The television, film and radio world have decided to officially acknowledge and welcome the video game industry into its ranks. The National Association of Broadcasters announced early this morning that they will be transforming the final day of this year’s conference into a Video Game-centered blitzkrieg they are calling “Alternate Reality and Video Game Day.” This is big news for the video game industry, as the NAB is as legitimate as it gets for the world of television and broadcast. The annual NAB show in Vegas is to broadcasting, what E3 is to video games. Here is the official statement:
~~~
WASHINGTON, DC –The 2009 NAB Show will host “Alternate Reality and Video Game Day” on Thursday, April 23, focusing for the first time on the rapidly growing industries of console and PC video games and alternate reality entertainment.
The sessions, open to all NAB Show attendees, will feature gaming and entertainment leaders who will participate in a variety of panel discussions and keynotes that assess the cutting-edge techniques for development, delivery and marketing, while exploring the future of these industry sectors.
Sessions at the NAB Show “Alternate Reality and Video Game Day” will include:
Jane McGonigal: Game Theory for Real Life
Forecaster Jane McGonigal is a world-renowned designer of innovative ways to use mass collaboration to conduct research, build communities, connect with markets and shape our future. A former lead designer for 42 Entertainment, she has deployed games in more than 20 countries, including “I Love Bees,” a viral marketing game for the Halo 2.
Alternate Reality Games: Telling Stories from the New Frontier
Moderator Ben Seth Hurst of The Opportunity Management Company will guide a panel of industry leaders including McGonigal, Nathan Mayfield, co-founder and chief creative officer of Hoodlum; Christopher Sandberg, CEO and founder of companyP; Ruben Steiger, CEO of Millions of Us; and Matt Wolf, founder of D20. The panel will share their collective experiences in the industry and explore the questions of how technology, distribution, content and social behavior intersect.Games: Top 5 Trends Revolutionizing Entertainment Today
The video game industry is poised to double in sales from $32 billion in 2005 to nearly $70 billion in 2011 by some estimates. Video game industry veteran Dale Strang will host a session focusing on the tremendous growth opportunities in the marketplace. Panelists include Reto Bodmer, CEO of Evolved Games (producers of the upcoming “Terminator Salvation”), and Glen Schoefield, vice president and GM of Electronic Arts’ Redwood Shores studio.AFI Digital Content Lab: Game and TV Collaborations
Presented by the American Film Institute and moderated by Lisa Osborne, supervising producer of AFI Digital Content Lab, this panel will convene in the NAB Show Content Theater and showcase collaborations between the gaming and television industries.
About the 2009 NAB Show
The NAB Show will take place April 18 – 23, 2009 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 20). It is the world’s largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com.
IndieGameReviewer.com will be attending these seminars and hopes to bring you back all the goods.
