The Australian Innovation Community

Robert J Spencer -- Rj -- was originally trained as a programmer but accidentally started PC Games Plus, which evolved to become a globally-respected computer entertainment journal, published simultaneously in the US, Canada, UK & Australia. The design focus of PC Games Plus led to time working in San Francisco with Mondo 2000 and the creation of two other magazines, the online G+ and the more mainstream Australian PC Gamer.

Robert's online game development career started with a groundbreaking prototype in 1994 entitled Red Martian Blues that was a good 10 years too early for commercial success but helped focus thinking on the future of electronic entertainment. After spending time working on the "back end" (game technology) collaborating with numerous high-profile developers on a range of massively multiplayer online games, Robert founded Interzone Entertainment in 2006, which has grown to become a multi-national massively multiplayer game developer and publisher with 100 staff working in studios located in Australia, Brasil & China.

In 2007, Robert was elected to the Chair of IGDA Perth Chapter and also founded Binary Culture, a technology consultancy and infrastructure provider focussed on developing the high-quality interactive media/network infrastructure that is required for global competitiveness in design and production.