Worlds In Motion Summit @ Austin GDC Debuts Speakers

According to organizers, September 16-17, 2008 will mark the return of the Think Services-created Worlds in Motion Summit, taking place at the Austin Game Developers Conference in the Austin Convention Center. The event, which saw its successful debut at the Game Developers Conference 2008 in San Francisco this past spring, will map the broadening of the worldwide business market through the expansive and growing social game networking space. The Worlds in Motion Summit, presented by Gamasutra sister weblog WorldsinMotion.biz, is of particular value to those looking to successfully leverage their content and brands into interactive online worlds. For the first confirmed keynote, Stephen Andrade, Senior Vice President, Digital Development and General Manager, NBC.com will be joined by Rajat Paharia, Founder and CEO of Bunchball in a first-of-its-kind presentation, titled “Dunder Mifflin Infinity: A Case Study in Using Game Mechanics to Drive Community Behavior.” Participants will hear how Bunchball’s Nitro meta-gaming platform is being used to drive user behavior and increase engagement on Dunder Mifflin Infinity, a social networking and user-generated content site for fans of NBC’s hit TV show, The Office. Additional confirmed speakers for the upcoming Worlds in Motion Summit include: - James M. Bower - Founder of Whyville parent company Numedeon. - Teemu Huuhtanen - President, North America of Sulake Inc, creators of popular online world Habbo. - Jonathan Epstein - CEO of in-game ad firm Double Fusion, who will be presenting alongside Huuhtanen on placing ads in Habbo. The conference will examine the results that both independent start-ups and established Fortune 500 companies can derive from actively participating in the virtual world space. The Worlds in Motion Summit will map the intersection of games, business and entertainment in virtual worlds, and provide a look into where these virtual worlds are headed. Beyond traditional notions of linear gameplay experiences, the Worlds in Motion Summit will delve into the increasing socialization of games and online worlds, and the integration of personalization and player-generated content into gameplay. Additional information on the event and confirmed speakers can be found at Austin GDC's Worlds in Motion Summit page.