Yes. Yes you can. While working on 'other things' we're also trying to keep track of all the post-Playful chatter/blogging/uploading etc. So far the feedback all over the web has been wonderfully positive. Sadly, I could only find one reference to people being really polite. So, thanks to Twitter's evidence, the One-Behindmanship award of the day goes to Roo Reynolds.

Of course, it would be too ungentlemanly to accept an award, and stalemate would have to be overcome at the stairs to the stage. So here is a video of Roo rocking Playful with Controller Mate/MacBook/Rock Band Guitar Controller/Wah-Wah pedal:

Roo Reyolds plays "Hotel California" from Tom Armitage on Vimeo.

Blimey. All done then. What a day.

We've sent out personal thankyous by e-mail but we'd still like to publicly shout 'Ta Very Much' to all of the speakers from the day. We had the fear, to be sure to be sure, about technology and timings and 'the order of things'...but our fears proved to be unfounded. Everyone who spoke was so nice and funny and interesting and clever that we could have gone to play darts and it still would have worked out fine. But then we'd have missed a SHED load of inspirational stuff. My Christmas list has doubled in size thanks to Matt Biddulph alone.

Flickr Uploader is working it's socks off with all the pictures from Playful as I write. Check the Playful Flickr Group to see what it looked like, and start thinking about what you'd like to see next year. We are.

P.S. We've had some lovely e-mails from people saying how much they enjoyed Playful. If you have any feedback you'd like to share, send us an e-mail, or pop us a comment on this post or any that follow.

Stay warm.

Earlier today we were trying to think of a good game to play at Playful next Friday. Something with a competitive element, but where no-one dies. So it is with great politeness that we present to you One Behindmanship, a game invented by none other than Pixel-Lab's very own David Hayward.

Instructions will be provided on the day to all who attend, but readers of the Playful Blog can get valuable points on their entrance to the building, or even the tube.

The instructions can be found here. After you...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/russmorris/1490060104/

OK, so not big news but we have secured everyone coming to playful a great packed lunch.

Cobs, Chocolate, crisps, fruit and a yummy smoothie from our friends at Innocent.

Archie talks about wii fit. How rude. from Toby Barnes on Vimeo.

Archie Talks about Games from Toby Barnes on Vimeo.

Matthew Irvine Brown's sock puppets:


Singing Sock Puppets @ Loop 2007 from Matt Brown on Vimeo.

Adrian and Dan Hon will be talking at Playful. They created Six to Start, the cross-media gaming company. I've just been 'playing' with We Tell Stories, their Penguin project. It took me quite a lot to resist following 'The 21 Steps' by Charles Cumming. Now it is safely bookmarked and waiting for lunchtime...as is this from the Playful Vimeo group:


We Tell Stories: A New Form of Storytelling from Adrian Hon on Vimeo.

I've just found out that Dan will be talking at this next week in Birmingham. Can I go? Can I?

(Photo by doctor zeitgeist)

I played the demo of Multiwinia at Develop this year, and can't wait to do so again at Indie Games Arcade, by which time full multiplayer modes will be available after Introversion open up LAN.

I was very surprised to read today on Rock, Paper, Shotgun that no-one has yet downloaded the Multiwinia demo. Shocking really, since it's had great reviews across the board (although not as many as one might have hoped) and comes from a highly reputable indie development company.

Still, let's just hope that attention grows as the coverage increases. I heartily recommend downloading the demo (the game is so quick to pick up that you could be install, set up, and be playing multiplayer games in the office within your lunch break), and if you're in London on 28th and 29th October get yourself down to The Old Truman Brewery and track down the Indie Games Arcade at the Eurogamer Expo.

We have sorted out 3 last minute speakers that we are really pleased about :

• Eric Zimmerman, from NYC and Gamelab (not in that order)
• Tom Armitage, from London and Headhsift, especially in that order
• James Wallis,  A Siam man who is known as much for his scrupulous honesty

Phew. Squeeze in at the back please.

I asked each speaker to present a 2 minute video introduction to their talk as way of promoting the event.

No one has done it yet. 

But then again neither have I.

...and it is only 3 weeks to go, maybe we all feel easier typing than being filmed.

Archie (my eldest son) was keen to talk about games and his gaming habits and who am I to turn down free staff time (even though he is 5, and 1/2).  He is as good at Burnout as he is at 45 and in, as hot on Skate and he is on his own board. 

Imagine a boy who will grow up expecting his entertainment to be as visceral as Pixar, as interactive as Little Big Planet, as connected as his facebook page: I think he will always be playing, and will expect to, unlike many people who have stopped playing as it is just too childish. 

Archie Barnes Talks Platforms from Toby Barnes on Vimeo.

Another example of Generation C. ageless.

Playful will have lots and lots of speakers, but we're balancing that with breaks where everyone can get playful. That wouldn't sound dodgy in any other context than this one, I'm sure. Nevertheless, we'll be encouraging everyone to play the Dark Room Sex Game:



"Dark Room Sex Game is an award-winning multiplayer, erotic rhythm game without any visuals, played only by audio and haptic cues. The game can be played with Nintendo Wiimote controllers or a keyboard."

The game was developed by a co-ed, multi-national team of students at the IT University of Copenhagen. I found out today that I'll have to master this in order to run it at Playful. I suppose there could be worse things.

Mmmm. Tasty. This via Engadget:

It's a restaurant in London, called Inamo, with an interactive ordering system designed to make your "dining experiences digital by projecting colorful menus and aesthetic patterns onto touch-sensitive tabletops." They project meals on to your plate for you to choose. Nifty. You can also look up local services, presumably taxis, bars, clubs, theatres etc. Convenient. Part of me is thinking, "what about asking someone?" but really, when I think about it, you could still ask someone couldn't you? The worst they can say is, "I don't know. You should ask your table that's what it's there for."

The design of the place was done by Blacksheep, and is lovely as well as playful (see more pictures here). Things I'd like to do with my table display:

- Use that iPhone pincer action to zoom in on my salad to count peppercorns.
- Change my background to something more akin to fast food outlets.
- Flick digital peas across the room.

Check it. Keep up to date with the days agenda (and any changes there might be between now and then) by adding our Playful Agenda to your G-Cal/iCal/whateverCal.

We are really happy that Poke London have gotten involved to help us out.

We spoke to Iain Tait a while back about being one of our speakers and he asked what else he could do for the event. What started out as some visual identity work has become logo, and a banner, and some web dressing, and a facebook thingy, and a poster, and some video bumpers.

not bad for a "digital agency that doesn't do any print stuff."

Keep your eyes peeled and lookout for some exciting new looks.

I am well pleased that Kieron Gillen has agreed to close GDL.

He promised us that he would be drinking vodka all day and everything that spews from his demon hole will be the god's honest truth.

I look forward to the truth and fear for the world.

Perhaps the break down of the world's finance markets marks the begining of the final coming, and kieron will be the end?

who knows....