Intrinsic Algorithm News

Dave’s Lectures at GDC AI Summit

Dave Mark — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:56:38 +0000

One again, Dave is an advisor for the GDC AI Summit in March. He is also speaking, this time on using psychology in AI and on how we can improve AI through mathematical modeling of behavior. See more about the two lectures at the AI Game Programmers Guild site.

GDC AI Summit: Less A, More I – Using Psychology in Game AI

GDC AI Summit: Embracing the Dark Art of Mathematical Modeling in AI

(Photo by Neil Kirby)

Dave to Speak at NYC’s New Museum/Rhizome

Dave Mark — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:00:01 +0000

On Friday, December 16th, 2011, I will be participating in an event, The Kill Screen Dialogs at the New Museum in New York City. I will be part of a triptych of 2-person panels on games and art.

The event is in conjunction with Rhizome.org as part of their New Silent series presenting “contemporary art engaged with new technology.“ Rhizome itself is ”dedicated to the creation, presentation, preservation, and critique of emerging artistic practices that engage technology.”

Specifically, the Kill Screen Dialogs event is organized with the help of Jamin Warren, co-founder and president of Kill Screen Media (who wrote an interview/article on me in their pilot “Issue 0″). I want to thank Jamin for inviting me to be part of this event. I am truly honored.

From the event page:

When are games more than games? When they are communicating with others?

Although videogames are bigger than ever, they are often perceived as cultural silos and not in conversation with other art forms or cultures. In conjunction with videogame arts and culture company Kill Screen, Rhizome invites you to an evening of conversations between game designers and new media artists. Divided into three mini-conversations, the talks will explore three areas: artificial intelligence, with Dave Mark and Mary Flanagan; the feeling of digital objects, with Tabor Robak and Katherine Isbister; and games as space, with Casey Reas and Andy Nealen.

I am excited to be paired up with Mary Flanagan for this as we discuss the role of AI in art and games (and “art games”, I suppose). Mary has done some interesting, thought-provoking work as an artist and game developer, and as a writer.

I urge those of you in the New York area to join us. Tickets are only $8 ($6 for New Museum members). I am sure it will be interesting, educational, and inspiring!

Heading to E3 2011

Dave Mark — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:57:38 +0000

Intrinsic Algorithm will once again be prowling the expansive halls of the LA Convention Center for E3. (Has someone made an RPG level out of that place?) For a wonder this year, we still have openings for meetings about game AI consulting. If you are looking to get a little help on your game and will be at the show, please contact us so we can chat! If not, no worries… it will actually be nice to see the expo floor for a change!

GDC 2011

Dave Mark — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:39:13 +0000

As usual, Intrinsic Algorithm will be at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Dave Mark is once again a co-advisor of the AI Summit at GDC. As part of that Summit, he is co-lecturing with Brian Schwab of Blizzard, moderating a panel, and delivering a short rant.

If you are looking to meet with IA to discuss AI consulting, please contact us as soon as possible!

Intrinsic Algorithm Signs New AI Consulting Contract

Dave Mark — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 15:56:42 +0000

As of last week, we have signed a new contract to do behavioral AI and mathematical simulation modeling for an independent game studio in the Los Angeles area. For now, neither the company nor the project is being disclosed. However, it is made up of industry veterans with many years of experience working on numerous impressive AAA projects for major studios. We hope to be able to provide a formal announcement towards spring of this year.

We are very pleased to be associated with them as well as excited to be working on their very novel project!

Los Angeles Trip

Dave Mark — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:13:58 +0000

And now I’m in Los Angeles visiting what is likely to be my next consulting client. I’m looking forward to being able to announce it here soon! It’s an exciting, novel idea from a new company staffed by some very talented, experienced people. More soon!

San Francisco Trip

Dave Mark — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:11:16 +0000

I’m on a new client visit in San Francisco (no, I can’t say who yet). I’m enjoying visiting with other friends and colleagues out here though. Even just walking through my GDC stompin’ grounds is inspiring.

Back on Monday. (And the LA for a different client on Wednesday!)

2011 GDC AI Summit

Dave Mark — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:57:30 +0000

A few months back, I was asked to once again be a co-advisor for the now annual AI Summit at the 2011 Game Developers Conference.

Steve Rabin and I set about putting together this year’s program back in September—a full 6 months before GDC. While we brought some ideas of our own, most of the content suggestions came from the collective thoughts of members of the AI Game Programmers Guild. After hundreds of fast-and-furious posts, we have almost completely crystallized what it is that will be in this year’s Summit.

Of the 12 sessions that we have alloted time for, we have submitted 8… 6 of which are already listed on the site. In this, our 3rd year, we are still coming up with new, relevant, and exciting material to present. We believe that it will once again be a great venue for not only broadly educational, but cutting-edge AI material.

Hope to see you there!

Game Developer Magazine Article

Dave Mark — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:46:04 +0000

Last Friday, I was asked by Game Developer Magazine editor-in-chief, Brandon Sheffield, to write an article for their regular monthly column, The Inner Product. While I was very honored to be approached, there was a catch… he needed it done in about 3 days! Considering that I had a number of other things to do (including finishing up with preparing submissions for this year’s GDC AI Summit), it was a pinch. Oh yeah… I got sick over the weekend as well.

Regardless, I wrote up a quick article for him that taps into subjects that I have written and spoken on before – specifically, some tricks to use in converting boring numbers into useful concepts for AI.

I expect that it will be included in the upcoming January issue about a month from now. Again, I was honored that Brandon asked me to help them out. I hope that I will be able to contribute something more in the future… just with a little more notice!

Dave Mark to speak at Lockheed Martin in Boston

Dave Mark — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:09:14 +0000

I will be presenting a 1-hour lecture on artificial intelligence in games at the Lockheed Martin facility in Burlington, MA outside of Boston. The presentation, “Beyond State Machines: AI Doesn’t Have to be Robotic”, is based on a combination of lectures that I have presented at GDC and GameX in the past year.

Thanks to long-time game AI developer, colleague, tech editor, and good friend, Kevin Dill, for inviting me to speak. (Actually it was more along the lines of “you’re coming to Boston? You’re speaking at Lockheed.”)

On a related note, I’m looking forward to meeting with a number of companies in the Boston area, and especially being able to spend some time with a portion of the veritable cornucopia of excellent AI devs in the area.