GamesBeat 2013 speaker highlight: Nexon CFO Owen Mahoney on Asia's move into Western games

Investors and consumers have rewarded a number of the Asian companies with sizable market values and lots of cash. And these publishers and developers are using that clout to move into Western game markets. Nexon has grown into a quiet giant, with more than $1.3 billion in revenues and operating margins over 40 percent in 2012. You can bet that it will become better known in the U.S. Mahoney will discuss the new realities of the U.S. gaming industry, strategies to succeed in the West, and how Nexon plans to disrupt the console status quo.

Here’s our the rest of our announced speakers for our event Oct. 29-30 at the Sofitel Hotel in Redwood City, Calif.:

• John Riccitiello, active game investor and former CEO of Electronic Arts
• Brendan Iribe, CEO of Oculus VR
• Frank Gibeau, the president of EA Labels at Electronic Arts
• Tim Chang, a partner at Mayfield Fund
• Robin Hunicke, the cofounder of Funomena
• Wim Stocks, the executive vice president at Virgin Gaming
• Mark Donovan, the president of Xfire
• Gabriel Leydon, the CEO of Machine Zone
• Geoff Keighley, the host of Spike TV’s GTTV
• Adam Sessler, the executive producer of Revision3 Games
• Martin Rae, the president of Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
• Bing Gordon, a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
• Clive Downie, the CEO of DeNA West
• Tony Bartel, the president of GameStop
• Tim Merel, the managing director at Digi-Capital
• Kevin Chou, the cofounder and CEO at Kabam
• Sunny Dhillon, early stage investor at Signia Venture Partners
• Brock Pierce, the managing director of Clearstone Global Fund

Our theme for the conference is the “Battle Royal,” where all game companies compete across platforms, territories, digital and physical markets, and categories of games.

We’ve entered an era where many and varied companies are competing for gamers’ time in the same space. Apple and Google want to get in the living room and are waging war against Nintendo and Sony. Microsoft already has an edge in living room entertainment with its Xbox Live service, but it wants a piece of mobile as well. It’s a confusing time for game makers. Where should they take their games? What platforms will provide the best gaming experiences? Who will make them the most money?

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We’ll roll out a steady drumbeat of speakers as we get closer to GamesBeat 2013′s October date. We expect to have more than 80 of the gaming industry’s best lined up from our fifth annual event.

Each year, GamesBeat follows a big trend. In 2009, we focused on how “All The World’s a Game,” with the explosion of games on the global stage. In 2010, GamesBeat@GDC focused on “Disruption 2.0.” In 2011, our theme was “Mobile Games Level Up,” focusing on the busy intersection of games and mobile technology. In 2012, we focused on “The Crossover Era,” defined by the time when so many big game companies and startups were transforming themselves by expanding from one market to the next.

As companies adapt to change, we’re witnessing disruption, adaptation, consolidation, innovation, and the arrival of big money. We’re talking billions of dollars that are at stake. We’re expecting 400 notables from throughout the game industry — social, mobile, online, and console. Please join us.

Early Bird tickets are still available. Register by Sept. 11 to save $100. Sign up today!

Thanks to the following industry leaders for supporting GamesBeat 2013 as sponsors: NativeX, Ren Ren Games, and Tapjoy as Gold Sponsors; Flurry, Kontagent, and LifeStreet Media as Silver Sponsors; AppFlood and Slashdot as Event Sponsors; Akamon Entertainment and Arkadium as contributing sponsors. If you’d like to be a sponsor, please send a message to sponsors@venturebeat.com.