Phantom Compass: Blog http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php? The official blog of interactive development studio Phantom Compass. en Phantom Compass Copyright 2008 2008-11-18T02:31:00-05:00 2008-11-18T02:31:00-05:00 November 18, 19:  We’re Doing nextMEDIA http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/november_18_19_were_doing_nextmedia/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/november_18_19_were_doing_nextmedia/ Excerpt: Company founder / director Tony Walsh will be prowling the floor of the nextMEDIA "Monetizing Digital Media" conference in Toronto on November 18 and 19. One of eight screen-based content producers comprising the nextMEDIA/OMDC networking group, Tony will be looking to reconnect with old contacts and make new ones. You can reach him via voice or text on +1 416 894 0894 or via… Events, News, People Phantom Compass for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
Company founder / director Tony Walsh will be prowling the floor of the nextMEDIA "Monetizing Digital Media" conference in Toronto on November 18 and 19. One of eight screen-based content producers comprising the nextMEDIA/OMDC networking group, Tony will be looking to reconnect with old contacts and make new ones. You can reach him via voice or text on +1 416 894 0894 or via email at 'tony at phantomcompass dot com.'

Tony joins the following producers at the event:Thanks to Achilles Media, the OMDC, and Trapeze Media for establishing and fostering the networking group.]]> 2008-10-27T15:26:00-05:00 Upcoming Events and Productions http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/upcoming_events_and_productions/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/upcoming_events_and_productions/ Excerpt: Things are busy at Phantom Compass. We've added two junior game designers and one senior game designer to our in-house staff. We're working from a temporary production office on two major projects, with a number of in-development initiatives on the side-burner. Here's how things are shaping up, events-wise:October 28 - 29, Toronto, Canada: Meet company founder/director Tony Walsh at the Game On: Finance conference.… Blog, News, Projects Phantom Compass for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
Things are busy at Phantom Compass. We've added two junior game designers and one senior game designer to our in-house staff. We're working from a temporary production office on two major projects, with a number of in-development initiatives on the side-burner.

Here's how things are shaping up, events-wise:
  • October 28 - 29, Toronto, Canada: Meet company founder/director Tony Walsh at the Game On: Finance conference.
  • November 5 - 9, Sheffield, UK: Meet Tony Walsh at the annual Sheffield Doc/Fest. He'll be speaking about "ARGs and Docs" on Friday 07 November 2008 at 17:30.
  • November 14, Toronto, Canada: Tony will be speaking at the Art & Design Educators VIP Preview of George Brown College's new School of Design facilities. The event goes from 12-3 pm, and the presentation is scheduled for 1 hour.
On the projects front, we've reorganized the Projects section of our web site to reflect our current productions, development efforts, and launched projects. We're now in production on Breakout Online!, a suite of games for an upcoming CBC TV series, and we're in production on a separate suite of game designs for a separate upcoming TV series (no further info at this time). Both projects--launching Q1, 2009--will establish a library of completed games and game designs for license. Most importantly we'll actually have some Flash games to show.]]> 2008-10-07T21:11:00-05:00 Meet Me at DigiDocs 360 http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/tony_walsh_at_digidocs_360/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/tony_walsh_at_digidocs_360/ Excerpt: I'll be in Sheffield, UK this November for the bulk of the Sheffield Doc/Fest (the DigiDocs track, specifically). On Friday 07 November 2008 at 17:30, I'll be joining fellow speakers Dan Hon, Juan Carlos Pineiro Escoriaza, Wendy Levy, and Matt Adams for a panel entitled "Docs and ARGs."An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform,… Events, News Tony Walsh for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
I'll be in Sheffield, UK this November for the bulk of the Sheffield Doc/Fest (the DigiDocs track, specifically). On Friday 07 November 2008 at 17:30, I'll be joining fellow speakers Dan Hon, Juan Carlos Pineiro Escoriaza, Wendy Levy, and Matt Adams for a panel entitled "Docs and ARGs."
An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions [...] This session focuses on what ARGs offer the world of documentary and what documentary makers can bring to the world of ARGs.
Really looking forward to what is bound to be a lively and informative discussion. Phantom Compass co-wrote the Liberty News alternate reality experience for Dan's company Six to Start earlier this year; I made a brief appearance in Juan Carlos' film Second Skin; I've worked with Wendy and her organization BAVC over the past couple of years. Haven't met Matt yet, but I'm familiar with some of his work.

