MIT Business In Gaming Conf Adds Levine, Schilling

MIT Sloan School of management will kick off its first Business in Gaming Conference with a keynote from 2K Boston president and BioShock creator Ken Levine, student organizers announced today. The event will take place on the business school's campus on May 8, and aims to unite industry leaders, developers and academics to discuss business trends in the game industry. It'll also feature a panel on MMO business models with input from former Red Sox pitcher and 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling, plus panelists from Lord of the Rings Online developer Turbine and Warhammer Online creator Mythic. Other speakers include 42 Entertainment CEO Susan Bonds, discussing the 'WhySoSerious' promotional ARG for The Dark Knight film; Zeebo CEO John Rizzo, discussing the company's digital distribution console, and MIT research director and designer Scot Osterweil. Finally, representatives from such companies as Google, Massive, GamerDNA, and Mana Potions will discuss in-game advertising. "Few gaming industry conferences focus exclusively on the business side of the gaming industry," says MIT Sloan MBA Dennis Fu, one of the event organizers. "MIT, in conjunction with MIT Sloan, is the birthplace of companies such as Harmonix Music Systems, giving it a unique edge to lead in this area." Interested parties can find more information on the upcoming event at its official website.