SOE President, MUD Creator To Give Austin Game Conference Keynotes

The Game Initiative, which owns various events for computer and video game industry professionals, has announced that the keynote speakers at the Austin Games Conference will be Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley and persistent online world pioneer Dr. Richard Bartle. The opening keynote will come from Smedley, who, in addition to his role at SOE, is also a co-founder of Verant Interactive, the original EverQuest team. Bartle’s keynote, slated for the second day of the conference, is titled "Why Are We Here?" Bartle co-wrote the first MUD in 1978, and more recently wrote a 2003 book on online games called Designing Virtual Worlds. Other than the keynotes, the Austin Game Conference, to be held on October 27 and 28, will feature 130 speakers across eight conference tracks including Multiplayer Design, Multiplayer Tech/Art, and Multiplayer Business/Production. Registrants of the event will also receive access to the nearby Women's Game Conference, scheduled for October 26 and 27. Registration information and the full conference schedule can be found at the official conference website.