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LOGIN 2009 Conference

VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi doing a keynote.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEATTLE, Washington, April 30, 2009 – Online game development start-ups, the hidden risks and soaring rewards, will take center stage at one of the leading game industry conferences on Tuesday, May 12th. Evergreen Events, the producer of the LOGIN Conference, is excited to announce the third and final keynote for this year's conference will be led by Dean Takahashi, lead writer for digital media at VentureBeat, a leading technology news blog covering the business of innovation. The 2009 LOGIN Conference, a high-level event designed to facilitate education and networking in an upscale and relaxing setting for business and development leaders involved with the online game industry, will be held May 11th-14th 2009 in Seattle, Washington at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

In this keynote address entitled "What’s a Wave and What’s a Puddle?", Mr. Takahashi will consider the tricky question of deciding what’s a wave to jump on and what’s really just a puddle for start-up companies. You don’t want to get to the wave too early, and you don’t want to show up too late.

By VentureBeat’s calculations, investors poured $935 million into 111 game and virtual world companies in 2008, up from $614 million in 2007 (the latter figure according to Jussi Lakkonen). That’s a pretty rocking party. But some people are wondering if the bubble has fully expanded. Will the lousy sales numbers from the month of March for console games signal a slowdown in everything related to games and game investment?

Venture capitalists and other investors are wondering about the wave or puddle question with respect to game startups. If games are a haven from the recession, then it’s worth investing in. But if the recession has dried up the opportunities for new game startups, then it isn’t worth jumping into the puddle. But if games are just beginning to get going, then it’s a great time to pile in and pay attention to new markets, new audiences, and new platforms.

Should game developers pay attention to the VCs when they decide what kind of games to build? Are fitness games in? Are training simulations en vogue? Should the gamer makers chase the emerging markets where the growth is? Or should the game developers just try to make something that they themselves would play?

We’ll ponder these subjects in more in a speech by Dean Takahashi, lead writer for digital media at VentureBeat, a technology news blogs covering the business of innovation.

Dean Takahashi is the lead writer for digital media at VentureBeat, a tech news blogging company. He has covered the tech industry for more than 20 years and writes many stories on the video game, security, and chip businesses. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and The Xbox 360 Uncloaked. He has worked as a journalist at the San Jose Mercury News, Red Herring magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He also helped organize the recent GamesBeat 09 conference.

"The LOGIN conference is the ideal place and has the right crowd for me to talk about what works and what doesn't in the current era of game startups," said Dean Takahashi.

"We are privileged that we have been given an opportunity to partner with VentureBeat's inaugural GamesBeat 2009 event and even more excited that Dean Takahashi will be giving our opening day keynote address. Dean is not only an accomplished writer but also an insightful observer of the interactive entertainment and technology spaces. This is more than we had hoped for," said Cynthia Freese, Executive Director of the LOGIN Conference and Co-Founder of Evergreen Events. "His topic about start-ups, funding and the future direction of this industry is not only timely but essential for angel and venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and start-up companies charting their course through this volatile market."

Mr. Takahashi joins over a hundred industry veterans in speaking at LOGIN 2009, who will be discussing a wide range of business, community, design, globalization, legal and programming/technology topics in dozens of lectures, debates, panels and roundtables. For the complete agenda, check out LOGIN's complete schedule: http://www.2009.loginconference.com/agenda.php .

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 dozens of insightful speakers, four different tracks, a 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 register for LOGIN 2009, start here: http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=705657. To join the LOGIN Lobby, LOGIN's exclusive social networking site for industry professionals, visit 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, IBM, iGN Entertainment, iovation, Language Automation, Marriott Resorts Hawaii, Parature, paysafecard.com, Perkins Coie, PLAYXPERT, Savvis, Simutronics, Solid State Networks, Super Rewards, Trialpay, Trust Who, Vindicia, and Washington Interactive Network

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.

About VentureBeat

VentureBeat was founded in September 2006 by Matt Marshall. The Web site's mission is to provide news and information about private companies and the venture capital that fuels them. VentureBeat has focused initially on Silicon Valley, and has expanded to cover innovation hubs around the globe. Its mission in each region will be the same: to provide insider news and data about the entrepreneurial and venture community that is useful to decision makers. For more information, please visit http://venturebeat.com

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Dean Takahashi’s Profile:

http://www.2009.loginconference.com/speaker.php?id=163634

LOGIN Conference Art Assets:

http://www.loginconference.com/logo_art.html

Press Contact:

Paul Philleo

Marketing Communications Advisor

Voice: 425-996-8478 x102

E-mail: paul@loginconference.com

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GamesIndustry International

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GamesIndustry International is the world's leading games industry website, incorporating GamesIndustry.biz and IndustryGamers.com.