E3 conferences and workshops announced

The organisers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2005, slated to take place in Los Angeles in May of this year, have revealed the schedule of conferences and workshops planned for the sunshine event in the videogames calendar.

This year’s focus claims to be on, “…Creativity and Technology, Business Strategy, and Marketing Analysis”, more generic terms you couldn’t wish for, but the roster of speakers is, as ever, impressive.

There will be speakers from Clover Studio, id Software, Sony, Microsoft, Bungie, Namco... everyone except, it seems, Nintendo.

Here’s the full schedule for you perusing pleasure:



TRACK 1: Creativity and Technology: Building the Framework for Innovative Gameplay

# Developing Better Characters, Better Stories: How a Game Character’s Emotion, Passion, and Intelligence Makes the Game Experience Real

Moderator: Ian Davis, Ph.D., CEO and Founder, Mad Doc Software; Panelists: Toby Gard, Game Designer, Crystal Dynamics; Marc Laidlaw, Writer/Game Designer, Valve (Half-Life 2); Tim Schafer, Founder, Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts); Joe Staten, Cinematics Director, Bungie Studios (Halo 2)

# Think Different and (Still) Succeed: Finding Success with Games that Fall Outside the Familiar

Moderator: Ted Price, President and CEO, Insomniac Games; Panelists: Jack Emmert, Creative Director, Cryptic Studios (City of Heroes); Tom Fulp, Co-Founder, The Behemoth (Alien Hominid); Atsushi Inaba, CEO, Clover Studio/Capcom (Viewtiful Joe 2); Peter Molyneux, Managing Director, Lionhead Studios (Fable, The Movies)

# Game Content Spreads Its Wings: A Conversation with the Leaders Behind Multi-Platform, Cross-Media Game Creation

Moderator: Chris Marlowe, Editor, New Media/Technology, The Hollywood Reporter; Panelists: Todd Hollenshead, Chief Executive Officer, id Software; Samantha Ryan, CEO, Monolith Productions; Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Audio, Electronic Arts; Robert Tercek, Chief Marketing Officer, (M)FORMA; Stephen Youngwood, Senior Vice President of Media, Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products

# Closing the Gap in Wireless: Lessons from the Front Lines of Mobile Game Innovation in Europe and Asia

Moderator: Matthew Bellows, Vice President, Mobile Entertainment, GameSpot; Panelists: Mathieu Castelli, Chief Operating Officer, Newt Games; Norbert Chang, CEO, Enorbus; David Collier, Namco Japan; Kristian Segerstrale, Head of Products and Services, Macrospace

# Genre Blending: Careening Beyond the Status Quo Toward New Levels of Innovation

Moderator: Richard Rouse III, Design Director, Surreal Software (The Suffering); Panelists: Lorne Lanning, President/Creative Director, Oddworld Inhabitants (Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath); Yoot Saito, President, Vivarium (Odama); Alex Ward, Director of Design, Criterion Games (Burnout); Greg Zeschuk, Joint CEO, BioWare (Jade Empire)

TRACK 2: Business Strategy: Navigating New Avenues of Success

# Game Plan for the Next Gen Consoles: The Risks, the Costs, the Opportunities

Moderator: Michael Gartenberg, Vice President and Research Director, Jupiter Research; Panelists: Scott Cronce, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Electronic Arts; Mark DeLoura, Manager, Developer Relations, Sony Computer Entertainment America; Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA; Michael Pachter, Senior Vice President of Research, Wedbush Morgan Securities; Marcel Samek, Technical Director, THQ

# How to Structure a Successful Independent Development or Publishing Enterprise

Moderator: Gus Tai, General Partner, Trinity Ventures; Panelists: Trevor Chan, CEO, Enlight Software; Jon Goldman, CEO, Backbone Entertainment; Gene Mauro, CEO, Myelin Media; Ray Muzyka, Joint CEO, BioWare; Alex Seropian, Founder, Wideload Games

# The Upcoming Forecast for Online Games: How Visionaries and Pragmatists are Betting on the Future

Moderator: Jessica Mulligan, Executive Producer, Turbine Entertainment; Panelists: Michael Cassidy, CEO, Xfire; Richard Garriott, Executive Producer, NCsoft; Richard Kim, CEO, Gravity Corp.; Michael Sellers, Founder, Online Alchemy; Gordon Walton, Consultant

