just stop reading and do it! ?
This invitation extends, of course, to members of all groups that are usually underrepresented at art & tech events.
SAFE SPACE POLICY
We support the Berlin Code of Conduct:
https://rubyberlin.github.io/code-of-conduct/
Please make sure you agree with its content.
ACCESSIBILITY
Co.up rooms are located on the third and fifth floor, so we will happily provide assistance with the elevator to those who need it. Please let us know how we can make the space more accessible and your visit more comfortable!
DO I NEED TO SPEAK GERMAN?
We speak mostly English so international guests are more than welcome! Our team also speaks French, Italian, Spanish, Finnish and German… Language availability may vary depending on which organizers are present :)
CONTACT
Rachel Uwa
rachel@opentechschool.org
+49 151 7537 4602
Or shout random words at us on Twitter: @CreativeCodeBLN
WHERE IS IT?
Co-up Coworking space Adalbertstr. 7-8
(back of the compound, to the left, across from white mailboxes)
The gate is closed? Call: +49 151 7537 4602

★ ąяţǥąʍ€$ ★ FIELD TRIP // Physical Games w Zack Wood
2016-06-19 14:00 - 16:30 | Görlitzer Park, Görlitzer Str., Berlin, 10997, Germany
Let’s get together in Gorlitzer Park to play physical games! Zack will bring the Cookbook of Play, but feel free to bring any physical games you know! The focus is on games where all you need is a body to play! (Not with balls, etc.)
//
Zack, physical games extraordinaire invites you to an afternoon in the sun of non-virtual multiplayer and social games.
Please note this is not the regular artgames meetup, so be sure to check the venue location!!!
xo

VRDB#04: Short Presentations
2016-06-18 15:00 | c-base, 20 Rungestraße, Berlin, 10179, Germany
Hi Everyone,
We are doing very well with our meetings so far! We want to get to know you and what you are interested in a bit more, so this upcoming session we would like all attendants to give a short mini-presentation about a topic of their choice, for about three to five minutes each.
You can talk about anything VR related, be it a project you are working on or would like to work on, some useful mini tutorial or tip that you came across when developing for VR, an interesting experience you had in VR, your VR view in general, or something that you see going on in the VR industry and would like to give your own comment on.
We think this will be interesting and enjoyable for everyone, we are curious about your take on VR!
Carl and Tore

Devolution #2: Shift Happens
2016-06-16 17:30 | UE – University of Applied Sciences Europe, Dessauer Str. 3-5, Berlin, 10963, Germany
How do you win Best Game Design at the German Video Game Awards?
Why in hell do you need more than 5 years for that?
We are more than happy to welcome Shift Happens and its two game designers Mathias “Matt” Neukam and Stefan “Beff” Fischer from Klonk Games to our next Devolution event!
You can look forward to an in-depth and honest exploration of the development process of Shift Happens, with all its ups and downs, experiencable through playable versions of the game and told by the responsible game designers themselves.
Explore the creative process behind the more than 5 years development of Shift Happens!
We are looking forward to see you all!
AGENDA
• 5:30pm: Exhibition opens
• 7:00pm: Start / Introduction
• 7:15pm: Mathias Neukam & Stefan Fischer: The Evolution of Shift Happens
• 8:00pm: Exhibition & Drinks
• 8:45pm: Mathias Neukam & Stefan Fischer in Conversation with Csongor Baranyai
SHIFT HAPPENS & KLONK GAMES
Shift Happens is a cooperative platformer for two. You and a friend shift your mass, throw each other and puzzle your way through four stages of stylized imaginary worlds. Including the occasional backstabbing and taunting. Play with a friend on a couch, online or even special singleplayer levels.
Klonk Games is a small indie game company in Munich, founded by alumni of the MD.H Mediadesign Hochschule, working on own game concepts as well as doing contract work.
Shift Happens started as a prototype for a school project and was later released as Mercury Shift on Kongregate where it got a quite good reception. The team decided to fund Klonk Gamesand develop the game further as their debut, wanted to implement all the things, that either did not work out in the first version or were recorded in various feedback sessions. Shift Happens was released in 2015 on Steam Early Access. The full game will be released in July 2016 on Steam and Xbox One.
Mathias “Matt” Neukam & Stefan “Beff” Fischer are the two game designers mainly responsible for the creative decisions behind the evolution of Shift Happens.
DEVOLUTON
Devolution is a free game design focused event exploring thecreative process and challenges of game development. Each event focalises on the evolution of a game through theexhibition of prototypes and interim versions and an in-depth conversation with the developers.
How did the game change during its development? Why? Which features were added? Which were taken away? When? What were the interesting design challenges? What was the original vision of the game? How did the idea emerge? How did certainfeatures evolved into their final version? How did testing and feedback affect the game? What the hell is creativity? What is the connection of all this to business and technology? What might the future hold?
More…
RSVP
The event is free.
Please RSVP on Meetup that we can have a slight notion of what to expect.
Safe Space Policy
We stick to the Safe Space Policy as proposed by Berlingamescene.com for their great Talk & Play Events.
We request that everyone who is affiliated with and participates to the event honours it.

