Video Game Industry Elite Gather for the 10th Annual D.I.C.E. Summit

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2011 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit kicks off today, marking the 10th anniversary of the video game industry's most prestigious event. Continuing through February 11th, the 2011 D.I.C.E. Summit will be held at the Red Rock Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

The 2011 D.I.C.E. Summit will also host the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (IAAs) ceremony on February 10, 2011, widely regarded as the highest honor of recognition in the interactive entertainment industry. G4 will be airing a one-hour special on Saturday, February 12th at 4pm ET / PT, as well as a live webcast of the IAAs in its entirety on G4tv.com/DICE2011 on Thursday, February 10th at 7:30 PM PT / 10:30 PM ET. Actor, stand-up comedian and proud game enthusiast Jay Mohr will be returning for his sixth year as host.

The three-day conference includes nearly 20 sessions discussing the current and future state of the industry as well as the trends and key issues affecting gamers, publishers and business leaders alike. This year's program features some of the industry's most well renowned and influential leaders in the space including:

• Jeremiah Slaczka and Joseph Tringali, 5th Cell Media
• Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk, BioWare, Co-Founders
• Mike Morhaime, Blizzard Entertainment, President and Co-Founder
• Keith Lee, Booyah, CEO & Co-Founder
• Jesse Schell, Schell Games, President  
• Mark Cerny, Cerny Games, President
• John Stevenson, Director
• Jesse Divnich, EEDAR, Vice President of Analyst Services
• Travis Boatman, Electronic Arts Mobile, Vice President of Worldwide Studios
• Adam Sessler, G4TV, Host
• Bill Budge, Google, Engineer
• Jane McGonigal, The Institute for the Future and Digital Chocolate, Director of Game Research and Development
• Dr. Beverly Harrison, Intel, Senior Scientist
• Dr. Richard Marks, SCEA, Senior Researcher
• Bing Gordon, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, Partner
• Anita Frazier, NPD, Entertainment Industry Analyst
• Kazunori Yamauchi, Polyphony Studios, President
• Min Kim, Nexon, Vice President of Marketing
• Matt Johnston, PopCap, Senior Producer
• Richard Garriott, Portalarium, Founder
• Jade Raymond, Ubisoft Montreal, Managing Director
• Dr. David Gallo, Woods Hole Institute, Director of Special Projects Directorate
• Brian Reynolds, Zynga, Chief Designer
• Bruce Shelley, Zynga, Consultant

"For the past decade, the 2011 D.I.C.E. Summit has set the tone for the industry dialogue," said Martin Rae, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. "Each year we bring the best and brightest minds in interactive entertainment together and provide an avenue for meaningful discourse. We're excited about the program this year and look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of the space."

Pioneer Award Recipient:

Recognizing the contributions made by the people who helped to create the interactive entertainment industry, Bill Budge will be the second AIAS Pioneer Award recipient. Budge has been an innovator in the video game space for more than 30 years and is recognized for a number of advancements in software engineering technologies that have helped pave the way for past and present generations of game designers everywhere.

Lifetime Achievement Award:

The AIAS will honor Bing Gordon, currently partner at Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, as the fifth AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.  Recognizing the contributions of individuals to the interactive entertainment industry outside of game makers, Gordon has been instrumental in shaping the video game business during his long tenure at Electronic Arts, and continues to stay on the forefront of this evolving field through his contributions to the business of social gaming. 

Hall of Fame Inductee:

Exemplifying game creators whose efforts and contributions have expanded the scope and success of the interactive entertainment industry, Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk, co-founders of the legendary development studio BioWare, will be the 14th and 15th inductees into the AIAS Hall of Fame. Marking the first time that this honor has been bestowed to two individuals, the "Doctors," are respected industry-wide for their emotionally engaging and detailed cinematic games including, Baldur's Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.  

Special Events:

In addition to the conference sessions and the Interactive Achievement Awards, the AIAS will host several other activities during the Summit:

• The Annual D.I.C.E. Summit Poker Tournament: The tournament will be held on Tuesday, February 8 at the acclaimed Rocks Lounge at the Red Rock Casino & Spa.
• The Annual D.I.C.E. Summit Golf Tournament: The tournament will be held on Wednesday, February 9 at the gorgeous Siena Golf Club.
• The Inaugural D.I.C.E. Go-Karting Tournament: The Tournament will take place at the Pole Position Raceway in Summerlin, Nevada, on Wednesday, February 9.
• Kicking off the conference on Wednesday, February 9 at 2 – 3:45pm G4-TV's host, Adam Sessler, will be moderating a "Hot Topics" session featuring 3 debate sessions between various industry leaders.
• Martin Rae, President of The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, will be giving the opening keynote address right before the D.I.C.E. Summit Keynote Panel, "Game Changers: A Conversation on the Nature of Interactive Entertainment from Some of the Medium's Most Significant Creators," moderated by The New York Times' Seth Schiesel on Wednesday, February 9, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  
• The Summit Welcome Party presented by Insomniac Games: This year, the welcome party will take place on Wednesday, February 9 at the fabulous Cherry Nightclub.
• Interactive Achievement Post-Awards Party: The post-awards party will take place in the Pavillion Ballroom. Party goers can enjoy music, dancing, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to celebrate the Interactive Achievement Awards winners.  
• Into the Pixel™ (ITP) Exhibit and Auction, presented by NVIDIA: ITP is an exploration and celebration of the art of video games.  The exhibit enables published game artists to be reviewed and recognized by the public and by their peers.  Funds raised at the auction will support the AIAS Foundation
• The Indie Game Challenge is an initiative by the AIAS, GameStop and The Guildhall at the Southern Methodist University to support the independent games movement by providing aspiring game developers – professional and non-professional – to showcase their skills and have the opportunity to present their game to top publishers.  The winners will be announced February 11th at the Indie Game Challenge Awards ceremony.  The Indie Game Challenge will also host sessions with:

• Kraig Marini Baker and Rob Driscoll, Davis Wright Tremaine
• Ashley Sheetz, GameStop
• Jamie Cheng, Klei Entertainment, Founder and CEO
• Jim Greer, Kongregate, CEO
• Mike Klotz, The NPD Group
• Mario Wynands, Sidhe Interactive, Managing Director and Co-Founder

SOURCE Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED