Educational Seminars @ E3

[Casper]

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2003 – The Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) today unveiled a new comprehensive lineup of conferences and workshops, panel discussions and special interviews which will take place at E3Expo 2003, the world's pre-eminent interactive entertainment trade event. The power-packed sessions will feature more than 100 industry leaders including John Carmack, Peter Molyneux and Will Wright to name a few.

With the world of interactive entertainment rapidly evolving and expanding, staying abreast of the latest trends and issues has become increasingly important to all those involved in the industry. E3Expo conference participants can pursue their individual educational objectives by registering for one of the four themed conference tracks. Thirty-three conference and workshop sessions will bring the best minds in the industry together with conference participants, creating a hands-on learning environment which is unique to E3Expo. This year, the program also will feature new luncheon sessions, a first for the show.

"The E3Expo conference program has always been the premiere forum for industry professionals to explore the very latest opportunities and challenges that face our business, and the E3Expo '03 program is no exception," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the IDSA, the trade association that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers and owns E3Expo. "Whether it be business strategies, content delivery options, development issues, or global trends, E3Expo's conference and workshop program offers an unparalleled opportunity for industry professionals to learn from the leaders and sharpen their skills."

The following conference sessions will be held May 13-15, 2003, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Conference Sessions

The Online & Wireless ®Evolution

Persistent Worlds: Toward What Future?
Moderator: Jessica Mulligan, President, The Themis Group; Panelists: Jeff Anderson, CEO, Turbine Entertainment Software; Mark Jacobs, President, Mythic Entertainment; Philip Rosedale, Linden Labs


Design Secrets: Online – USA And Asia
Panelists: Richard Garriott, Executive Producer, NCsoft; Raph Koster, Sony Online Entertainment


Consoles Go Online: First Semester Grades
To be determined


Take Your Game Online: Four Case Studies
Panelists: Matt Firor, Mythic Entertainment ("Dark Age of Camelot"); Brian Soderberg, Zipper Interactive ("SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals"); Patrick Soderlund, Digital Illusions ("Battlefield 1942")


Survive The Platform Shakeout In Mobile Gaming
Moderator: Dan Scherlis, EtherPlay; Panelists: Vesa-Pekka Kirsi, Senior Manager Games Applications, Nokia


Charting Change In Mobile Entertainment: For Survival And Success
Moderator: Eric Goldberg, President, Crossover Technologies; Panelists: Paul Goode, Motorola; Mitch Lasky, CEO, JAMDAT Mobile, Inc.; Elizabeth Schimel, AT&T Wireless

Games Go Global: The New Reality

Big Money: How Big Ideas And Global Corporations Are Changing The Face Of Gaming
Moderator: Amy Bernstein, Senior Editor, Business 2.0; Panelists: Philippe Erwin, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment, Warner Bros.; Charles Hirschhorn, CEO & Founder, G4; David Mandelbrot, General Manager/Vice President, Media and Entertainment, Yahoo! Inc.; Ilkka Raiskinen, Senior Vice President, Entertainment and Media, Nokia


A Global Tour Of Top Games, Genres And Trends
Panelists: Dejian Liu, NetDragon; Starr Long, Producer, NCsoft


John Carmack: Out of the Shadows
Moderator: N'Gai Croal, General Editor, Newsweek; Speaker: John Carmack, Co-owner, Technical Director, id Software


Game Gems From Asia: More Influential Than You Think
Moderator: Justin Hall, Game Culture Correspondent, Links.net; Panelists: Joon S. Oh, Global Business Manager, CCR, Inc


Hot Shots: Learning From The Next Generation Of Game Designers
Moderator: Greg Kasavin, GameSpot; Panelists: Mathieu Ferland, Senior Producer, Ubi Soft/Montreal; Ted Price, President & CEO, Insomniac Games; Harvey Smith, Project Director, ION Storm


New Approaches To PR: The Modern Rules Of Engagement
Moderator: Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Bureau Chief, PRWeek Magazine; Panelists: Marc Saltzman, Freelance Journalist; Tina Vennegaard, Senior Vice President, Golin/Harris International

Effective Business Strategies for Today's Marketplace

Reaching The New Gamer
Moderator: Jason Rubin, President and Co-founder, Naughty Dog, Inc.; Panelists: Vince Broady, Senior Vice President, GameSpot


Marketing Solutions For Every Budget
Moderator: Brian Baglow, Founder and CEO, Indoctrimat PR; Panelists: Liz Allen, LucasArts Entertainment; Brent Stafford, Development Director, Entertainment, Alliance


Analyst Roundtable: How They Work, What They Know
Moderator: Alex Pham, Technology Reporter, Los Angeles Times; Panelists: Alison Locke, Executive Vice President of North American Publishing, THQ; Richard Ow, Senior Account Manager, Video Games, NPD/Funworld; Michael Pachter, Vice President, Research Entertainment, Wedbush Morgan Securities; Simon Price, International Data Group; Edward Williams, Gerard Klauer Mattison


Start-Up Summit: How To Market Your Talent And Focus Your Business Strategy
Moderator: Aaron Loeb, Producer, Planet Moon Studios; Panelists: Jeff Butler, Vice President, Sigil Games Online; Tim Morten, CEO, Savage Entertainment; James Schmalz, Founder and Creative Director, Digital Extremes


