LOGIN 2011 Director's Choice
While looking over the complete list of sessions for LOGIN today, I was struck with a familiar gloomy thought. It's a pang of remorse that I've gotten every year about this time while working on the conference. You see, with LOGIN I've tried to create the kind of conference that I've always wanted to attend: big enough to facilitate great networking, but small enough that you are not lost in a sea of faces; a hip, relaxing environment that allows you to recharge your mental batteries instead of getting worn down; and great talks filled with useful, serious, and innovative content instead of rehashes of the same old general audience topics.
It is in achieving this latter goal that I ironically find myself disappointed. As conference director, I'm about as busy as a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest during the actual conference. I'm lucky if I get to sit down and take in an entire session. LOGIN is the conference where I can't be a guest. And this year I wish I really could, because we've got the best agenda we've ever produced. Here are five of the sessions that I most wish to attend:
The New & Changing World of Videogame Financing
Our industry doesn't suffer from a lack of great game ideas. What we do lack, however, is funding for projects. Brayden Olson, one of the most successful new entrepreneurs I know, will talk about funding opportunities for new and existing teams and how he has utilized them for his new startup, Novel. The potential partners available to startup, small-, and mid-size videogame firms may surprise you.Devs vs. Trolls: A Survival Guide to Player Communications
For years, the responsibility for communication with players has fallen to highly trained ninjas with liquid tongues and cat-like reflexes — the community managers. Many teams are now getting their devs involved in talking to the community — sometimes to humanize the development team to the players and sometimes because the teams are too small to support specialized roles. Linda "Brasse" Carlson, director of Global Community Relations at SOE, explains how to avoid the pitfalls that await in communicating directly to players.From Grand Theft Auto to a Perfect 10: How Games Get Reviewed
Video game reviews can have a very real effect on a consumer's intent to purchase and a game's overall success (especially with score aggregators like MetaCritic), but they are often one of the least understood parts of the marketing and public relations process. In this lecture, veteran game critic Erik Brudvig will provide an inside look into how video games get reviewed and answer some oft asked questions. How are scores awarded? How long does a reviewer play a game before writing his or her assessment? How are media outlets adapting to the changing face of games and the increasing importance of online play?The Necessity of Social Game Distribution and the Future of Cross-Platform Convergence
Over the past two years, numerous restrictions, policy changes, and the over-crowded competitive landscape has necessitated the need for game developers to expand their social game operations beyond Facebook to maintain growth and economic viability. Jude Gomila, president and co-founder of HeyZap, explains why game developers must pursue other distribution channels in order to fulfill a healthy user acquisition strategy.Gamification Will Eat Itself: How Gamification Can Evolve, and Why It Must
Like the explosive growth of a strain of virulent bacteria, gamification has gone from a tiny spark to a powerhouse trend in the blink of an eye — tens of thousands of tweets, hundreds of thousands of search results, and millions of VC dollars pouring into the space. But can simply adding some points, levels, and badges really create the kind of sustained lift in acquisition, loyalty, and engagement its most ardent advocates believe? Not likely, according to Scott Dodson, COO of Bobber Interactive, but the potential is there as gamification grows beyond its behavioralist and marketing roots and embraces solid game design.Those five sessions are just the tip of the iceberg. Look a bit deeper, and you'll find a wealth of excellent and hard-hitting talks given by folks who really know their stuff. I wish I could attend all of them, and I know you will feel the same way after looking at the conference agenda.
One talk that I personally won't miss, and I suggest you don't either, is Online Games 2016: Twelve Spoilers for the Future, a recurring annual panel that I again have the pleasure of moderating. Each of my four distinguished panelists — Greg Bear, Scott Dodson, Rick Lambright, and Jamil Moledina — will be presenting their very unique and daring predictions about changes in the online game industry over the next five years. Some of these prognostications will greatly surprise you, some may unsettle you, but they may just be your best chance to get a head start on the future.
Fortunately for you, you have the chance to attend any one of the more than 60 outstanding keynotes, lectures, and panels at LOGIN this year. But don't wait to register, because after this week, the online registration price goes up $100. Wait too long, and you might have some regrets of your own.
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Peter Freese Conference Director LOGIN Conference |
Three Weeks Until LOGIN 2011
The LOGIN Conference is still one of the best deals of the year, and by registering online now, you can save money and look a lot smarter when filling out the expense report. But the discounted priced (under $500 for a full conference pass) only lasts until May 2, so register today!
Just what does attendance get you at the LOGIN Conference?
- First-class content. You'll have access to over 60 lectures, panels, debates, and roundtables over three days, covering topics important to the breadth of the online game development world, including business, legal, production, new technologies, virtual worlds, social networking, community, and much more, delivered by some of the industry's most influential and knowledgeable speakers.
- Networking opportunities galore. Whether at the classy LOGIN welcome reception, the LOGIN Business lounge, or one of the speed-networking breakfasts, you'll have more opportunities to rub elbows with some of the online game industry's most powerful movers and shakers than any other event. Since LOGIN is smaller and more exclusive than other events, you can have the time you need to get to know just the right people without being lost in the mob.
- Incredible amenities. Ask anyone who attended last year: The sit-down lunches, gourmet snacks, and fine wine are just a part of what made LOGIN one of the most memorable and superior game industry experiences in 2010. Everything at LOGIN is step beyond what you've experienced elsewhere.
If you're ready to register for LOGIN, get started here:
New Speakers Announced
The LOGIN team has been busy reviewing speaker submissions. We are extremely pleased to announce more speakers. We will be announcing more speakers and sessions over the coming months, so stay tuned for the complete list.
