Former Microsoft VP to Predict Industry’s Future; MacLean to Share Lessons Learned

MOUNT ROYAL, NJ – July 05, 2013– Ed Fries, former VP of game publishing and co-founder of the Xbox project, Microsoft Game Studios, and Jen MacLean, former CEO, 38 Studios will deliver keynotes at IGDA Summit 2013 Wednesday – Thursday, July 31 – August 1, 2013 in the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel.

Fries, a long-time industry veteran says he is ready to share some of the secrets he has learned in the nine years since he left Microsoft. He will share his thoughts with attendees on: why some companies succeed while others fail, why we are still waiting for inventions long promised (but enjoying other technologies no one imagined) and what secrets the future will bring.

MacLean, who navigated her career in games from playtester to CEO, will share lessons learned from 20+ years’ experience building teams, making games and living a happy life.

The IGDA Summit enters its third year of supporting the game development community with creative content designed to help individual game professionals learn and grow in their craft while educating them about key issues that affect the industry at large. This year’s summit will have nine tracks: Advocacy, Beyond Development, Community, Core Development, Entrepreneur, Getting Started, IGDA Community, Indie Development and Leadership. Some of the notable presenters include:

• Doru Apreotesei, Creative Supervisor, Ubisoft Blue Byte
• Kate Edwards, Executive Director, IGDA
• Sela Davis, Software Engineer, Microsoft Corporation
• Cade Peterson, Former Community Manager PlayStation Digital Platforms, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
• Sue Bohle, CEO, The Bohle Company
• Lindsay Peck, Principal QA, ArenaNet

Co-located with Casual Connect USA, the IGDA Summit has early bird pricing until July 22 that lets IGDA members attend the two-day event for $80, non-members for $150. Casual Connect attendees get into the IGDA Summit free.

Visit www.igda.org/summit for more information.

To register, go to http://www.igda.org/summit/registration/.

To view the schedule, visit http://www.igda.org/summit/schedule/.

About the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
In its 17th year, the International Game Developers Association is the largest non-profit membership organization serving individuals who create video games. The IGDA is committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community. For more information on the IGDA, please visit www.igda.org.