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Submit Speakers and Request Sponsorship Today! Attendee Registration Now Open!
New Downtown Venue!
Digital Media Wire is pleased to announce the launch of the
first annual NY Games Conference, an executive media conference
focused on the future of gaming in New York City, September 25-26,
2008. Please note that there has been a change of venue. This conference
will now be held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park and
not at the Javits Center because of the postponement of the Digital
Life consumer show.
NY Games Conference is a dedicated insider forum for media
and tech executives to network, do deals, and share ideas
about the future of console, PC, online and mobile games.
The two-day conference is modeled on Digital Media Wire's highly-acclaimed annual
LA Games
Conference and will bring together the leading video game publishers and developers, carriers,
portals, technology companies, advertising execs, venture capitalists, lawyers and analysts to
discuss the future of video games and social media. The conference will also feature elements
from DMW's cutting edge series of Millennials conferences focused on digital entertainment trends
and strategies and consumer marketing for the youth market.
For more information, including details about submitting speakers and
sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, please contact Event Director, Jay
Baage at jay@digitalmediawire.com.
Keynotes &
Featured Presentations
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John Smedley
President
Sony Online Entertainment |
Matt Mason
Author
The Pirate's Dilemma |
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Kyle "kSharp" Miller
Professional Gamer
The CGS Team 3D New York
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Speakers
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Jim Crowley
CEO &
President
Turbine
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Alex St. John
CEO & Co-Founder
WildTangent |
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Ranah Edelin
VP, The Sims Internet Group
Electronic Arts
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Reuben Steiger
CEO
Millions of Us
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Peter Blacklow
President
WorldWinner
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Dan Porter
SVP, Corporate Development
Virgin USA
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Matthew Bellows
VP, Consumer Strategy
Vivox
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Erik Hauser
Founder
Experiential Marketing Forum
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Michael Cai
Director, Broadband & Gaming
Parks Associates
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Eric Goldberg
Managing Director
Crossover Technologies
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Mark Fischer
Principal
Fish & Richardson
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Joakim 'Jay' Baage
VP, Content
Digital Media Wire
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Nick Smith
Graphic Designer & Gamer
PWN or DIE
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Dave Andersen
Senior Director, Bus. Dev. and Licensing
Activision |
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Shawn DuBravac
Chief Economist
CEA
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John Welch
CEO
Playfirst
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Eric Zimmerman
Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer
Gamelab
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Mike Vorhaus
President
Magid Advisors
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Rob Uhrich
Senior Director, Digital Markets
PaymentOne
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Ned Sherman
CEO & Publisher
Digital Media Wire
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Russ Crupnick
VP, Sr. Industry Analyst
The NPD Group |
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Matt Palmer
EVP & GM
Stardoll.com
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Jonathan Epstein
President & CEO
Double Fusion
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Craig Sherman
CEO
Gaia Online
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Jason Katz
VP, Global Marketing
Championship Gaming Series
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Jeremy Monroe
Director of Bus. Dev., Sports & Ent., N.A.
Sulake |
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Jacquie Lane
Vice President
C&R Research
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Manny Anekal
Sr. Manager, In-Game Advertising
Electronic Arts
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Jon Radoff
CEO
gamerDNA
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Kay Gruenwoldt
Head, N.A. Marketing Team
Nokia Games Publishing
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Brian Dunn
CEO
Brickfish |
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Andrew Schneider
President and Co-founder
Live Gamer
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Michael Kane
Entertainment Features Writer
NY Post
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Justin Townsend
CEO & Co-Founder
IGA WorldWide |
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Agenda
September 25, 2008 - Day 1
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11:00AM–12:30PM
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Exhibitor Set-up
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12:30PM–1:00PM
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Registration & Networking
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1:00PM–1:30PM
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Welcome to the Conference By Co-Chairs
Ned Sherman, CEO & Publisher, Digital Media Wire
Paul O’Reilly, Vice President, Ziff Davis Media, Inc.
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1:30PM–2:45PM
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Top Gaming Trends -
Analyst Presentations
Three leading analysts kick-off the day’s discussions with an overview of the
latest research that reflects and illustrates the current state of gaming and
the directions in which the industry is heading, including: consumer behavior
& attitudes; adoption & penetration rates of key technology channels &
platforms; and business & economic performance numbers.
Panelists
Russ Crupnick, VP & Senior Industry Analyst,
The NPD Group Shawn DuBravac, Chief
Economist, CEA
Moderator: Ned Sherman, CEO &
Publisher, Digital Media Wire |
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2:45PM–3:30PM
PANEL 1
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Debate Club:
Is the Console Entertainment Hub of the Future or Fighting to Stay Alive?
Some are arguing that the console with its powerful operating system is destined to be the
entertainment hub of the digital home, interfacing with the PC, the TV, the set-top box and
mobile devices, and others arguing that the console's death is imminent. Structured as a
formal academic debate over the future of the console and what role it will play in the
digital home, panelists are divided into two teams that are either pro or con console gaming.
