GUEST BIOGRAPHY

Geoffrey “GZ” Zatkin is a game designer, industry executive, and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the video game industry. One of the original designers of EverQuest, co-founder of game data giant EEDAR and game development studio Experiment 7, Geoffrey is also Extra Credits studio director and game designer in residence.

In 2018 Geoffrey joined Extra Credits as a board member, severing as senior leadership for the creative staff and directing channel strategy before becoming Extra Credits studio director in late 2019. He has overseen channel growth taking Extra Credits from 1.4 to 2.6 million subscribers.

In 2015 Geoffrey co-founded Experiment 7, a video game studio focused on creating virtual reality strategy games with broad audience appeal. Experiment 7’s best-selling VR games are partnerships with popular brands including Catan (Asmodee) and Dungeons and Dragons (Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast).

In 2006 Geoffrey co-founded EEDAR, the video game industry’s premier market research and business-intelligence firm, which was acquired by NPD in 2016. He directed the development of EEDAR’s data classification and products & services infrastructure, and later served on its board of directors and as an evangelist-at-large.

Geoffrey’s first decade in the video game industry was as a game designer, where he served in senior and lead design roles for numerous video game titles generating over $1 billion in combined revenue. He was an integral part of the original EverQuest design team and helped pioneer the rise of MMO games.

Geoffrey is a frequent contributor to game industry development as a presenter at GDC, PAX, and various other conferences and collegiate game courses. He has been interviewed for numerous publications, is a patented inventor, and currently lives in San Diego with his wife and three cats.

ABOUT THESE EVENTS

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Central Virginia chapter hosts events in and around the area to connect, promote, and educate our local video game development industry, towards developing the industry locally, and supporting the careers of all involved.