9:30 - 10:00

Larry Kassanoff

Threshold Entertainment
Chief Executive Officer

Cashing In on the Console Market

With estimated sales of gaming consoles set to grow 4-percent in 2003, from 48-million to 50 million units, who stands to win market share? Sony still dominates this lucrative market, but opportunities still abound for Microsoft and Nintendo. Take an in-depth look at the three current platforms and some of their best-selling franchises, and a preview of what's next as a new round of hardware gears up for 2005/2006 launches. A panel of senior analysts present their findings on market trends and offer predictions for market size, forecasting data, major players, developing marketing strategies, player demographics, game genres and emerging markets to watch.

• David Cole, DFC Intelligence, Analyst
• Richard Ow, The NPD Group, Video Games Analyst
• John Taylor, Arcadia Research, Video Games Analyst
• Mike Wallace, UBS Investment Research, Managing Director
• Moderator: Dean Takahashi, San Jose Mercury News, Technology Reporter

From Sony PSP to Nintendo DS: Digital Gadgets Come of Age

For years, Nintendo's Game Boy platform was the only true portable/mobile gaming device. But now cell phones and new portable game devices are entering the market space. What impact will Sony's PSP and Nintendo's new portable DS device have on the market this fall? What opportunities will the PSP's ability to play movies, music and games bring to portable gaming?

• Nada Usina, Nokia Americas, General Manager of Media and Entertainment
• PJ McNealy, American Technology Research, Senior Analyst
• Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo, Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Affairs
• Moderator: Geoff Keighley, Entertainment Weekly

Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming: Worlds of Opportunity?

For years, analysts have been predicting big numbers from massively multiplayer online games, but results so far have remained lukewarm in this niche market. Hollywood has stepped in with videogames based on hit properties like Star Wars, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings. Will mass-market gamers finally pay subscription fees to play online PC games? As Microsoft and Sony implement two different business models to lay the groundwork for online gaming, what role will online console games play in the current and next generation of console platforms? Here's a look at how you can get a foot in the door of this potentially lucrative industry.

• Haden Blackman, LucasArts Entertainment, Producer, Star Wars Galaxies

• Matthew Bromberg, AOL Games, Vice President and General Manager

• Jason Bell, Turbine Entertainment, President
• Rich Vogel, Sony Online Entertainment, Vice President of Production
• Moderator: Michael Stroud, Conference Chair

Behind the Scenes: How a Movie Makes a Winning Game

No blockbuster movie is complete these days without a videogame license. Big players like Electronic Arts, THQ, Atari and Activision are now investing millions in licensed game products. But for every smash videogame hit like Spiderman 2 and Enter the Matrix, there are dozens of failures. Listen in as we review a case study of how one blockbuster movie became a blockbuster game. Get an insider's look at how Hollywood and game companies are expanding the cinematic experience through videogames.

• Mark Skaggs, Electronic Arts, Vice President and Executive Producer, The Lord of the Rings
• Dave Perry, Shiny Entertainment, President
• Keith Boesky, International Creative Management, Director, Games Division
• Cos Lazaurus, Tigon Entertainment, Chief Executive Officer
• Moderator: John Gaudiosi, iHollywood Gamemaker, Managing Editor

Kathy Vrabeck
Activision Publishing
President

Hollywood Talent Goes Virtual

More Hollywood actors are gravitating to voice work in videogames, thanks to the overwhelming success of the Grand Theft Auto games. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Directors like John Woo and Steven Davis are working on original videogames. Hollywood writers are creating deeper stories and characters for games. This all goes beyond the Hollywood licensing deals as artists explore the new frontier of interactive entertainment. A look at what the future of convergence between Hollywood and gaming holds.

• Brad Foxhoven, Tiger Hill Entertainment, President
• Matt Case, Blindlight, Executive Director of Development
• Rob Sebastian, Endeavor
• Chris Borders, TikiMan Casting, Voice Over / ADR Casting and Director
• Lorne Lanning, Oddworld, Founder

Using Games to Reach Your Audience: Product Placement

From sports games to action titles, there is more in-game product placement than ever before. Is this a trend toward realism or really a revenue source for game publishers? Find out in this informative session from the perspectives of game developers, brands, and studio executives. Today's core videogame demographics, males ages 14 to 34, spend more of their free time gaming than with TV and radio. Now major corporations like Nestle, Jeep and Powerade are using in-game advertising and product placement to reach this elusive, savvy audience.