Each team will be given 10 minutes for initial arguments and 5 minutes for rebuttals. The
audience will determine the winner via text messaging. Some of the topics the teams will
discuss include the role of the console, the PC, set-top boxes and mobile devices. Who
will be the winners and losers in a fully connected world? This debate is one session
that you don’t want to miss. Sparks will surely fly!
Con-Console Position
Alex St. John, CEO & Founder, Wild Tangent
Pro-Console Position
Justin Townsend, CEO & Co-Founder, IGA WorldWide
Moderator:
Mike Vorhaus, President, Magid Advisors
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3:30PM–3:45PM
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Refreshment &
Networking Break
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3:45PM–4:30PM
PANEL 2
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Get a (Virtual) Life!
The Challenges and Opportunities For Monetizing Virtual Worlds
and MMOGs
The lines between social networks, virtual worlds and games are blurring - so how do you
monetize these new social gaming environments? This panel will discuss the relative
effectiveness of premium subscriptions, sales of music, video and virtual goods and ad supported
content. What is working and what isn’t? How are brand marketers and their agencies
navigating this new space? How do advertisers measure ROI and the
effectiveness of these new and relatively untested campaigns? How do you handle
license and rights issues as well payments effectively? This group of panelists will share
their experiences with different business models as well as give advice for how to make smart marketing investments in this ever-changing
landscape.
Panelists
Craig Sherman, CEO, Gaia Online
Matt Palmer, EVP & GM, Stardoll
Reuben Steiger, CEO, Millions of Us
Andrew Schneider, President & Co-founder,
Live Gamer
Rob Uhrich, Senior Director, Digital
Markets, PaymentOne
Moderator: Eric Goldberg, Managing
Director, Crossover Technologies
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4:30PM–5:15PM
PANEL 3
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Reality Check!
Q&A with our Panel of Gamers from the Millennial Generation
Hear directly from our panel of Gamers from the Millennial generation (born between 1982-2000)
from various backgrounds and age groups. How to connect with teens, tweens and college
consumers? What media do they use? What games do they play? What brands do they like? How do
they spend their money? What is the relationship between political, social and environmental
causes, technology, marketing and the Millennial generation?
Sponsored by:

Moderator: Jacquie Lane, VP, C&R Research
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5:15PM–5:45PM
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Keynote
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5:45PM–7:30PM
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Cocktail Reception |
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September 26, 2008 - DAY 2
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8:30AM–9:00AM
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Registration, Breakfast & Networking
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9:00AM–9:15AM
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Opening Remarks
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9:15AM–9:45AM
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Keynote
John Smedley, President,
Sony Online Entertainment |
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9:45AM–10:30AM
PANEL 1
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Games of Tomorrow
and the Future of MMOGs
The success of the massively multiplayer online games genre is undeniable. This panel of gaming heavyweights
will share their views and predictions on MMOGs and the games of tomorrow. What can we expect for the games
of the future? What platform is best suited for this form of social gaming? Which aspects of gaming will remain
constant? Is the evolution of gaming in countries such as Korea and China a sign of things come?
Panelists
Jim Crowley, CEO & President, Turbine
Jon Radoff, CEO, gamerDNA
John Smedley, President, Sony Online
Entertainment
Matthew Bellows, VP, Consumer Strategy,
Vivox
Moderator: Michael Cai, Director, Broadband
& Gaming, Parks Associates |
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10:30AM–11:00AM
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Refreshment &
Networking Break
Sponsored by:
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11:00AM–11:45AM
PANEL 2
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How to Win The Social
Game -
Harnessing the Power of Online Communities & Social Networks
If the key to reaching the youth generation of today is to go to where they are, then
online communities and social networks are sure to become central to marketing strategies,
brand-building and media and entertainment experiences in the 21st century. What are the
opportunities for social networks to intersect with the next generation of games and
interactive entertainment? How can games and interactive entertainment incorporate features
such as user-generated content, sharing, rewards and referral programs? How are social
networks incorporating game play? What's happening with virtual worlds? This panel of
executives from social networks, technology and games companies will tackle these questions
and more.
Panelists
Dan Porter, SVP, Corporate Development,
Virgin USA
Ranah Edelin, VP, The Sims Internet Group,
Electronic Arts
Brian Dunn, CEO, Brickfish
Nick Smith, Founder, PWNorDie.com
Moderator: Mark Fischer, Principal, Fish
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11:45AM–12:30AM
PANEL 3
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Games as a Marketing Tool -
Connecting Brands With With the Favorite Medium of the Millennial Generation
This panel of advertising, brand and games executives will discuss opportunities for
advertisers and brands to reach consumers through the games, virtual worlds and social
networks. How are brand marketers and their agencies navigating this space? What advertising
campaigns work in games and online communities? How are consumers reacting to ads in games?
How are advertising executives working with game developers? What are the opportunities
and challenges in incorporating advertising and brands into games and online communities?