# Behind the Negotiations: How the Modern-day Game Deal Gets Done

Moderator: TBD; Panelists: Pascal Bonnet, Director of Licensing, Ubisoft; Joe Keene, Co-Chairman & CEO, Perpetual Entertainment; Ariella Lehrer, CEO, Legacy Interactive; Lori Plager, Senior Director Licensing, Activision

# New Trends in Funding: How to Locate and Participate in Current Financing Opportunities

Moderator: John Welch, CEO, PlayFirst, Inc.; Panelists: Jeff Anderson, President and CEO, Turbine Entertainment; Seamus Blackley, Agent, Creative Artists Agency; Trip Hawkins, Founder and CEO, Digital Chocolate

# How to Keep Growing: Ways to Determine the Right Strategy for your Company’s Next Step

Moderator: Paul Heydon, Managing Director, Unity Capital; Panelists: Ian Baverstock, Business Development Director, KUJU Entertainment; Mark Gagne, Executive Vice President and CFO, Mythic Entertainment; Jason Hall, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; Mitch Lasky, CEO, Jamdat

# Digital Distribution Update: How the Direct-to-Consumer Pipeline Works, Why it is Relevant Today, and How to Profit from its Expanding Reach

Moderator: Gabe Zichermann, VP, Strategy and Communications, Trymedia Systems; Panelists: Craig Priddle, Director ofMarketing, BioWare; Jamie Berger, Vice President/General Manager Consumer Products - IGN Entertainment; Alex St. John, CEO and Co-founder, Wild Tangent; James Regan, Director of New Business Development, Ubisoft; Scott Young, Vice President, Digital Entertainment, Best Buy

TRACK 3: Marketing Analysis: How to Read the Market Ahead of the Competition

# Is My Game Fun? The Process Behind Answering the Most Important Question of All

Moderator: Jessie Schell, Professor of Entertainment Technology, Carnegie Melon University; Panelists: Brian Allegeier, Design Director, Insomniac Games; David Braben, Founder, Frontier Games; Nicole Lazzaro, President, XEO Design; Neil Young, Vice President and General Manager, Electronic Arts, Los Angeles

# Identify and Understand the New Consumer of Digital Entertainment: Adapt to the Latest Rules of Fun or Get Left Behind

Moderator: Alex Pham, Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Panelists: John Geoghegan, Vice President, Marketing, LucasArts; Sharon Lee, Co-Founder, Look-Look; Rishad Tobaccowala, President, Starcom IP; Haden Walling, Entertainment and Licensing Analyst, Ubisoft

# Smart Marketing: How an Intelligent Approach to Research can Boost your Bottom Line

Moderator: Craig Relyea, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Creative Domain; Panelists: Steve Allison, Chief Marketing Officer, Midway Games; Sean Denny, Senior Manager of Strategic Marketing, LucasArts; Carolyn Feinstein, Vice President of Marketing Communications, Electronic Arts; Yasmin Naboa, Vice President of Sales, Ubisoft

# Global Market Briefing: Stories from the Front Lines of the Hot Markets in Asia and Europe

Panelists: John Lee, Executive Director, International Business, Turbine Entertainment; John Needham, Chief Financial Officer, Sony Online Entertainment; Jon Niermann, President and Managing Director, Electronic Arts Asia

# New Practices in Licensing and Ancillary Rights: Understand the Twists and Turns in a New Game Development Value Chain

Moderator: Aaron Loeb, Producer, Director of Business Development, Planet Moon Studios; Panelists: Cody Alexander, Co-Head of New Media and Technologies, William Morris Consulting; Sandi Isaacs, Vice President Interactive, Viacom Consumer Products; Ames Kirshen, Director of Video Game Development, Marvel Enterprises; Robert Walsh, CEO, Krome Studios

# In-game Advertising Takes Off: Preparing for the Rush Ahead and How to Make it Work for Everyone, Including the Gamer

Moderator: Amy Bernstein, Executive Editor, Business 2.0; Panelists: Dave Anderson, Director of Business Development and Licensing, Activision; Mitchell Davis, CEO, Massive, Inc.; Michael Dowling, General Manager, Nielsen Entertainment; Monika Madrid, Senior Manager, Strategic Sales and Partnerships, Ubisoft; Julie Shumaker, Director of Advertising Sales, Electronic Arts

