GDC 2010 Reveals First Summit Sessions and Keynotes

    
    Facebook's Gareth Davis to Keynote the Social & Online Games Summit and
    Randy Smith of Tiger Style to Keynote the Independent Games Summit





    
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<p><location>SAN FRANCISCO</location>, <chron>Dec. 16</chron> /CNW/ -- The 2010 Game Developers Conference® (GDC 2010), produced by the Think Services Game Group, has revealed the first keynotes from two of the Summit programs that kick off the week of GDC.  Taking place March 9-10th, the GDC Summits highlight the bleeding edge of game development in emerging areas including; iPhone Games, Social & Online Games, Game Localization, Mobile/Handheld, Independent Games, Artificial Intelligence and Serious Games. GDC 2010 returns to <location>San Francisco</location> on <chron>Tuesday, March 9</chron> through <chron>Saturday, March 13, 2010</chron> for five days of lectures, panels, summits, tutorials and roundtable discussions on the most comprehensive selection of game development topics taught by leading industry experts. Registration and conference information is available online at the official GDC website <a href="http://www.gdconf.com">http://www.gdconf.com</a>.</p>
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<p>Facebook's platform manager Gareth Davis will deliver a keynote at the newly formed Social & Online Games Summit titled, How Friends Change Everything, discussing Facebook's massive disruption in who plays games as well as how games are discovered, distributed, designed and monetized.  <person>Randy Smith</person>, owner and game designer of Tiger Style will keynote the Independent Games Summit.  Tiger Style is the developer of the critically and commercially successful iPhone game, Spider: The Secret of <person>Bryce Manor</person>, named by Apple as their top-rated game of 2009.  Smith will deliver a keynote address titled, Increasing Our Reach: Designing to Grab and Retain Players.</p>
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<p>"We're thrilled by the content already programmed for this year's summits at GDC 2010 and there is so much more yet to come," said Meggan Scavio, GDC event director. "Like last year, the summits are an outlet to explore the emerging segments of our industry and these keynotes highlight exactly that mission."</p>
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<p>The GDC summits continue to address the game industry's breakthrough topics with the addition of the Social & Online Games Summit and iPhone Games Summit to an already diverse lineup. The new Social & Online Games Summit will address the convergence of social, online, casual, and virtual worlds while the iPhone Games Summit will discuss how developers can leverage the innovative iPhone/iPod Touch platform to develop games that are more social and connected than ever before.</p>
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    Featured Summit sessions include:

    --  iPhone Games Summit
        --  One Year in the App Store: A Case Study of Backflip Studios
        --  Speaker: Julian Farrior, CEO / Founder, Backflip Studios
    --  Serious Games Summit
        --  Code of Everand: Designing The Serious Casual MMO
        --  Speaker: Kevin Cancienne, Director of Game Development, Area/Code
    --  GDC Mobile/Handheld Summit
        --  Club Penguin DS: Elite Penguin Force - Post Mortem
        --  Speaker: Patricia Pizer, Consultant


    
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<p>Alumni registration for GDC 2010 ends <chron>December 22, 2009</chron> and Early Bird rates end <chron>February 4, 2010</chron>.  For more information about the 2010 Game Developers Conference, including the eight summits, visit <a href="http://www.gdconf.com">http://www.gdconf.com</a>.</p>
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    About the Think Services Game Group
    
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<p>A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz, GameSetWatch.com, GamesOnDeck.com, SeriousGamesSource.com, the Game Developers Conference®, the Game Developers Conference® Austin, the Game Developers Conference® <location>Europe</location>, the Game Developers Conference® <location>China</location>, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.  To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.tsgamegroup.com">www.tsgamegroup.com</a></p>
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    About Think Services, a division of United Business Media
    
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<p>Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and HDI.  Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media (<a href="http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com">www.unitedbusinessmedia.com</a>), a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than <money>$1.6 billion</money>. To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.think-services.com">www.think-services.com</a>.</p>
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    CONTACT:     Sibel Sunar/Brian Rubin
                 fortyseven communications
                 [phone]/[phone]
                 [email protected] / [email protected]
    
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                 Ben Veechai/Ahmad White
                 Think Services Game Group
                 [email protected] / [email protected]
                 [phone]/[phone]











    

For further information: Sibel Sunar, [phone], [email protected], or Brian Rubin, [phone], [email protected], both of fortyseven communications, for Think Services Game Group; Ben Veechai, [phone], [email protected], or Ahmad White, [phone], [email protected], both of Think Services Game Group Web Site: http://www.tsgamegroup.com http://www.gdconf.com/