See the complete list of speakers  |
Peter Freese
Peter Freese is an entrepreneur, programmer, and visionary/co-creator of the LOGIN Conference. Peter has been making games professionally for nearly 20 years and has founded several games studios. Peter is an advocate for shared technology and was previously Core Technology Director for NCsoft. His experience with online games ranges from first-person shooters to MMORPGs. Peter has held lead roles on titles including Blood, Gabriel Knight 3, Ultima Online 2, Tabula Rasa, Auto Assault, and most recently, Counter-Strike: Source. |
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Scott Dodson
Scott is the COO and product owner at Bobber Interactive (www.bobberinteractive.com). Bobber combines a savings platform with a payment card, on Facebook, and uses game mechanics as a core driver of the user experience. A serial entrepreneur with a background in marketing and advertising, a history in gaming, and a core competency around engagement, prior to Bobber, Scott founded and funded Flying Rhino Studios, Tenacious Games Inc., and Divide by Zero Games. A speaker at national and international game and finance conferences, his passion is the intersection of motivational psychology and game design to drive virality, engagement, and user behavior. |
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Jamil Moledina
As outreach director for EA Partners, Jamil looks for the best independent game developers in the world to sign and pair them with EA's industry-leading production, marketing, and publishing strength. He also created and manages EA Partners' initiative to sign and publish indie developers' downloadable games. Previously, he was the executive director of the Game Developers Conference, the largest professionals-only event in the game industry. Prior to that, he was editor-in-chief of Game Developer magazine, the leading professional game publication.
Jamil currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Game Developers Association and various game industry advisory boards and game festival juries. |
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Rick Lambright
Rick Lambright is CTO and co-founder of Motiga, a mobile game publisher/developer startup in the Seattle area. Prior to Motiga, Rick was chief architect at Gazillion Entertainment, developer of a variety of MMOs, including Marvel Super Hero Squad, LEGO Universe, and Jumpgate Evolution. Rick's game industry experience began at Starwave in 1995 as server architect and lead server programmer on the pioneering MMO Castle Infinity, the first fully released MMO designed for children. Subsequently, Rick was director of Online Technology at Humongous and Cavedog Entertainment. Rick was subsequently VP of Internet Engineering at LithTech and director of Online Technology at Monolith. In 2005, he joined Secret Lair Studios, which became Sierra Online Seattle. Rick was technical director at Sierra Online. |
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Greg Bear
Greg Bear is the author of Darwin's Radio, Eon, Blood Music, and The Forge of God. His most recent books include Hull Zero Three (Orbit November 2010), Mariposa (Perseus paperback November 2010), and Halo: Cryptum (Tor, January 2011). |
Interview With Jonathan Knight
'Jump In, the Water Is Fine': The Talent Migration to Social
The recent shift of talent from traditional game studios to upstart social game developers is almost as striking as the growth of social games themselves versus the traditional game audience. It may not be a flash in the pan either but a long-term trend. Jonathan Knight is one of those developers who took the leap last year. Jonathan shares his experiences, reflecting on the opportunities and challenges in making the jump into social games in this interview with LOGIN News and in his upcoming talk at LOGIN 2011, 'Jump In, the Water Is Fine': The Talent Migration to Social.
PAUL PHILLEO: Hi, Jonathan, thanks for taking the time for an interview. Can you give us a quick introduction into your background in the games industry and your work with RockYou?
JONATHAN KNIGHT: I come from traditional (or "establishment") games. I worked at several major publishers including Interplay, Activision, and Electronic Arts. I worked in traditional gaming for over 15 years and thoroughly enjoyed all the projects that I was fortunate enough to be involved with! I produced and directed for top franchises, including Star Trek, Quake, Wolfenstein, and The Simpsons. I also was a key creative and production lead for The Sims 2 and was the creator of Dante's Inferno. Recently I became very interested in the growing and rapidly evolving social games space, and I joined RockYou last fall. Social games bring new challenges to the table so I'm excited to be moving in a new direction.
Why do you feel prominent game developers have made their move from traditional games to social game studios? What does this trend signify to the game industry as a whole?
Facebook games have introduced a whole new audience to gaming. I think developers who have traditionally worked on AAA titles are excited about taking on new design challenges and enjoy the opportunity to create games for a larger mainstream audience. In social gaming, the development cycles are much shorter, so it gives developers the chance to experiment with more ideas. A social game developer can design more titles in their career than a traditional game developer who may be tied to one concept for several years. Also, the production value of social games is going up. I feel that social gaming is the future of gaming, not just a trend in the industry, and it is exciting to be involved as the industry makes this shift.
Read more and post your comments at LOGIN News
LOGIN 2011 Wants You!
Attend the LOGIN Conference by becoming a volunteer! Participation in the Volunteer Program will give you a backstage look into the inner workings of LOGIN while contributing to the success of this event. In your free time, you will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with industry professionals, as well as attend conference sessions and events.
Volunteers get full access to the conference in exchange for part-time volunteer work. We need volunteers to assist with registration, bag-stuffing, room usher, and runner duties. The Volunteer Program is a great way to experience LOGIN on a budget. It's also the only way to get a cool LOGIN staff shirt!
Volunteers are expected to be available for a total of eight hours of work over the course of the conference. All volunteers, regardless of discipline or area of interest, are encouraged to apply. No prior experience with the game industry is required. We are looking for reliable, hard-working, self-starting, independent, enthusiastic volunteers who are excited about the conference and who want to be among the next generation of industry leaders and professionals.
Take the first step to becoming part of the team that makes the LOGIN Conference run. Learn more about the Volunteer Program, and fill out the online application by May 1, 2011.