Taking A Lesson From The Boom In Sports Games
Panelists: John Schappert, Vice President & General Manager, Electronic Arts; Greg Thomas, Vice President, Product Development, Sega of America/Visual Concepts


Grow Your Career In The Game Industry
Moderator: Jason Della Rocca, Program Director, IGDA; Panelists: Karthik Bala, Vicarious Visions

Game Development: What Works

Hired Guns: The New Talent Pool And How To Fit In
Moderator: Noah Falstein, President, The Inspiracy; Panelists: Nick deSemov, Art Director, A-Wake Productions; Ken Goldstein, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Disney Online; American McGee, Chief Creative Officer, Carbon6 Entertainment


Music Matters
Moderator: Joe D'Angelo, MTV News; Panelists: Germaine Gioia, Vice President Licensing, THQ, Inc.; Rob Gordon, Capital/EMI; Courtney Holt, Executive Vice President-Marketing, Interscope Geffen A&M Records; Steve Schnur, WW Executive of Music, Creative Vice President, Electronic Arts


Sneak Peeks: Taking The Wraps Off The Hottest New Titles
Moderator: Geoff Keighley, Editor, GameSlice.com; Panelists: Neil Young, Vice President & Executive in Charge of Production, Electronic Arts


Game AI Update: New Ways Of Engaging the Player
Moderator: Richard Rouse III, Lead Designer, Surreal Software; Panelists: Doug Church, Game Designer, IONStorm/Austin; Richard Evans, Lionhead Studios; Brian Reynolds, President, Big Huge Games


Tap the High-Tech Pulse Of Gaming
Panelists: Kim Pallister, Intel; Fred Swan, Director, Marketing, Logitech


New Hooks In Gaming
Moderator: David Kushner, Journalist; Panelists: David Jones, Real Time Worlds; Peter Molyneux, Managing Director, Lionhead Studios; Will Wright, Designer, Maxis/EA

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In addition to conferences, the following nine in-depth workshops will be offered.

Workshop Sessions

Read The Marketplace For Added Profit
Moderator: Michael Gartenberg, Vice President and Research Director, Jupiter Media Metrix;
Panelists: Carolyn Feinstein, Vice President of Marketing Communications, Electronic Arts;
Bill Fulton, User Testing Manager, Microsoft; Scott McDaniel, Vice President Marketing & Public Relations, Sony Online Entertainment; Tobi Saulnier, Vice President, Product Development, Vicarious Visions


The Design Document: Necessary, Necessary Evil Or Not Needed
Moderator: Randy Angle, President/Creative Director, Pronto Games; Panelists: Haden Blackman, LucasArts Entertainment; Marc LeBlanc, Sega of America/Visual Concepts;
Carly Staehlin, Design Manager, Ncsoft


Smart Games Break Out
Panelists: Barbara Hayes-Roth, CEO, Extempo Systems; Randy Hinrichs, Microsoft; Michael Macedonia, CTO, U.S. Army; Jesse Schell, Professor Entertainment Technology, Carnegie Mellon University


Working Smart: Understanding The Decision-Making Process At The Highest Levels
Moderator: Dean Takahashi, Staff Writer, San Jose Mercury News; Panelists: Paul Baldwin, Eidos Interactive; Frank Gibeau, Senior Vice President North America Marketing, Electronic Arts; Lorne Lanning, President and Creative Director, Oddworld Inhabitants; Ray Muzyka, Joint CEO/Co-Executive Producer, BioWare Corp.


Use The Web To Publish, Market And Protect Your Game
Moderator: Chris Kantrowitz, CEO, The Groove Alliance; Panelists: Alex St. John, CEO & Co-founder, WildTangent; Jeff Tunnell, Garage Games


Pitching Your Game Idea Or Studio's Expertise: The New Rules
Moderator: Trent Ward, Senior Producer, Digital Eclipse; Panelists: Seamus Blackley, Capital Entertainment Group, Inc.; Tom Frisina, Vice President & General Manager, Electronic Arts; Alex Garden, Chief Executive Officer, Relic Entertainment; James Regan, Director - Business Development, Ubi Soft


Persistent World Overview: Where The Bar Is Now
Moderator: Rob Levine, Wired Magazine; Panelists: David Cohen Corval, President, Producer, Editorial Director, NEVRAX; Brad McQuaid, President & CEO, Sigil Games Online; Richard Vogel, Sony Online Entertainment


Funding Tip Sheet: Strategies For Tapping Into Today's Money Stream
Moderator: Donald Karl, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP; Panelists: Mark Long, Co-founder & Co-CEO, Zombie Studios; Gene Mauro, CEO, Capital Entertainment Group, Inc.; Bruce McMillan, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Studios, Electronic Arts


Mobile Game Hit List: What Makes Them So Good
Moderator: Matthew Bellows, President, Wireless Gaming Review; Panelists: Stephane Vergneres, Games Product Manager, In-Fusio


Registration Information
Attendees can register for these workshops and conferences by logging on to www.e3expo.com, where daily schedules and additional information about the conferences are posted. The Web site also contains general registration information for the show, which takes place May 14-16.

E3Expo, now in its ninth year, is owned by the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. IDSA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $6.9 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2002, and billions more in export sales of American-made entertainment software. The IDSA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show, business and consumer research, government relations and First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts.

E3Expo is a trade event, not open to the general public. Only working journalists with qualified media outlets will be eligible to register for media badges. No one under the age of 18 will be admitted, including infants. This policy is strictly enforced.