If you're in Sheffield for DigiDocs, drop me a line if you'd like to meet up.]]> 2008-09-04T02:11:00-05:00 Tony Walsh and Digital Writing http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/tony_walsh_and_digital_writing/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/tony_walsh_and_digital_writing/ Excerpt: On September 25, 2008, Phantom Compass founder Tony Walsh will join Jill Golick in conversation about writing for digital media. Part of the monthly "Writers Watching TV" discussion series presented by the Writers Guild of Canada, Tony will talk about some of his previous freelance writing projects and recent Phantom Compass projects for interactive platforms. What are some of the challenges and opportunities for… Blog, Events, News, People Phantom Compass for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
On September 25, 2008, Phantom Compass founder Tony Walsh will join Jill Golick in conversation about writing for digital media. Part of the monthly "Writers Watching TV" discussion series presented by the Writers Guild of Canada, Tony will talk about some of his previous freelance writing projects and recent Phantom Compass projects for interactive platforms.

What are some of the challenges and opportunities for producers, writers and storytellers presented by digital media? What happens to the relationship between audience and author in an interactive setting? We hope to address these questions and more.

The event will be held September 25 at Camera, 1028 Queen St West in Toronto. Seating is limited. There's a cash bar. We're not sure yet what time it starts.]]> 2008-08-04T18:36:01-05:00 Finally, we can talk about Liberty News! http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/finally_we_can_talk_about_liberty_news/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/finally_we_can_talk_about_liberty_news/ Excerpt: After months of hard work and steadfast collaboration, we're pleased to be able to announce the results of our first major services project (we've got others in the queue, but can't currently discuss those). In collaboration with Six to Start and Kudos, Phantom Compass has written "Liberty News" (access blocked outside the UK), a fictional future news site set in 2013 that extends the… Blog, Service Work, News, Capabilities Tony Walsh for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
After months of hard work and steadfast collaboration, we're pleased to be able to announce the results of our first major services project (we've got others in the queue, but can't currently discuss those).

In collaboration with Six to Start and Kudos, Phantom Compass has written "Liberty News" (access blocked outside the UK), a fictional future news site set in 2013 that extends the universe of the BBC Three TV series Spooks: Code 9 through breaking news stories, photos and videos, just seconds after events happen in each episode. Visitors will also be able to contribute their own video, comments and photo uploads to this "alternate reality" site, search out information about the main characters, and participate in live Q&A sessions with inhabitants of the Spooks: Code 9 world.

Liberty News is a Kudos and Six to Start production for BBC Three, created and executive produced by Dan and Adrian Hon for Six to Start and Linda Paalanne for Kudos, with Rosie Allimonos executive producing for the BBC. Written by Phantom Compass and directed by Adrian Hon. Full press release here.

I'd like to thank Six to Start for including us in this exciting project, which seems to have a great deal of support behind both the TV broadcast and interactive component. Thanks also to my team at Phantom Compass for a fantastic effort: To Alanna Vopni (Writer, Production Coordinator), and Lindsay Mills (Interactive Writer) in particular. We're hard at work at another project as I write this, stay tuned for details!]]> 2008-07-17T14:23:00-05:00 ‘Screenwriting’ doesn’t just mean movies and television http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/screenwriting_doesnt_just_mean_movies_and_television/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/screenwriting_doesnt_just_mean_movies_and_television/ Excerpt: I'm just wrapping up my first project with Phantom Compass, which has been my first glimpse into a new media world. I quickly realized that it's a world with seeming endless possibilities and that's exciting to me--I just love the idea of creating not just a show that someone can watch once a week but really creating a 360 degree experience where small aspects… Blog Alanna Vopni for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
I'm just wrapping up my first project with Phantom Compass, which has been my first glimpse into a new media world. I quickly realized that it's a world with seeming endless possibilities and that's exciting to me--I just love the idea of creating not just a show that someone can watch once a week but really creating a 360 degree experience where small aspects of a TV series could become gameisodes, mobisodes and/or webisodes, allowing the viewer to get more involved in the world of the show. I have a television series idea myself and since working on this most recent project I've had some new and exciting ideas that will help extend the concept into multiple platforms.

