AIAS confirms location, speakers for 2006 D.I.C.E. Summit

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced initial details for the forthcoming 2006 D.I.C.E. Summit and the 9th Annual Interactive Achievements Awards ceremony.

Scheduled for three days from the 8th-10th February, the 2006 event will be held in Las Vegas at the Green Valley Ranch hotel. Bringing together industry figures in all sectors of the industry, from game development to marketing and business strategists, the summit will feature a number of speeches from high-profile games industry figures including Sims creator Will Wright and Lionhead Studios boss Peter Molyneux.

Molyneux and Wright will be providing keynote speeches, and will be joined by Sony's God of War director, David Jaffe, Ultima creators Richard and Robert Garriott, BMW advanced communications director Alec Bernstein and the interface designer for digital distribution service GameTap, Dale Herigstad. Additional speakers and industry guests are expected to be announced in the coming months.

On the evening of the 9th February at the Henderson Pavilion, the 9th annual AIA awards ceremony will be held, which is due to include a number of celebrity hosts and presenters, in addition to live music featured in games and a more glamorous 'red carpet' style of presentation. The awards are designed to recognise and applaud the outstanding products, development teams and individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the software industry. A new member is also added to the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame each year.

2005 awards included substantial praise for Valve's Half Life 2, Bungie's Halo 2 and the inclusion of industry legend Trip Hawkins in the Hall of Fame. Nominations for the 2006 awards have yet to be revealed.