Game::Business::Law

DALLAS, TX - October 13, 2008 – Game::Business::Law, an international summit on the law and business of video games, will be held at the SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas on January 14-15, 2009. The summit will bring together global game industry leaders, investors, developers, publishers, and lawyers for two days to explore the latest trends in the games industry.

Game::Business::Law will provide practical approaches for achieving success in the evolving marketplace of digital games. Mitch Lasky, general partner at Benchmark Capital, will lead the first day’s panels as keynote speaker. Mitch has spent more than two decades in the video game, new media and interactive entertainment business. Mike Hogan, chief marketing officer of GameStop Corporation, the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer, will be the keynote speaker on the second day of the conference.

“Many positive and negative changes are impacting the fast-growing game industry, which is causing the focus to shift to legal issues such as who owns intellectual property,” said Dr. Peter Raad, Executive Director, The Guildhall at SMU. “We wanted to attract speakers who’ve been on the forefront of these legal and financing issues in the game industry, and we’re delighted to have such industry leaders as Mitch Lasky and Mike Hogan to spearhead these topics as our keynote speakers.”

Dr. Raad, along with Richard Garriott, Executive Producer, NCsoft, is serving as co-chair of the summit.

Other notable speakers for the Game::Business::Law summit include:

• Joseph Olin, President, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences will serve as moderator and Steve Nix, Director of Business Development, id Software; Jason Holtman, Director of Business Development/Legal Affairs, Valve and Dan Ferguson, Founder and Director of Game Development, Blockdot, Inc. will be speakers on the Game Developments and Business Models panel.

• Michael Klotz, Games Business Senior Manager, NPD Group will be the luncheon speaker on the first day of the conference.

• Patrick Pugh, principal, Price Waterhouse Coopers, will moderate a discussion on Game Financing: Present and Future, which will feature experts from the game industry and financial sectors.

• Edward A. Cavazos of Fish & Richardson P.C. will act as moderator and JJ Richards, General Manager, Advertiser & Publisher Solutions, Microsoft; Zach Bishop, Hunton & Williams and Barry Seaton of Barry C. Seaton, P.C. will serve as speakers on the topic of Games and Legal Issues and Challenges.

• Xuan-Thao Nguyen, professor at the SMU Dedman School of Law will moderate and Diana Li, CEO, Shanda Games in China will be the featured speaker on Games in Asia: Development, Business and Legal Issues.

• David L. McCombs, Haynes and Boone, LLP will serve as moderator and John W. Crittenden, Cooley Godward Kronish LLP; Matt Esber, General Counsel, NCsoft Corporation ; Christian S. Genetski, Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal LLP; and Henry W. (Hank) Jones, III, Law Office of Henry W. Jones -and- Intersect Technology Consulting will be speakers on Games and Gaming Litigation.

• Ken Doroshow, General Counsel, Entertainment Software Association will be interviewed by a prominent member of the media on the topic of Games and Gaming Regulations.

The summit organizers also announce the first round of sponsors: Haynes and Boone, LLP and GamesBizWire as gold sponsors and Fish & Richardson P.C. as a silver sponsor.

To keep informed about the latest news and view the full list of speakers, a conference program, sponsorship information and to register on-line, please visit the official Game::Business::Law website at www.game-business-law.com.

For additional information on the conference, please contact Ron Jenkins, Deputy Director, The Guildhall at SMU, at jenkinsr@smu.edu or (972)473-3546.

GamesBizWire is the official wire service of Game::Business::Law. For more information about GamesBizWire, please contact Amanda Griffin at agriffin@gamesbizwire.com.