Having been a TV production coordinator for about eight years on a news magazine show and several DIY shows I have the interesting opportunity of being able to look at what's different between linear television and "extended" or interactive television and I came to a crazy conclusion: they're actually quite similar. Keep your audience in mind--that applies to all content no matter what it is.

Looking back on all the projects I've been lucky enough to be a part of the most intriguing thing for me is the amount of unused potential that could easily have been tapped with the addition of an interactive element. When I first started people were just using the internet as a straight advertising and marketing tool--they could go to a website and see pictures, get a recipe and the like. Creativity has expanded the potential.

Working on the extended world of a dramatic television show has been an incredible challenge filled with opportunities. It was sometimes tough to stay true to the multiple stakeholders' visions of the show. It's difficult to get all you need to know to create this online world from a script, which is after all just a blueprint for the final product. At the end of the day, I found it to be much like creating a world in any medium--film, television, novel, etc. You develop the rules and create a tone and you stick to that.

My rewards on this project were considerable. Working with the team at Phantom Compass, I played a key role in creating extended world content based on the television series universe. Any time I can delve into and help flesh out a world I'm challenged and I'm happy. I look forward to learning more about interactive storytelling from Phantom Compass and the company's clients in the future.]]> 2008-07-13T12:17:00-05:00 Phantom Compass at ARGFest 2008 http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/phantom_compass_at_argfest_2008/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/phantom_compass_at_argfest_2008/ Excerpt: ARGFest is the premiere player and developer conference for the Alternate Reality Game industry and community. This year, the event will be held in the Theater District of Boston, Massachusetts between July 18-20 -- we're pleased to be sending ARG specialist Lindsay Mills to the conference. Lindsay will be a panelist on the topic of "From Player to Puppetmaster," having been both a player… Events, News, People Tony Walsh for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
ARGFest is the premiere player and developer conference for the Alternate Reality Game industry and community. This year, the event will be held in the Theater District of Boston, Massachusetts between July 18-20 -- we're pleased to be sending ARG specialist Lindsay Mills to the conference.

Lindsay will be a panelist on the topic of "From Player to Puppetmaster," having been both a player and puppetmaster for years. She recently helped us create interactive content for an upcoming TV series (more on that project when we're allowed to talk about it).

We've got something special planned for conference-goers, so if you're in Boston for the event, keep your eyes open. You may find signs of Phantom Compass in unexpected places...]]> 2008-07-08T20:11:00-05:00 Social game visionaries Phantom Compass & IT GlobalSecure form partnership http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/social_game_visionaries_phantom_compass_it_globalsecure_form_partnership/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/social_game_visionaries_phantom_compass_it_globalsecure_form_partnership/ Excerpt: July 08, 2008 -- Phantom Compass and IT GlobalSecure are pleased to announce a strategic partnership for the development of secure digital and cross-media games. Phantom Compass develops and operates social and cross-media games that inform, entertain, educate, and persuade for a wide range of industries. Phantom Compass customers increasingly recognize that security is key to the success of their projects. "We create games… Collaborations, News, People Tony Walsh for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
July 08, 2008 -- Phantom Compass and IT GlobalSecure are pleased to announce a strategic partnership for the development of secure digital and cross-media games. Phantom Compass develops and operates social and cross-media games that inform, entertain, educate, and persuade for a wide range of industries. Phantom Compass customers increasingly recognize that security is key to the success of their projects.

"We create games that inform, educate, persuade and increase productivity. Our clients' games are serious business and our clients expect serious security," said Tony Walsh, founder of Phantom Compass. "IT GlobalSecure will help us deliver game systems that resist piracy, hacking, exploitation and other problems."

Social gaming is growing rapidly and faces increasing security challenges: educational games include high scores that can be hacked, advergames and social games collect sensitive personal and demographic information, and many games need secure payment processing. The partnership between Phantom Compass and IT GlobalSecure brings the best in innovative game design and security to our clients and their customers.

"Phantom Compass is a leader in expanding the reach of games for new markets and new uses", notes Steven Davis, CEO, IT GlobalSecure, "It is a pleasure to support their social and cross-media game projects and help ensure that Phantom Compass clients achieve their objectives, securely."

Social Games and Cross Media Games are an increasingly important tool for traditional businesses, media firms, marketing and advertising companies, not-for-profits, and educational organizations to reach out, engage, and educate their customers and the public at large. Phantom Compass and IT GlobalSecure are pioneers in shaping this emerging industry.

About IT GlobalSecure
    IT GlobalSecure provides complete security engineering, consulting, and training services to companies worldwide. It also operates the leading game security blog: http://www.playnoevil.com/ and delivers the SecurePlay (http://www.secureplay.com/) anti-cheating software for online games as well as tools to protect high scores and casual games. IT GlobalSecure’s team has over 40 staff-years of experience designing and deploying advanced secure information systems. IT GlobalSecure holds US and worldwide patents for SuperPIN, the SecurePlay fair play protocols and additional patents pending.

    Contact: D. Altman
    +1.650.472.3771

About Phantom Compass
    Leading the way to 'productive play,' Phantom Compass (http://www.PhantomCompass.com/) creates games and game content for the entertainment, education, and communications industries. Company founder Tony Walsh brings over 14 years of expertise to interactive design and development and has been a leading proponent of innovative social and cross-media games through his blog, Clickable Culture (http://www.ClickableCulture.com/) since 1999. Founded in 2008, Phantom Compass is supported by a team seasoned industry veterans who bring a winning combination of experience and imagination to game-making.

    Contact: Tony Walsh, founder and Chief Navigator
    +1.416.894.0894
    tonywalsh@phantomcompass.com
    http://www.phantomcompass.com


###]]> 2008-06-24T21:02:00-05:00 Presenting Game-In-Progress at FlashinTO http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/presenting_game_in_progress_at_flashinto/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/presenting_game_in_progress_at_flashinto/ Excerpt: We'll be presenting briefly on Wednesday June 25 at FlashinTO, Toronto's Flash user-group. The event is free, and is a great way for Flash developers and designers to network and learn. Presentations are 10 - 15 minutes apiece, and Phantom Compass will be showing off our latest work in progress, a single-player real-time strategy/puzzle game for the Web. Tony Walsh, the company's founder (that's… Events, Internal Development, News, People, Projects Tony Walsh for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
We'll be presenting briefly on Wednesday June 25 at FlashinTO, Toronto's Flash user-group. The event is free, and is a great way for Flash developers and designers to network and learn. Presentations are 10 - 15 minutes apiece, and Phantom Compass will be showing off our latest work in progress, a single-player real-time strategy/puzzle game for the Web.

Tony Walsh, the company's founder (that's me), and developer Jos Yule will be discussing the collaborative process between designer and programmer during early-stage development. Concept and design materials will be shown, including several iterations of game mechanics and an early prototype.

Hope to see you there!]]> 2008-05-12T12:40:00-05:00 File us under ‘G’ for Games! http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/file_us_under_g_for_games/ http://www.phantomcompass.com/index.php?/blog/archives/file_us_under_g_for_games/ Excerpt: It’s been just over five months since I founded Phantom Compass--the company’s distributed team has grown as we’ve taken on more and more projects, and I’ve been getting very valuable feedback from co-workers, associates, and clients about our evolving positioning. In a nutshell, we’ve had a tremendous amount of support, but we have been putting out mixed messages regarding our core line of business.… News Tony Walsh for Phantom Compass. Copyright (c) 2008 in whole or in part, Phantom Compass, Inc.]
It’s been just over five months since I founded Phantom Compass--the company’s distributed team has grown as we’ve taken on more and more projects, and I’ve been getting very valuable feedback from co-workers, associates, and clients about our evolving positioning.

In a nutshell, we’ve had a tremendous amount of support, but we have been putting out mixed messages regarding our core line of business. Initially, we’d hoped to do any interactive work at all, but after months to consider our positioning, we’ve decided to strip down and focus on what we love: making great web and cross-media games.

While we risk turning away non-game interactive projects, we are able to concentrate our business development efforts into a single area. Certainly eliminating confusion about what we do will go a long way towards increasing our industry presence.

We are currently pursuing leads in the entertainment, education, and communications sectors with the message that we lead the way to productive play, approaching common challenges with innovative, game-based solutions.]]>