• Keith Ferrazzi, YaYa, Chief Executive Officer
• Tim Harris, SMGPlay, Vice President and Partner
• Jason Rubinstein, Ubi Soft, Vice President, Strategic Marketing Development
• Dave Anderson, Activision, Senior Director of Business Development

Consumer Preferences in Gaming Purchases

Who is today's gamer? They're not little kids these days. Do you know the most important factors that a consumer considers before purchasing a game? What steps are today's videogame publishers going through to determine whether or not there is a market for any given game? And what impact does the rental market have on videogame sales? Now discover what tools, from market research to play testing, publishers use to create blockbuster hits.

• David Tokheim, IGN Entertainment Inc., Senior Director of Marketing Intelligence
• Hal Halpin, IEMA, President-Executive Director
• Chris Roberts, Rentrak Corp., Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing

Videogame Development: The Independents
Like Miramax and other independent film production studios, who sought an alternative to the Hollywood blockbuster mentality of the studio system, there's an emerging number of independent videogame developers looking to bring original game ideas to XBox, PlayStation 2 and PCs. This panel of independent developers and publishers will give their views of the current videogame landscape and explain how their new game ideas will impact the current glut of Hollywood licensed games and sequels.

• Gene Mauro, Myelin, Chief Executive Officer
• Mark Long, Zombie Inc., Co-CEO and Executive Producer
• Bill Gardner, O-3 Entertainment, Chief Executive Officer
• Ray Muzyka, BioWare Corp., Joint-Chief Executive Officer
• Jon Goldman, Backbone Entertainment, Chief Executive Officer

Tracking the Older Gamer

Today's videogame industry boasts a solid audience that breaks into gaming at an early age and keeps on playing into adulthood. While 90-percent of current games are created for a general audience, the two biggest games of the past two years the Grand Theft Auto franchise have sold over 25 million units with a Mature rating. In this session, we'll assess the potential of the expanding Mature games sector, and how the industry intends to keep older gamers happy, while continuing to lure new, younger players.

• Joe Funk, Mojo Media, Founder
• Craig Relyea, Creative Domain, Executive Vice President, Marketing
• Sean Amann, Sammy Studios, Senior Manager, Marketing Communications

New Mobile Gaming Takes Off

As the $30 billion game industry continues to grow at a double-digit rate, big studios like Electronic Arts, THQ and Activision are actively seeking new talent, especially from the film and television fields. Game companies offer great salaries and benefits, and a solid future for those with the right skills set. Our panel of videogame professionals will discuss new opportunities available in the game industry today, and look at the future of career opportunities in the technology and creative sectors of interactive entertainment.

• Greg Ballard, Sorrent, Chief Executive Officer
• Steven Spieczny, Capgemini, Senior Manager, Telecom, Media and Entertainment
• Robert Tercek, mForma, Executive Vice President, Programming and CSO
• Mike Yuen, Qualcomm
• Trip Hawkins, Digital Chocolate, Founder and CEO
• Moderator: Eric Goldberg, Crossover Technologies, Managing Director

Networking Reception and Exhibitor Showcase

Dealmakers Dinner
* Exclusively for Deluxe Ticket Holders

Day 2 - Tuesday, August 10, 2004

9:30 - 10:00

Keynote

10:25 - 11:15

Sports Gaming: The Virtual Big Leagues
Over 40-percent of videogame sales involve sports titles, thanks to big franchises like Electronic Arts' Madden NFL Football, NBA Live and FIFA Soccer. With big time athletes now vying for cover boy status on game boxes, how do these and other endorsements impact the market space? Now take a fresh look at the burgeoning sports and extreme sports games business and how companies are jumping in on the action with in-game advertising and cross-promotions.