Artificial Creativity 0x02
2016-06-14 19:30 | Spektrum, Bürknerstraße 12, Berlin, 12047, Germany
Join us for a monthly evening of informal conversations and presentations on the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence. We are interested in the use of AI techniques (neural networks, genetic algorithms, Markov chains, natural language systems, etc.) to generate creative works, be it stories, poems, paintings, musical compositions, drawings, Super Mario levels, or anything else, and in tools for assisting human creativity.
There will be time for anyone to share and discuss a project they have made. Don’t hesitate showing work that’s in progress or incomplete. We also encourage you to share tutorials/frameworks to enable others to reproduce or even expand on your work.
No prior knowledge about AI is required to participate; just a sense of curiosity about the future of machine-made art and its philosophical and cultural implications!
Code of Conduct
The meetup adheres by the Berlin Code of Conduct: http://berlincodeofconduct.org/. Please make sure you agree with its content.
(Image credit: Celebrity Gradient by Tom White)

E3 Press Conferences Public Viewing
2016-06-13 18:30 - 23:30 | Game Science Center, Besselstrasse 14, Berlin, 10969, Germany
Wie schon im vergangenen Jahr möchten wir allen an der #E3 2016 interessierten Menschen ein Live Public Viewing der großen Pressekonferenz von Microsoft, PC Gaming und Ubisoft anbieten.
Gemeinsam schauen, diskutieren und austauschen über die neuesten Tech-Trends!
Wir starten um 18.30 Uhr mit Microsoft,
um 20.30 Uhr geht es weiter mit PC Gaming
und wir enden um 22 Uhr mit Ubisoft.
Ein absolutes Highlight werden auf jeden Fall die News rund um #VirtualReality, aber auch die anderen Ankündigungen bieten sicherlich viel Diskussionsgrundlage.
Das GameScienceCenter Berlin möchte hierfür allen Interessierten einen Raum geben um gemeinsam die Konferenzen zu verfolgen, die News zu diskutieren und sich auszutauschen.
Kommt vorbei, der Eintritt ist kostenlos!
Getränke sind vor Ort zu einem vernünftigen Preis erhältlich.
Mehr Infos zu den Pressekonferenzen findet ihr unter http://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_2016_Live_Streams_and_Press_Conferences

Berlin Mini Game Jam at #LNdW16 at GSC_Berlin
2016-06-11 12:00 - 22:00 | Game Science Center, Besselstrasse 14, Berlin, 10969, Germany
The Game Science Center Berlin is pleased to offer a program around the topic “Games and game development” as part of the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2016. The program includes a game jam organized in collaboration with the Berlin Mini Game Jam.
Those wishing to participate in the Jam, you can register for free with a Eventbrite ticket for this. Due to the space capacity the jam is limited to 60 participants. Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/berlin-mini-game-jam-lange-nacht-der-wissenschaften-gsc-berlin-tickets-25644671904
Starting at noon, the jammers will design, develop and program minigames live in the Game Science Center. Doors open at 11:30, and the jam starts officially at 12:00.
In the evening from 20:00 the results and games are presented to the LNdW audience, and the developers are available for questions about the topic Game Development.
Our whole program during the # LNdW16 can be found at www.langenachtderwissenschaften.de and in our other Facebook Events!

Das GameScienceCenter Berlin freut sich im Rahmen der Langen Nacht der Wissenschaften 2016 ein Programm rund um das Themengebiet “Games und Spieleentwicklung” anzubieten. Ein Programmpunkt dabei wird zusammen mit dem Berlin Mini Game Jam eine ihrer Sessions sein.
Wer am Jam teilnehmen möchte, kann sich kostenlos mit einem Eventbrite-Ticket hierfür anmelden. Aufgrund der Raumkapazität können wir max. 60 TeilnehmerInnen aufnehmen und Arbeitsplätze zur Verfügung stellen. https://www.eventbrite.de/e/berlin-mini-game-jam-lange-nacht-der-wissenschaften-gsc-berlin-tickets-25644671904
Schon in der Mittagszeit geht es los: ca. 60 JammerInnen planen, entwickeln und programmieren Mini Games live im GameScienceCenter.
Am Abend werden die Ergebnisse und Spiele dem LNdW-Publikum präsentiert und die EntwicklerInnen stehen für Fragen rund um das Thema Game Developing zur Verfügung.
Unser ganzes Programm während der #LNdW16 findet ihr unter www.langenachtderwissenschaften.de und in unseren anderen Facebook-Events!

1. ELO Games Hackathon
2016-06-11 10:00 - 2016-06-12 17:00 | ELO @ StayFriends Office, Gutenbergstraße 15, Berlin, 10587, Germany
Du wolltest schon immer Dein eigenes Mobile Game entwickeln und sofort auf Deinem Handy spielen können? Als Multiplayer-Titel gegen andere Spieler? Wir machen’s möglich. Hier ist unser Hackathon, der von Programmierern und Designern des ELO-Teams begleitet wird. Wer sein Spiel fertig* abliefert und vor der Jury bzw. dem Publikum besteht kann bis zu 1.500 Euro gewinnen.

Creative Code Stammtisch #32 at CHB
2016-06-10 19:30 | ART+COM Explore @ Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, Dorotheenstraße 12, Berlin, 10117, Germany
The Creative Code Stammtisch is an open conversation between artists, makers, designers, coders, performers, learners and anyone interested in the use of computing skills for artistic expression. The event is free and open to all, regardless of age, origin, gender or experience. Beginners and first-timers should feel especially welcome!
? Important note: This time again, we will be hosted at ART+COM Explore, an R&D space hosted by the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (CHB) in Mitte. ?
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?
There is a time for people to present something if they want to, followed by informal discussions. Every topic is fair game, from net art to computational design and interactive installations all the way to wearable electronics and generative literature… It’s a whole evening packed with fun, inspiration and human connection.
Join us on Friday and see for yourself, ask questions if you want, contribute with your comments and maybe show a project you’re working on. We’re looking forward to meet you all!
Note that this event is NOT just for coders! If you like art and/or technology, you will certainly enjoy yourself, and perhaps even learn something!
A NOTE ON DIVERSITY
Our best meetups have also been the most diverse. This is no coincidence. If each of us took the initiative to invite one female friend to join, everyone involved would benefit. We kindly ask you to pause for a minute and think who that friend could be… seriously, just stop reading and do it! ?
This invitation extends, of course, to members of all groups that are usually underrepresented at art & tech events.
SAFE SPACE POLICY
We support the Berlin Code of Conduct:
berlincodeofconduct.org
Please read and make sure you agree with its content.
IS THE PLACE WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE?
Yes! ART+COM Explore is on the ground floor and there are no steps.
DO I NEED TO SPEAK GERMAN?
We speak mostly English so international guests are more than welcome! Our team also speaks French, Italian, Spanish, Finnish and German… Language availability may vary depending on which organizers are present :)
CONTACT
Raphaël de Courville
raphael.de.courville@gmail.com
+49 (0) 176 29120374
Or shout random words at us on Twitter: @creativeCodeBLN
WHERE IS IT?
ART+COM Explore
@ Collegium Hungaricum Berlin
Dorotheenstraße 12
(Enter through the metal gate. Walk straight to the back of the yard)
– – –
The featured artwork of the month is by Abe Pazos.
Do you want your work to be featured on the cover of the next Stammtisch? Please send an image at team.ccberlin@gmail.com.

★ ąяţǥąʍ€$ 008★
2016-06-06 19:30 - 23:00 | Spektrum, Bürknerstraße 12, Berlin, 12047, Germany
ąяţǥąʍ€$ is a community of artists using game technology &/or game design to create artistic &/or experimental works.
Absolutely everybody is welcome, all levels of experience and all walks of life!!! – So long as you RSVP ;^)
ąяţǥąʍ€$ practices the Safe Space Policy, more information below.
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★ AGENDA ★
• 7:30 – [Talks/Presentations/Questions/Open Mic]
• Still working this out, contact us on meet up if you want to present.
• 9:30 onwards – General Discussion
Great music & drinks & people & all things art games.
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Presentations must be planned in advance (so we can cut it off at 9:30 and have time for socialising)
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★ ąяţǥąʍ€$ ★ = SAFE SPACE POLICY
This group is dedicated to providing a harassment-free social experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, experience level or game preferences. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from the venue at the discretion of the organisers.
Harassment includes verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or games, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately.
If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, the organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the venue. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an organiser immediately.
We are dedicated to to help participants contact security or police, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.
We expect participants to follow these rules at all our venues and social events.

