This year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco will feature keynote addresses from Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, and Shigeru Miyamoto, senior managing director of Nintendo and general manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development. The conference will be held March 5-9 in San Francisco.
Harrison will deliver the Wednesday, March 7 address at 10:30 a.m. Titled ‘Game 3.0: Developing and Creating for the 3rd Age of Video Games,” the speech will explore what ‘always on’ means for both the game development industry and consumers, and which innovative products and services will help content developers define and shape the meaning of the term ‘Game 3.0.’ In addition, Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios will demonstrate some exclusive insights into its development of products and services that will help define future growth in the video game market.
Sony formed Worldwide Studios in September of 2005 to unify its regional product development operations under a global structure and appointed Harrison to lead the organization. Working closely with the studios in Japan, Europe, North America and Polyphony Digital, Inc., he is responsible for setting the global product strategy and managing development operations of 14 studios in five countries. Harrison also serves as a corporate exec and representative director of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, and exec VP of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Miyamoto will deliver his address, ‘A Creative Vision,’ on Thursday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m. Perhaps the world’s most recognized video game developer, he has created such industry icons as Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong and Nintendogs. In addition, he has been the behind-the-scenes engine of innovation for many other notable Nintendo breakthroughs. His speech will reveal how a singular creative vision drives his work, not only in terms of his world-renown software, but also in generating key technologies, including the Nintendo DS and Wii gaming systems.
Often called one of the fathers of modern video gaming, Miyamoto was employed by Nintendo (then a Hanafuda manufacturer) as an artist in 1980 and was given the task of designing one of their first coin-operated arcade games. The resulting title, Donkey Kong, was a huge success and the game’s lead character, Jump Man (a.k.a. Mario), has become Nintendo’s mascot. In 1998, Miyamoto became the first person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame.
Highlights of the week-long GDC conference will include the Independent Games Festival, the Game Developers Choice Awards, GDC Mobile, the Serious Games Summit, Game Connection, the Graphic Impact Gallery and the Video Games Live Concert. These entertaining and informative events will offer industry insiders a chance to network, exchange ideas and perhaps shape the future of the interactive entertainment industry. More information can be found at www.gdconf.com.
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