• John Olshan, Major League Baseball Players Association, Category Director, Interactive Games
• Robert Schur, STATS, Inc., Senior Vice President

11:15 - 11:35

Networking Break and Product Showcase

Videogames on TV: Reaching the Male Demographic

The major networks have been baffled by a 12-percent drop in male viewership during prime time. Where have the 18 to 34 year old males gone? They're playing videogames. Now TV networks are serving up videogame-inspired programming to lure this elusive demographic back to the small screen. Take a look at how videogames can extend beyond interactive entertainment and work in a linear format.

• Tim Duffy, SpikeTV, Director of Original Series
• Vinnie Longobardo, G4techTV, Senior Vice President, Programming
• John Rosenburg, g-NET Media, President and Chief Executive Officer
• Nick Maniatis, Lucky Stag Productions, President
• Foglight Entertainment, Gregg Backer, President

Next Generation Interactive Entertainment: What's in Store

With PlayStation 3 and XBox Next just a few years away, what does the future hold for videogames? This panel will take a look at the next generation of game consoles and what impact they will have on the development of games. Also, what new opportunities will these powerful devices create for Hollywood professionals?

• Don Daglow, Stormfront Studios, President
• Kevin Bachus, Infinium Labs, President
• Craig Allen, Spark Unlimited, President
• Scott Henson, Microsoft Corp., Director of Platform Strategy for XBox
• Moderator: Chris Baker, Wired Magazine, Assistant Editor

Gamer Panel

Focus Group

Here a live focus group with teenage, college and adult gamers.

Find out what they really think.

Do You Hear What I Hear? The Music Industry Goes Gaming

Over the past few years, videogames have become THE place to introduce new music artists to the elusive male audience, ages 18 to 34. Now record companies are using their brands in videogame titles like Def Jam Vendetta and Electronic Arts has its own music division, EA Traxx. The days of licensing old music are gone. Videogames are even getting there own soundtracks. Take a look at how the music business is using videogames to reach an audience that spends more time gaming than listening to the radio.

• Brandon Barber, Electronic Arts, Music Marketing Manager
• Mac Hill, Warner Music Group, Vice President of Commercial, Video Games and International Synch Licensing
• Randy Eckhardt, Rock River Communications, Vice President
• Moderator: Chris Marlowe, Hollywood Reporter, New Media/Tech Associate Editor

Beyond Gaming: Hollywood's New Comics

As gaming continues to grow, Hollywood studios are turning to games as the “new comics.” From Spy Hunter to Doom III, big movie productions based on hit videogames are all the rage in Hollywood. Hear from the producers who are bringing interactive entertainment to the big screen. Today's game makers are working closer with Hollywood producers than ever before. This panel explores an insider's look at videogame movies.

• Mark Altman, Mindfire Entertainment, Producer
• Adrian Askarieh, Prime Universe, Producer
• American McGee, The Mauretania Import Export Company, Chief Creative Officer
• Moderator: John Gaudiosi, iHollywood Gamemaker, Managing Editor

Digital Distribution of Videogames
Unlike the music and film industries, which were taken by surprise by digital distribution, the videogame industry has embraced new technology that allows gamers to play free game demos, rent games and purchase games. While the primary market for digital distribution of games is currently the PC gaming market, this space will expand to consoles over the coming years. This panel will explore the current landscape of digital distribution and delve into the future of videogame downloads and their impact on traditional retailers and consumers who are used to purchasing game discs.

• Gabe Zichermann, TryMedia Systems, Vice President, Strategy and Communications
• Yoav Tzruya, Exent Technologies, Vice President of Product and Market Strategy
• John Welch, PlayFirst, Co-Founder, President and CEO

Videogames and DVD: A Match Made in Heaven

The only area of entertainment with a brighter future than videogames is DVD. Both PlayStation 2 and XBox play videogames and DVD movies, which opens up opportunities for these two entertainment giants to work together. Vivendi Universal Games and Microsoft opened the door with Universal Studio Home Video's The Hulk DVD, which included a playable Hulk Xbox videogame demo. A look at how DVD and videogame companies will continue to work together in the future.

• Bill Kendall, Vivendi Universal Games, VP Content and Development
• Steven Spieczny, Capgemini, Senior Manager
• Randy Wells, Miramax, Vice President, Home Entertainment
• Moderator: Kurt Indvik, Video Store Magazine, Editor-in-Chief

4:30

Conference Closes