Introducing GamesBeat 2009, a conference about the future of the video game business
We’re pleased to announce that VentureBeat will hold its first annual games conference, called GamesBeat, on March 24, 2009.
We’ve consulted with the top players in the games industry as we built our vision for the conference. They’ve told us there are few, if any, places where business leaders and entrepreneurs can discuss gaming’s biggest issues in an intimate setting with high-level networking. They’re craving insight into how the most interesting new technologies and business models will impact their businesses. These are some of the voids we’re aiming to fill with GamesBeat 2009. (Application form here). The timing coincides with the Game Developers Conference (March 23 to 27, 2009), an event which we view as complementary.
Here’s the context: It’s a time of explosive growth for the video game industry, but it now faces a crossroads. Will games become such an immersive experience that they emerge as the pinnacle of entertainment? And while developers seek to realize this goal, how will the business of their games fare? The signs are promising: As more people start playing games, advertisers are increasingly taking note. Meanwhile, Hollywood, application makers and retailers of all sorts are likely to use games and gaming principles to hook users with addictive content, or to engage them in ways that will lead to more transactions.
