SXSW Interactive News

Scheduled Monday, March 16 at the Hilton, SXSW Accelerator is a platform for companies to showcase their new products and services to the cutting-edge new media professionals and industry trend-setters who come to Austin in March. The deadline for submitting applications is today (Friday, January 16). But, if you haven't gotten your information to us yet, then you are in luck. We will accept applications through 11:59 pm on Sunday, January 18. See the SXSW Accelerator website for details or just contact Chris Valentine to get the scoop.

Speaking of deadlines, don't forget that today is the last day to register for SXSW Interactive for just $425. That's a $70 savings on the walk-up price of $495. What are you waiting for?

In 2008, we introduced Book Readings to the SXSW Interactive stable of content. This programming is back again in 2009 -- and the lineup of confirmed authors looks stellar. Recent additions to the Book Reading roster include Christine Wodtke (who will be talking about her updated version of "Information Architecture") and Richard Poplak (who will discuss his new release "The Sheikh's Batmobile", which covers American pop culture in Muslim cultures). The format for 2009 is the same as last year -- each author gets 20 minutes on the Day Stage to talk about their new release, then they will sign and sell copies of the book to interested attendees. What can we say -- reading is fundamental.

A number of health journals have started reporting on a study out of Oxford where subjects suffered less flashbacks the week after watching a terrifying movie if they played Tetris immediately after the viewing. That's right, Tetris is a potential cure for post-traumatic stress disorder.

For those who entered the casual gaming aspect of the
ScreenBurn at SXSW Game Design Challenge, this article should help you hold your head up high against all those story-hyped console games. I wonder what Dr. Julie Ratner's panel on
Funologists would to say about that?

Thinking about attending SXSW 2009? Well, you should get your badge today, so you save some money.

Registration rates for all SXSW conference and festival badges will increase after today, January 16th. Click over to our Registration page to review your options and register and book your hotel. Please remember that registration fees are non-refundable once processed.

Save $70 on the walkup rate if you register for the 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival before the end of the day on Friday, January 16. Moreover, if you are coming from out of town, buy now to take advantage of the very affordable airfares to Austin. And once you are here you will need a place to stay. Plenty of great rooms are still available via the SXSW Housing Desk. But the longer you wait to register, the less likely you can secure lodging within walking distance of the Austin Convention Center. So don't delay -- click here to make your SXSW dreams come true!

Continuing our discussion from yesterday, 1UP reports that Graham Joyce has agreed to write the story for Doom 4. For those unfamiliar with his work, Joyce is a British author who has received many awards, including the British Fantasy Award, Imaginaire Award and the World Fantasy Award. Did I mention that he's British? 1UP wonders how much potential there is for an FPS about a lone space marine fighting the denizens of hell, but it worked okay at the end of Alien and Predator.

For a gaming example, SXSW will have the Deep Focus marketing folks scheduled to discuss their plan for EA's Dead Space, which involved such story-building elements as a comic book and prequel DVD.

Image Source: id Software

Want to get even more out of your SXSW experience in 2009? Then purchase a Gold Badge, which also gives you access to four days of SXSW Film panels and 9 days of SXSW Film screenings. The Gold Badge will also allow you to attend the numerous film parties and receptions, thus allowing you to make vital connections with the many film and entertainment industry professionals who attend SXSW.

As an example of the kind of convergence you will find only at SXSW, don't miss the Film Festival's podcast series dubbed Studio SX Online. Using the same model as our annual Studio SX events in the SXSW Film + Interactive Trade Show, Studio SX Online allows you listen in on one-on-one interviews and conversations between some of your favorite speakers participating in the SXSW Conferences and Festivals.

The second installment of this podcast series features a conversation between SXSW Film Festival veterans Gary Hustwit (Helvetica, 2007) and Doug Pray (Big Rig, 2007). This year's festival sees the world premiere of Gary's latest film, Objectified, a documentary that aims to do for industrial design what Helvetica did for the humble typeface. Meanwhile, Doug's film, Art & Copy prepares to take the Sundance Documentary Competition by storm with a detailed look at the weird and wonderful world of advertising.

Click Here to Listen / Download MP3 »

In the podcast, the two discuss the common ground between their latest films, including the art in the everyday, the genius of 'Got Milk?', and the strangeness and power of sitting in the dark and staring at a screen.

Gary will also be sharing his insights on the "We Have Been Objectified: Identity, Consumerism, and the Future of Designed Objects" session during the 2009 Interactive event, which will be moderated by Stuart Constantine of Core77.

A very popular feature of the SXSW Interactive Festival is the line up of evening events open to SXSW Interactive, Gold and Platinum badge holders. If you've never attended the festival you may be wondering what exactly happens at these events. Once the daytime activity at the Austin Convention Center and Downtown Hilton Hotel comes to an end, SXSW Interactive offers a wide variety of evening activities geared at providing a more relaxed atmosphere to network and share new ideas. Hosted by some of the most exciting names in new media, these gatherings offer something for everyone. We have a few spotlight events listed on the website, with a more extensive list going up in early February. In 2008 there were more than 40 official cocktails, parties and get-togethers, so there's a lot to look forward to in 2009.

Read more about SXSW at our always informative FAQ page. If you have a question about the 2009 SXSW Interactive Festival, chances are, you can find the answer in the SXSW Interactive FAQ.

Few days give such a clear view of how vast the video game landscape has become as today. First up, the Writers' Guild of America for 2008's announced its nominees best game. The nominees include a number of franchise pieces like Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Fallout 3, Star Wars: the Force Unleashed, and Tomb Raider: Underworld. Joining all the franchises was Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble.

On the other side of the spectrum, however, a game with no real scripting topped $1 billion in sales, as the Guitar Hero series (and its admittedly Grammy-laden catalog) crossed the threshold in a record-setting 26 months.

Not to be caught on the outside of this pitched battle between music and storytelling, SXSW will feature talks including Nabeel Hyatt's Are Music Games the New iTunes? and James Milward's The Future of Visual Storytelling Is Interactive – Or Is It?

Image Source: Red Octane

Thanks to all the Bay Area geeks who came out to Mighty on Monday evening for the first SXSW Interactive networking event of 2009. We had a great experience mingling with the 250 digital creatives in attendance, and we look forward to seeing many of you in Austin this March.

The next SXSW Interactive mixer will be held at the Fez Ballroom in Portland (316 SW 11th at Burnside) on January 19th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. RSVP to interpress@sxsw.com now to ensure your spot on the guest list. Porter Novelli, the official PR agency of SXSW Interactive, is the co-sponsor of these networking parties -- and a very special thanks to Cassy and Katie from the San Francisco office for their help in making Monday's event such a success!