On the other side of the coin, how can game companies generate revenue and free mass
advertising by incorporating digital game content into brand advertising?
Panelists
Dave Anderson,
Senior Dir., Bus. Dev. & Licensing,
Activision
Manny Anekal, Sr Manager, In-Game Ads,
Electronic Arts
Jeremy Monroe, Director, Bus. Dev., Sports &
Ent, N.A., Sulake
Jonathan Epstein, President & CEO, Double
Fusion
Jason Katz, VP, Global Marketing, Championship Gaming Series
Moderator: Erik Hauser, Founder,
Experiential Marketing Forum
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12:30PM–1:10PM
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Lunch
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1:10PM–1:30PM
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Piracy and Games
Special presentation by
Matt Mason, Author, The Pirate's Dilemma
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1:30PM–2:15PM
PANEL 4
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Mass Market Gaming -
What's Next For The Casual Games Industry?
Casual games are growing in popularity due in part to their availability on multiple
platforms - mobile, Internet, handhelds, PCs and consoles - and new market entrants who
are making a big push in the space. This panel will discuss the opportunity in casual
gaming with a focus on innovation, pricing and distribution models. What has changed in
the last year? What changes can we expect in the coming year? What innovations will fuel
growth? How are new consumers being targeted? What business models are working? Who are
the new market entrants? What is the outlook for product placement, in-game advertising,
and advergaming? What is the future for online casual games?
Panelists
Peter Blacklow, President, WorldWinner
John Welch, Co-Founder & CEO, Playfirst
Eric Zimmerman, Co-Founder/Chief Design Officer,
Gamelab |
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2:15PM–2:30PM
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Gaming in the Military
Special presentation by
Stripes Gamer
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2:30PM–2:45PM
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Life as a Pro Gamer
Kyle "kSharp" Miller, Professional Gamer, The CGS, Team 3D New York
Interviewed by
Michael Kane, Entertainment Features Writer, NY Post
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2:45PM–3:15PM
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Keynote
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3:15PM–3:45PM
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Refreshment &
Networking Break |
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3:45PM–4:30PM
PANEL 6
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Making The Games Work -
The Importance of Online Game Infrastructure Deploymen
As more and more games are going online, it's of critical importantance to make sure that
the games actually work. Today's gaming companies are challenged with a tremendous complexity
in terms of development and deployment of MMOGs and game infrastructures. This is a process
which involves hardware platform vendors, data centers, ongoing support services, as well as
city, state, and country governments. All of these elements supporting an online game have the
potential to break in a way that can take the game, or part of the game, offline. Some of these
elements are under the control of the developer, some are under the control or influence of the
hosting provider, and some are outside of anyone's control. This panel will give you an insider
look under the hood of the growing online game industry. You will walk away with a better idea
of the stakes involved and the challenges and opportunities facing the games industry.
Moderator:
David Reitman, VP, Content & Ent. Practice, Switch and Data
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4:30PM–5:00PM
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Keynote
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5:00PM–5:45PM
PANEL 7
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Games on the Go -
Challenges & Opportunities In Creating and Distributing Mobile Games
By some estimates, mobile games is a $3.3 billion industry and forecasted to increase to
$10 billion by 2009, yet there are challenges that need to be collectively overcome for
the industry to progress to a mass market phenomenon. This panel of decision-makers in
the mobile games value chain will discuss the state of the industry with a focus on
innovation, pricing, new devices, marketing and distribution models for mobile games. What
has changed in the last year? What changes can we expect in the coming year? What factors
are driving and hindering the industry? How is the mobile games market working with successful
online games and brands to grow the mobile games market? Is a licensed game or branded title
needed to succeed in the current mobile games market? When can we expect to see a more
reasonable ecosystem for developers and publishers to bring games to market?
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Produced by

Featuring
About DMW
Digital Media Wire, Inc. launched in early 2000 with a simple yet compelling proposition to provide
busy executives with a daily briefing of the most important news stories about the business of digital
media. On July 20, 2000, we published the first issue of Digital Media Wire Daily — our daily
email newsletter dedicated to objective coverage of news stories about the convergence of media,
entertainment and technology. Today, we are a full scale media company that owns and produces 9 major
conferences, publishes 6 daily newsletters and 3 directories, and operates the popular
www.dmwmedia.com news and community portal.
About DigitalLife
DigitalLife is a four-day consumer event, produced by Ziff Davis Media, dedicated to educating
consumers on what the digital lifestyle means in every aspect of life — at work, home and
play. And, how the convergence of affordable, accessible technologies is enriching and empowering
people’s lives.
Held September 25–28, 2008 in New York City, DigitalLife is focused on educating and inspiring
consumers, press and retailers. Products include, home entertainment, TVs, consumer electronics, home
networking, gaming hardware and software, PCs and laptops, mobile technologies such as phones, PDAs,
MP3 players as well as digital culture.
DigitalLife sponsors & exhibitors include Best Buy, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Toshiba, UT Starcom,
Pentax, and many more.
more info...
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