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A word from the editor (CIE, Vol. 2, Issue. 4)
| Content Provider | ACM Digital Library |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee, Newton |
| Abstract | Welcome to the first anniversary issue of the ACM Computersin Entertainment! It has been a year since the magazine waslaunched in October 2003.In this anniversary issue we publish eight interesting papers onentertainment technologies, including games, audio media, userinterface, live HD media streaming, and digital cinema. Two of themwere selected from the best papers at the ACM SIGCHI 2004International Conference on Advances in Computer EntertainmentTechnology. Four of the papers in this issue have accompanyingvideos and audio, making for a lively demonstration.To get started, the Interviews column features video interviewswith two of our distinguished advisory board members, John Gage andTomlinson Holman. John Gage, chief researcher and co-founder of SunMicrosystems, talks about the volunteer project NetDay, thewireless and broadband Internet, digital media, and the 2008Beijing Olympics. Tom Holman, creator of the THX sound system andprofessor at USC, speaks of the history of THX, the 10.2 channelsound system, multichannel music, and digital cinema.In the Games section, Michael Haller et al. (UpperAustria University) describe non-photorealistic renderingtechniques for motion in computer games. Their approach focuses onthree methods to stylize motion: squash-and-stretch, multipleimages, and motion lines. Carsten Magerkurth et al. (FraunhoferIPSI) in their paper and in a 4-minute video present their visionfor creating future entertainment by adding physical and socialcomponents to traditional computer games.In the Games and User Interface section, NewtonLee (Disney Online) depicts the use of open-source Jabber formultiplayer Flash games, in hopes of encouraging the use ofopen-source technology in game development. Ryoichi Watanabe et al.(Osaka University) introduce ActiveCube as a novel user interfaceto construct and interact with 3D environments via physical cubesequipped with input/output devices.In the Audio and Media Streaming section, BernardKrause (Wild Sanctuary) discusses the importance of designing soundfor public spaces such as museums and theme parks to engagevisitors acoustically as well as visually. Roger Zimmermann et al.(USC Integrated Media Systems Center) present the HYDRA(High-performance Data Recording Architecture) project, whichfocuses on the acquisition, transmission, storage, and rendering ofhigh-resolution media such as HD-quality video and multiple-channelaudio. They elaborate on the live-streaming capabilities of HYDRA,which enable media streaming across an IP based network withcommodity equipment.In the University and Industry column, Dana Plautz(Intel Research Council) presents two collaborative projects - onefrom UCLA and Intel on "Sensor Networks for Feature FilmProduction" and one from Georgia Tech and Intel on "ArtificialIntelligence-Based Interactive Drama." Charles Swartz (USCEntertainment Technology Center) talks about bridging the gapbetween research and applications in commercializing the technologyfor digital cinema and digital homes.Before diving into the exciting content, I would like to take amoment to congratulate 26 of our distinguished editorial boardadvisors (their names appear in boldface):On October 29 at UCLA, Leonard Kleinrock organized asuccessful and stimulating day-long forum to commemorate the 35thanniversary of the Internet. Thirty-five years ago, on September 2,1969, UCLA became the first node of what was then known as theARPANET. A month later, on October 29, the first Internet messagewas sent from Leonard's laboratory at UCLA, ushering in a newmethod of global communications that forever changed the world.Alan Kay, Bran Ferren, Danah Boyd, Leonard Kleinrock, RobertAiken, and Xeni Jardin gave some most interestingpresentations at the forum. Other great speakers were Eric E.Schmidt, Gordon Bell, John Perry Barlow, Lawrence G. Roberts,Patrick P. Gelsinger, Robert E. Kahn, Tim O'Reilly, Vinton G. Cerf,and other influential technologists and business leaders.ABC Enhanced TV and Zetools' "Celebrity Mole: Yucatan" won the2003-2004 Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Award for OutstandingAchievement in Interactive Television. The award was presented toRick Mandler, Jason R. Grant, Richard Cardran, David Jensen,and Michael Petrusis at the 56th Annual Emmy Awards. The iTVapplication runs on Windows XP Media Center Edition platform and onABC's proprietary two-screen interactive television platform.Leading the team at the American Film Institute, ShellyPalmer helped create the Emmy-winning project from itsinception, and line produced the project.Richard Edlunds was the visual effects supervisor forHBO's mini series "Angels in America," which won 11 Emmys andreceived a record-breaking 21 Emmy nominations in 2004. "Angles inAmerica" won more than the 9 awards won by "Roots" in 1977, tobecome the most-honored mini-series. It matched the 11 awards wonby "Eleanor and Franklin" in 1976, the most for any program in oneseason.On September 9, 2004 in a White House ceremony, CyrusShahabi received the 2003 Presidential Early Career Award forScientists and Engineers for his pioneering research on themanagement of streams of sensor data created when humans interactwith virtual reality environments. Only 20 out of the 400recipients of the National Science Foundation's annual Early CareerAward were selected to receive the