The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) today unveiled its first round of speakers and opened attendee registration for the 13th Annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, to be held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Feb. 4-6, 2014, with the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards capping off the Summit on Feb. 6. The annual event draws some of the brightest and most influential interactive entertainment industry leaders, decision makers and visionaries to its stage, to help set the tone for the interactive entertainment industry in the new year. The first round of speakers to join the roster includes: David Helgason, Ed Fries, Clive Downie and Sundance DiGiovanni.
To celebrate the industry’s rapidly evolving art form and business, the theme for the 2014 Summit will be: The New Golden Age of Gaming. In the span of a few short decades, videogames have evolved from coin-operated arcades, to simple sprites on the TV, to near-realistic computer generated imagery, to rich game experiences on mobile devices. There have never been more ways to create and engage an audience through interactive media, whether created by a few individuals or by large teams delivering thought-provoking, cinematic blockbusters that push hardware to the limit. This year’s slate of speakers will look at the fast-growing changes in our industry and whether this year represents the next leap forward in game development.
‘While usually bestowed posthumously on a period of great prosperity and creativity, we have the experience and foresight to realize we are witnessing a new Golden Age,’ said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. ‘For the 2014 D.I.C.E. Summit we’ll examine what this means to the many great minds who grace our stage, looking back at trails blazed and forward to amazing possibilities and potential pitfalls around the bend. I’m very much looking forward to see how our roster of speakers envisions this next evolution for our industry.’
The D.I.C.E. Summit speaker program is renowned for jump starting the key industry conversations that resonate throughout the year, and impact the trends directly affecting the industry. The first speakers exemplify the types of industry luminaries who will enlighten, inspire and challenge the attendees.
David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies, an ex-engineer, technologist, and visionary. David has led groundbreaking business innovations for Unity, which have revolutionized the games industry and are now widely imitated and adopted.
Ed Fries, known for helping build Microsoft Game Studios and is co-founder of the XBOX Project.
Clive Downie, CEO of DeNA, a global leader in developing and publishing free-to-play mobile games. Clive leads the company’s operations and corporate strategy in the West.
Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder and CEO of Major League Gaming, the global leader in eSports. Sundance focuses on the global growth of competitive video gaming, expansion of MLG as a digital media property, and the company’s platforms and distribution channels like MLG.tv that are bringing this burgeoning sport to an ever-growing community worldwide.
Registration for the 2014 D.I.C.E. Summit and 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards is currently open (the D.I.C.E. Awards ticket is included in the full conference pass or it can be purchased separately as a stand-alone event). Register until Nov. 8 to get the early registration pricing at www.dicesummit.org.