Alex Evans of Media Molecule finalizes 2009 D.I.C.E. Summit speaker lineup
Posted on February 5, 2009 by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News
Co-Creator of LittleBigPlanet Rounds Out This Year’s Impressive Program
CALABASAS, Calif. – February 5, 2009 – The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences® (AIAS) today announced that Alex Evans, co-founder and co-creator of Interactive Achievement Award-nominated LittleBigPlanet, will speak at the 2009 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit®. The event will be held at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, February 17-20, 2009 and feature a line-up of industry leaders, visionaries and decision makers that are shaping the future of interactive entertainment.
Alex Evans’ company, Media Molecule, is best described as a long running social/game-design/ production experiment and as such, there were a number of conscious and unconscious choices that shaped the creation of Little Big Planet and the team that made it.
“Our take on ‘Creative Gaming’ is that it’s an incredibly broad church, and Little Big Planet represents our particular first take on User Generated Content,” said Alex Evans, co-founder of Media Molecule. “The D.I.C.E. Summit gives us the opportunity to present our design philosophy to the industry in the most prestigious forum today.”
“The incredible achievement that Alex Evans and his colleagues at Media Molecule accomplished with Little Big Planet is the perfect topic for this year’s conference,” said Joseph Olin, president of The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “The D.I.C.E Summit line-up is the strongest yet featuring many of the speakers that are defining our industry and laying the groundwork for future generations of game creators.”
The D.I.C.E. Summit 2009 will also play host to the 12th annual Interactive Achievement Awards® ceremony on February 19, where industry leaders and members pay tribute and recognize the individuals and products that contribute to the growth of the interactive entertainment software business. Comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr will return for his fourth year to host the award festivities. Announced speakers include:
• Dan Bilson, THQ
• Chris Cao, Sony Online Entertainment
• N’Gai Croal, Newsweek
• Michael Denny, Sony Corp. EU
• Anita Frazier, NPD Research
• Julianne Greer, The Escapist
• Lars Gustavsson, D.I.C.E. Studios/EA
• Michael Haigh, SCE Worldwide Studios
• Mona Hamilton, Capcom
• Rich Hilleman, Electronic Arts
• Todd Howard, Bethesda Studios
• Geoff Keighley, Spike TV
• Alex Laurent, LucasArts/ILM
• Gabe Newell, Valve
• Ralph Osterhout, Serial Inventor
• David Perry, Acclaim Entertainment
• Ted Price, Insomniac Games
• J. Paul Raines, Gamestop
• John Riccitiello, Electronic Arts
• Seth Schiesel, New York Times
• Bruce Shelley, Ensemble Studios
• Mike Snider, USA Today
• Jun Takeuchi, Capcom
• Chris Taylor, Gas Powered GamesFor more information and registration: www.dicesummit.org
About The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences® (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The Academy’s mission is to promote and advance common interests in the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and conduct an annual awards show (Interactive Achievement Awards®) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The Academy also strives to provide a voice for individuals in the interactive entertainment community. In 2002 the Academy created the D.I.C.E. Summit® (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain), a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. The Academy has more than 12,000 members, with the board comprised of senior executives from the major videogame companies including Bioware/Pandemic, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and Ubisoft. More information on AIAS and the D.I.C.E. Summit can be found at: www.interactive.org and www.dicesummit.org