Presidential Early CareerAward.Cynthia Breazeal gave a very well-received andstimulating presentation on "Designing Socially Intelligent Robots"at the National Academy of Engineering's 10th annual Frontiers ofEngineering symposium in September 2004. Eighty-six of the nation'sbrightest young engineers were selected to participate. In February2004, the National Academy of Engineering awarded the Charles StarkDraper Prize to Alan Kay, Butler Lampson, Robert Taylor, andCharles Thacker.Elaine Chew was appointed the new Research Area Directorfor User Centered Sciences at the USC Integrated Media SystemsCenter, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center.Elaine joined the Center in 2001 and has made unique andsubstantial contributions to the IMSC research program, mostnotably on the Distributed Immersive Performance project.Cyrus Shahabi, Elaine Chew, Roger Zimmermann, TomlinsonHolman, Ulrich Neumann, Alexander A. Sawchuk, Chris Kyriakakis,Christos Papadopoulos, James Donahue et al. demonstrated thefirst-ever live immersive environment over the Internet performedby the Miró Quartet, a nationally known chamber music group,at a meeting of the Internet 2 organization at the University ofTexas, Austin, in late September 2004. While the quartet performedfor one audience, researchers transmitted the performance in realtime to a second audience in another auditorium equipped with four16:9 vertical HD screens and 10.2 channel sound. At intermission,the two audiences switched places, and at the end of the show, weresurveyed to assess their immersive environment experience. Thestreaming technology - HYDRA - is presented in this issue ofCiE.In 2004, Eric Freeman, Elisabeth Freeman, Bert Bates,and Kathy Sierra published Head First Design Patterns (O'Reilly2004). This book combines good humor, great examples, and anin-depth knowledge of design patterns to make learning fun.Understanding design patterns not only helps us create reusable andmaintainable quality software, but also sharpens ourproblem-solving skills across all problem domains.In Fall 2004, the ACM Computers in Entertainment and UCLAExtension co-sponsored the successful and well-received UniversityProject at Digital Hollywood, organized by Victor Harwood.On September 28, Athomas Goldberg, Charles Swartz, Dana Plautz,Richard Weinberg, Celia Pearce, and Mark Bolas spoke on a topicentitled "Research, Development and Investment in EntertainmentTechnologies and Media Studies Innovation: From the University toIndustry Application." Two of the presentations are published inthis issue.Juan Carlos Soto was named the Software CTO of SunMicrosystems, in addition to running Sun's Worldwide MarketDevelopment organization. He continues in the first role, that ofleading the advanced development organization, which includes theGame Technologies Group, JXTA (P2P), Java Advanced Graphics andMedia, RFID, Project Looking Glass (3D Desktop), and some work inAdvanced Desktop Collaboration.Abdennour El Rhalibi, Jesse Schell, Madjid Merabti,Craig Lindley, and I are the editors of the Proceedings of theSecond International Game Design and Technology Workshop heldin September at Liverpool John Moores University. The best paperswill be selected for revision and publication in thismagazine.Bill Kinder of the Pixar Animation Studios is theDirector of Editorial and Post Production for the highly acclaimedanimated film "The Incredibles." The movie's first 10-day boxoffice total was an impressive \$144.1 million. "The Incredibles" isPixar's sixth animated film after "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "ToyStory 2," "Monsters, Inc.," and "Finding Nemo."Congratulations to all 26 of our distinguished editorial boardadvisors! 2004 has been a wonderful year for many. I have met manyextraordinary people and friends in great conferences at UCLA, USC,SIGGRAPH, Digital Hollywood, and Digi Foo (Digital MediaFriends of O'Reilly), among others.On a sad note, many great people have died in 2004 - PresidentRonald Reagan, Nobel laureate Francis Crick, music legend RayCharles, "Superman" Christopher Reeve, and my beloved grandmother.Their contributions to society and their families will beremembered.I fondly recall that in The Hitchhiker's Guide to theGalaxy, the great novelist Douglas Adams (1952-2001) wrote that"The answer to the great question of life, the universe andeverything is 42. I think the problem, to be quite honest withyou, is that you've never actually known what the question is. Soonce you do know what the question actually is, you'll know whatthe answer means.""42" is such a simple answer. How insightful Adams was in hisprofound observation that oftentimes the most complex problem hasthe simplest solution, if we fully understand what the problemis.As I look forward to 2005, I wish to thank you for yourcontinuing support. Please feel free to contribute interestingarticles, innovative ideas, and happy news about yourself. Happyand joyful holidays to all! See you next year.Sincerely,NewtonLeeEditor-in-ChiefACMComputers in EntertainmentLos AngelesNovember2004 |
| Starting Page | 2 |
| Ending Page | 2 |
| Page Count | 1 |
| File Format | |
| ISSN | 15443574 |
| DOI | 10.1145/1037851.1037853 |
| Journal | Computers in Entertainment (CIE) (CIE) |
| Volume Number | 2 |
| Issue Number | 4 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) |
| Publisher Date | 2008-03-01 |
| Publisher Place | New York |
| Access Restriction | One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) |
| Content Type | Text |
| Subject | Computer Science Applications |