# The Mobile Marketplace: How the Traditional Game Industry is Moving into Uncharted Territory and What it Means for your Business

Moderator: Levi Buchanan, Editor-in-Chief, IGN Wireless, Chicago Tribune Columnist; Panelists: John Batter, Vice President and General Manager, Electronic Arts Mobile; David Gosen, Chief Operating Officer, Digital Bridges; Ichiro Otobe, President and Chief Operating Officer, Square Enix; Larry Shapiro, Executive Vice President of Business Development, Walt Disney; Tim Walsh, President, THQ Wireless

In addition to conference sessions, the following twelve in-depth workshops will be offered on May 17.

WORKSHOP SESSIONS

# Fine Tune Your Platform Strategy

Moderator: Richard Ow, Interactive Entertainment Industry Analyst, The NPD Group; Panelists: Rory Armes, Managing Director, Electronic Arts, UK; Karthik Bala, CEO/Chief Creative Officer, Vicarious Visions; Rob Lightner, Director, Research and Analysis, SEGA

# In-game Advertising Workshop: Five Case Studies Get Inside the Art of the Deal

Moderator and Panelists: TBA

# From Original IP to Powerhouse Franchise: How Publishers Judge a Game’s Potential

Moderator: Jason Della Rocca, Program Director, International Game Developers Association; Panelists: Chris Charla, Senior Producer, Backbone Entertainment; Philippe Erwin, Vice President of Production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment; Gregoire Gobbi, Director, North America Content Strategy, Ubisoft Studios; Patrick Soderlund, CEO, Digital Illusions CE; Dusty Welch, Vice President of Global Brand Management, Activision

# Three special lunchtime sessions

Jim Banister, CEO, Spectrum MediaWorks, and author of "Word of Mouse: The New Age of Networked Media"; other speakers to be announced shortly

# How to Target the New Niche Market of Value-priced Games

Moderator: Chris Kantrowitz; Panelists: Bill Gardner, President and CEO, O-3 Entertainment, Inc.; Ken Gold, Vice President of Marketing, Majesco Games; Danny Hammett, Senior Vice President, Value Line Publishing, Vivendi Universal Games; Paul Rinde, CEO, Destineer

# Mobile Games: Taking Advantage of What’s New in Handset Technology

Moderator: Greg Costikyan, Co-founder and CCO, Unplugged, Inc.; Panelists: Phil Cooke, Chief Technology Officer, Digital Bridges; Satoshi Nakajima, CEO and Founder, UIEvolution/Square Enix; Brian Wolkenberg, Games Lead, Global Entertainment Solutions, Motorola Mobile Devices

# Tap the Global Market to Tame Costs and Amass Talent

Moderator: Jason Robar, Founder, AisA Group; Panelists: Xin Chung, CEO, Vykarian; Rajesh Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Dhruva Interactive; Tobi Saulnier, Vice President, Product Development, Vicarious Visions; Richard Vogel, Vice President of Product Development, Sony Online Entertainment

# Finding the New Sweet Spot in Casual, Downloadable Games

Moderator: Daniel James, CEO, Three Rings Design; Panelists: Geoff Graber, General Manager, Yahoo! Games; Don Ryan, General Manager, Microsoft Game Studios; Monte Singman, Chief Operating Officer, Shanda; Wade Tinney, Founding Partner/Game Designer, Large Animal Games

# The Path to Creating AAA Games: How Successful Designers Learn from Experience, or Decide to Break from It

Moderator: Carly Staehlin; Panelists: Todd Howard, Executive Producer, Bethsoft; Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Chief Creative Officer, Q Entertainment; Tim Willits, Lead Designer, id Software

# Pitching Update: How to Give Your Game Idea Legs

Moderator: Trent Ward, Creative Director, Backbone Entertainment; Panelists: Timothy Campbell, Director of Business Development, THQ; Jeremy Gaffney, Vice President of Product Development, NCsoft; Lee Jacobsen, Vice President of Business Development, Midway Games; Dan Kitchen, Vice President of Game Development, Majesco