Time for a history lesson! The Australian Centre for the Moving Image has a pair of PDFs up detailing the past and present of the Oz gaming industry. One document contains a hefty write-up on local achievements, while the other has a timeline of specific events.

While the PDFs are hosted at the ACMI website, it appears the research was done by Bond University. They account for the good times (Bioshock, Puzzle Quest) and the bad (Fury), and provide a great overview of how far our industry has come. If you think there's nothing new to learn, think again. I for one didn't realise Halloween Harry was developed in Oz. I loved that game. I'm sure you'll make a few interesting discoveries of your own.

History of game development in Australia [ACMI, via Tsumea]

Game On, the ACMI's tribute to all things gaming, is drawing to a close. July 13 is its last day - and your final chance to check it out.

That's not all. Including its adventures in Chicago, London, Hong Kong and other cities, Game On is damn close to breaking the world record for expo attendence. From the release:

The overwhelming successful season puts the four month run at ACMI ahead of the London Barbican Gallery's attendance record of 99.500, and second only to the exhibition's seven month run at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, which attracted 127,000 during a seven month run in a city with triple the population of Melbourne.

"Furthermore, if our attendance this week remains consistent, we'll go achingly close to setting a new world record for the exhibition's visitation by the time Game On is game over on Sunday night," [ACMI Director Tony Sweeney] said.

Press release after the jump.

* It's a Family Guy reference - apologies in advance for the use of US currency.

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Just because you don't live in Sydney doesn't mean you have to miss out on meeting some of machinima's biggest names.

Rooster Teeth's Burnie Burns, creator of This Spartan Life Chris Burke and Bioware's Armando Troisi, among others, will be present at the ACMI in Melbourne from June 14 to 15. They'll be talking about all-things animation, including making movies in games like Halo and World of Warcraft.

Press release with pricing and bios after the jump.

[Pic, thanks Sgt. Hartsock]

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Nintendogs is the sort of game I never understood the appeal of. If you want to play with, feed and raise a dog, why not buy a real one?

Still, if you, or a friend, is having trouble getting to grips with Nintendo's puppy simulator, the Australian Centre for Moving Image down in Melbourne is holding a "training session" on May 15 between 6 and 7PM. The session will also include beginner's help for Animal Crossing.

At the very least, it's a great way to introduce someone to the DS and the world of casual gaming. Heck, you could even make a date out of it. Maybe. Probably not.

More details after the jump.

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The world has gone 8-bit crazy. It has, and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's April 24 premiere of director Marcin Ramocki's film 8 Bit: A Documentary About Art And Videogames is proof of this fact.

If you happen to live near the ACMI (pro tip: It's in Melbourne) and have a keen interest in the history of art in games, then you should contemplate paying the institution a visit. Ramocki will be in attendance to field questions, so it's definitely worth the effort.

DJ Trip will also be at the premiere. Trip has a love of 8-bit music, which is why he'll be back at the ACMI on May 4 for Game-O-Rama.

Read on to see a special document designed to inform one of the specifics of this event. A press release, in other words.

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If the Game On exhibition wasn't enough, the ACMI now has its sights set on educating parents on both the fun and serious aspects of gaming.

Each day, from March 25 to March 28 and March 31 to April 4, the ACMI will be running its "Navigating games for parents" sessions. By the looks of things, the sessions will focus on a variety of topics, from game classification to cheating (the good kind).

Not only are the sessions free, there's also mention of Easter eggs.

Note that the ACMI is located in Melbourne, so it's a locals-only event, unless you're willing to make the interstate trip.

Navigating games for parents [ACMI, via Sumea]

It's been a week and we've had loads of entries to our Game On ticket comp. Top props to the ACMI for supplying the goods. Now it's time to pick out three winners to receive a free ticket to the exhibition. If you'd like to see who won, just hit the jump.

Don't freak out if you submitted a story and it didn't win. It's automatically eligible for the second batch of three tickets.

If you haven't sent in your tale of retro gaming woe/comedy/wrist-slashing depression, you have until this time next week to get something in. For all the relevant details, the original competition post is the place to go.

Winners after the jump!

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We still have our first batch of three tickets to give away for the Game On exhibit, so if you haven't entered already, or have another retro gaming experience you'd like to share, put fingers to keyboard and email us! Then, be sure to check the site this Wednesday when we announce the winners.

For specific info on how to enter, hit up the original post.

The exhibit opened mid-last week and has a few months of excitement left to go. The official site has everything you need to read to convince you of its awesomeness.

Thanks again to the ACMI for supplying the tickets for the comp.

Week 1: Win Tickets To Melbourne's Game On Exhibit [Kotaku AU]

Ever wanted to check out the most ancient consoles the electronic entertainment industry has to offer? Or perhaps peruse some original artwork by Mario man Shigeru Miyamoto?

Looks like the Australian Centre for Moving Images read your mind. Or, more likely, it's a coincidence.

The dates you'll want to ink in your unicorn journal are March 6 to July 13. That's about 18 weeks of retro gaming paradise. Tickets will set you back $15, or $10 for concession. Families of two adults and two children can cheat the system by purchasing a special $44 ticket. Alternatively, you could keep an eye out for a very special ticket giveaway, coming to a gaming blog* near you.

(*SPOILER: IT'S THIS ONE!)

The only downer? It's in Melbourne. For all you Mexicans out there, I know you're wondering why you should care, but as a Sydneysider I have the right to cry like a big sissy.

Just try and stop me.

Game On [ACMI]