LOGIN 2009 Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEATTLE, Washington, April 15, 2009 - The 2009 LOGIN Conference, an annual event at the forefront of innovation and change in the online game development business, continues to boldly explore new territory for conference attendees. Now included among the dozens of sessions, panels, and roundtables is a series of three formal debates covering issues of secondary markets, ownership of virtual property, and the thorny issue of scripting by game designers.

"Traditional panels and lectures excel in delivering a range of opinions and a single focused viewpoint respectively. However, a debate presents attendees a high-resolution set of contrasting views that can challenge or reinforce their opinions in ways no other presentation format can," said Peter Freese, Conference Director of LOGIN. "LOGIN takes on the tough topics with experienced speakers, and introducing formal debates is proof of our commitment to that standard for our attendees."

Each debate is 60 minutes long and uses an abbreviated version of the National Forensics League's policy debate format. This format gives speakers the freedom to define the direction and shape of the debate, but also provides it with structure and purpose. The debate is framed by a resolution: a formal statement of intent that one speaker will affirm and the other will negate. The resolution is intended to be divisive, worded in such a way that a clear position for or against it can be made. The ultimate goal is to educate the audience on the depth of popular issues; the take-away is a laundry list of thought provoking opinions that will get people interested in and talking about solutions to these development problems long after the conference.

Excitement is already building for the debates. According to Jia Ji, CEO of Couchange, "I've never seen formal debate at a gaming conference before, so it'll be interesting to see how people respond. I really hope it takes off since the industry could use more substantive debate rather than people regurgitating the same tired talking points."

The first debate, Secondary Markets, will take place Tuesday afternoon between Geoffrey Zatkin, President and COO of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, and Martin Herdina, CEO of fatfoogoo. Chinese consultancy firm Plus Eight Star recently estimated the size of global trade in virtual goods in China alone to be over 5 billion US dollars annually. Many maintain that this secondary market damages the very game development studios whose effort and capital produce the items that compose virtual trade. Do game developers deserve a bigger slice of the pie? Does the secondary market harm the player experience? This session will examine these matters in a formal debate with Martin advocating for secondary markets and Geoffrey against.

The second debate on Wednesday, Designers and Scripting Systems, will feature Marty Poulin, CEO of Shady Logic Studios versus Isaac Barry, Creative Director of GameHouse. Designers see scripting languages as powerful tools for rapidly implementing game ideas and directly realizing their gameplay goals without having to rely on the programming pipeline. Programmers see designer scripting as a source of unstable, unmaintainable code and post-launch disaster scenarios. This session explores this conflict in a formal debate with Marty arguing that game logic implementation is a task for the programming team, and Isaac defending the practice of designer scripting.

The final debate on Thursday afternoon, Virtual Property Ownership, will have sparks flying as Erik Bethke, CEO of GoPets Ltd. goes head-to-head with Jon Grande, EVP and GM Online Services of Exponential Entertainment. Players of online games spend hundreds of hours accumulating and trading virtual goods: magical weapons, homes, pets, etc. Do players own the virtual fruits of their very real labor? Can game developers and service providers profit from an increase in players' virtual property rights? This session explores these questions in a formal debate, with Erik advocating for virtual property rights and Jon against.

In each debate, speakers will present their case, be subject to cross-examination, and attack their opponent's position. Brandon Reinhart, game designer and programmer at Valve Software, and more importantly, experienced policy debater, will be moderating the three debates.

View the full LOGIN Conference agenda: http://www.2009.loginconference.com/agenda.php

Over 100 speakers and almost 65 sessions are packed into three full days of high-level networking, information-sharing and relaxation with colleagues at the 2009 LOGIN Conference. LOGIN will be held May 11th-14th 2009 in Seattle, Washington at the fantastic Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel, and will continue to make its mark as an innovative event designed to facilitate education, networking, and entertainment for the leaders of the business and development online game industry.

Registration at the low rate of $695, a savings of $500, for the 2009 LOGIN Conference will be available only through April 28th . For more information about registration, please visit http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=705657. The official venue, the Seattle Waterfront Marriott, has made available a special rate of $209 to attendees, for single or occupancy, which will expire on or before April 24, 2009, depending on availability.

Now in its third year, the LOGIN Conference is an annual game industry event created for the leading voices and minds of the online game industry from all corners of the globe. The conference is designed to encourage networking and to create unique business opportunities for all attendees. LOGIN 2009 will feature one hundred insightful speakers, five different tracks, networking expo area, conference party, welcome reception, speed networking breakfasts, and business lounge meeting rooms.Visit the official website http://www.2009.loginconference.com for the latest news and information about the 2009 LOGIN Conference. To join the LOGIN Lobby, visit this link: http://lobby.loginconference.com. To keep informed about the latest news about LOGIN and the online game industry, sign up for the free LOGIN Beat newsletter at http://www.2009.loginconference.com/signup.html.

LOGIN is supported by:

2009 LOGIN CONFERENCE SPONSORS: Dolby, fatfoogoo, Garvey Schubert Barer, iGN Entertainment, iovation, Language Automation, Parature, paysafecard.com, Perkins Coie, PLAYXPERT, Savvis, Super Rewards, Trialpay, Trust Who, and Vindicia

2009 LOGIN CONFERENCE PARTNERS: China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference (ChinaJoy), China GC Networks, GamesBeat 2009, GamesIndustry.biz, Mary-Margaret Network, MPOGD, Pearl Research, Redline China, Stratics, TheBrasse, Thisisgame, and Vault Network

About Evergreen Events, Inc

Evergreen Events, Inc., ( http://www.evergreenevents.org), is a Seattle area-based producer of conferences and events for the interactive entertainment industry. Evergreen Events is dedicated to the enrichment of both established and aspiring professionals through innovative first-class events offering exceptional content that is compelling, educational, and cogent. Our directors and advisors bring over a century of collective successful experience and involvement in the game industry.

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Press Contact:

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E-mail: paul@loginconference.com