Massively Multiplayer Online Game Design Expert Jack Emmert to Keynote the Serious Games Summit D.C. 2006City of Heroes Creator to Explore How Social and Behavioral Aspects of Player-to-Player Interaction Can Address Challenges Beyond EntertainmentPRNewswire SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack Emmert, co-founder of Cryptic Studios and critically acclaimed game designer, will detail specific approaches game creators utilize in the MMO game space to foster collaborative and behavioral patterns in a keynote address at this year's Serious Games Summit D.C. (SGS D.C.). Emmert, currently spearheading development of Marvel Universe Online, the highly-anticipated MMO game based on Marvel Comics' superheroes, has long been a video game and comic book aficionado. Whether the focus is on collaboration, leadership, or peer-to-peer education, researchers everywhere are documenting and discussing the social phenomenon of online games. Emmert's session, titled "Designing for Behavior in Massive Multiplayer Games," will explore many of the fascinating aspects of these games, including the user behaviors that take place inside hugely social online worlds. Emmert will offer audience members a better understanding of how game designers approach the social aspects of player-to-player interaction and production. He will also provide insight into the potential MMO environments have beyond entertainment, if the best ideas developed in commercial games are applied to the challenges faced in the outside world. "Jack Emmert is a legend in the MMO community and we are excited to have him keynote this year's Summit," said Jamil Moledina, executive director, Game Developers Conference. "Hugely social online worlds are a fact of everyday life for a large percentage of the population and Emmert's visionary work with City of Heroes and its deeply integrated players has far-reaching lessons for how these worlds can impact society outside of pure entertainment." "Massively multiplayer games instill and support new styles of education, collaborative environments and leadership training," said Ben Sawyer, co-founder, Digitalmill, and SGS D.C. content chair. "Jack Emmert's presentation will showcase how game ideas and technologies provide a fascinating basis to learn from these core behaviors." Jack Emmert, co-founder of game development house Cryptic Studios, was lead designer on two top hits of the world's best selling massively multiplayer games: City of Heroes and City of Villains. Prior to climbing to dizzying heights in the gaming world, Emmert focused his attention on academics. He earned his first master's degree from the University of Chicago, and his second master's degree from Ohio State University. During this period Jack also wrote supplements for a variety of gaming lines, including Deadlands, Hell on Earth, DC Universe, and Marvel Superheroes. The 2006 Serious Games Summit D.C. is taking place Mon., Oct. 30 - Tues., Oct. 31 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. The main goal of the event is to explore the shared needs of all serious game sectors while also supporting specialized material. All presentations at the summit will focus on the core issues of assessing the effectiveness of serious games in achieving goals, innovation and technology breakthroughs, results on cost-effective development and regulations for serious games, and future prospects and the market potential of game development. The conference agenda will also touch on the broader use of gaming with sessions focusing on social change, e-sports, science, and human factors. The core segments of serious games -- military, government, healthcare, corporate training and education -- will also be addressed. The early discount deadline for registration has been extended to Friday, October 13, 2006. For more information about the Summit, please visit http://www.seriousgamessummit.com/. About the CMP Game Group (http://www.cmpgame.com/) A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the CMP Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through the Game Developers Conference, Game Developer magazine, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, the Serious Games Summit D.C., GDC Mobile, GDC Europe, the Independent Games Festival, the Game Developers Choice Awards, GDC London, the London Games Summit, GDCTV, GDCRadio, and the GDC Focus On event series. For more information, please visit http://www.cmpgame.com/. About CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/) CMP Technology is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion. SOURCE: CMP Game Group CONTACT: Craig Sinel of fortyseven communications, +1-323-658-1200, Web site: http://www.cmpgame.com/ |