2008 Austin Game Developers Conference
Deus Ex lead designer Harvey Smith to supply keynote address.
SAN FRANCISCO — Aug. 13, 2008 — Think Services’ Game Career Seminar will return to the Austin Game Developers Conference (Austin GDC) 2009 on September 17th, taking place at the Austin Convention Center. This year the esteemed game director Harvey Smith of Arkane Studios will provide the keynote address, entitled, “Luckiest People Alive.” Smith’s previous works have included the critically-acclaimed Deus Ex for Ion Storm, where he served as the lead designer of the 2000 BAFTA award-winning game. In his talk, Smith will discuss what he sees as an imminent explosion of change, creativity, and possibility within the world of interactive entertainment. The Game Career Seminar presents an opportunity for students, graduates and aspiring game developers to meet and network with human resources personnel from various game developers and learn how to enter the thriving game development world.
Smith was recognized as the winner of the Game Design Challenge at GDC 2006 with his “Peace Bomb” game concept aimed at winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Working on game development professionally since 1993, Smith has served as studio creative director at Midway Games’ Austin office, as lead designer of Fireteam at Multitude, and Origin Systems.
The line-up of speakers at the Game Career Seminar also includes:
• Eduardo Baraf, Director of Product Management at Tabula Digita, Inc.
• Brenda Brathwaite, Game Designer and Instructor at Savannah College of Art and Design
• Jennifer Bullard, Senior Producer, AspyrMedia
• Jill Duffy, Editor of GameCareerGuide.com
• Paula Fellbaum, Vice President of Human Resources, Nexon Publishing NA
• Darius Kazemi, President of Orbus Gameworks
• James Portnow, Game Designer and CCO of Divide by Zero Games
• Ed Roman, CEO, Ghostfire Games
• Brandon Sheffield, Editor-in-Chief of Game Developer Magazine
• Brandon Van Slyke, Game Designer at Vicarious Visions
To register for the Austin Game Career Seminar or for more information, please visit http://www.gamecareerseminar.com.
About Think Services
Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using innovative media, educational events, consulting, training and certification. 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, HDI (formerly the Help Desk Institute), and Dr. Dobb's Journal. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media ( http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. To learn more, visit http://www.think-services.com.
About United Business Media Limited (parent company)
United Business Media Limited is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world’s buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.
For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com
Contact: Craig Sinel / Sibel Sunar
fortyseven communications
323.658.1200
craig@fortyseven.com / sibel@fortyseven.com
Ben Veechai / Mellisa Andrade
Think Services Game Group
415.947.6280 / 415.947.6232
bveechai@think-services.com / mandrade@think-services.com