SteamVR Dev Meetup #1 – Developing for SteamVR with the Unreal Engine
2016-06-05 15:00 | C#+ Central, Berlin, Germany
For our first meetup, we’ll have a run-through on developing SteamVR Games/Experiences using the Unreal Engine.
We’ll cover the basics of setting up a VR Project from the ground up, motion controller interaction and a few VR mechanics to get your own project rolling.
Please post in the comments section in case you want to present a personal project or interested in a specific topic that’s beyond the basics being covered in our first meetup and I’ll try to accommodate.
Please note this event is for developers who are interested in creating Virtual Reality games and/or experiences for the SteamVR/Vive and NOT a Vive demo although one unit will be on hand so we can see test the concepts we’ll be tackling in the event.
Exact address to be sent to confirmed attendess on the day of the meetup

Mario Kart 64 Night
2016-05-31 20:30 | Castle Pub, Hochstr. 2 , Berlin, Berlin, 13357, Germany
It’s Tuesday again and you know what that means: Mario Kart Night!
Every Tuesday, teams of four of less can compete to be Mario Kart Champions. Also, winners will get 0,4L of any Two Fellas beer, brewed in our very own establishment. A night of video games and the chance to win free beer – what more could you ask for?
Come as early as 19:30 and get in some practice before the official games begin!
—free entrance—

VRDB#03: Free VR coding
2016-05-28 15:00 | c-base, 20 Rungestraße, Berlin, 10179, Germany
After the great last meeting where we went trough the basics of VR coding, it’s time for our first hands-on developing session! Each of us, whether they are already an experienced developer or are just starting out, will be working on their own project, which might be one you are just beginning or are already working on. Let’s share the VR developing spirit and give each other tips and feedback!

May Mini Game Jam
2016-05-28 12:00 - 22:30 | co.up, Adalbertstraße 8, Berlin, 10999, Germany

VR Berlin Meetup #19
2016-05-24 19:00 | Viacom, Stralauer Allee 6, Berlin, 10245, Germany
Our next VR Meetup will be again at Viacom on the 24th of May. We can host even more people this time and look forward to an evening with inspiring presentations, demo stations, drinks and networking.
Philip Hausmeier from the organizing team is back from the accelerator program in Silicon Valley and will give a short talk on the current state of Virtual Reality in California.
Jim Rüggenbgerg, CEO of Illusion Walk KG will present the talk “From Rift to Holodeck – HMI and Content in Virtual Reality”. Together with his brother Julien he founded the Berlin Startup in 2013 and developed the “Immersive Deck”, a realtime VR-platform for large scale multiplayer gaming. www.illusion-walk.com
Experience & Multimedia designers Christin Marczinzik and Thi Binh Minh Nguyen of the Swing Design Collective will speak about ‘SWING’, their interactive VR-installation that makes a dream come true: the dream of flying. It uses a swing as a physical component with Oculus Rift and Kinect – an innovative combination which enhances the swinging experience with Virtual Reality. https://vimeo.com/119068455
Everyone is welcome to showcase their demo, if you need help get in touch with us. Also just bring your headsets and any VR peripheral to the event – the more the merrier!
Please get a ticket via Eventbrite for a small fee. A RSVP on the Meetup site does not guarantee you entry to the Meetup. We do this to provide transparency at the door and to prevent no-shows.
https://www.eventbrite.de/e/vr-berlin-meetup-19-at-viacom-tickets-25357109798
Looking forward to see you soon!

Virtual Reality Developers Berlin Meeup: Basic Virtual Reality Coding Part 2
2016-05-14 15:00 | c-base, 20 Rungestraße, Berlin, 10179, Germany
After a very promising first meetup, our second gathering is coming up!
We decided to have different types of sessions:
– one type will concentrate on development and is a bit hacking/coding/game-jamming like (for those who already know how to develop and have something to work on)
– the other type of session will be talks and VR developmenttutorials.
This coming meeting is the of the second type: we will give thesecond part of our introduction to Unity, so this session will be targeted at Unity beginners who would like to learn how to create their first own VR in Unity.
Program:
– how to make game objects interactive by attaching c# scripts to it (by Carl White)
– introduction to c# coding for Unity, base features and classes (by Markus Fleck)
– compile to Virtual Reality onto your android phone (by Tore Knabe)
Please bring your laptop with Unity installed, your smartphone, and a VR headset if you have any. A Cardboard headset that works with your phone will be enough.
If you are already developing with VR and would like to work on a project of yours, stay tuned for our meetups after this one, it will be a hands-on development session!
