Announcing our next trio of speakers for GamesBeat 2014: a store guy, a broadcaster, and a reporter

We’re pleased to announce today more must-see speakers for GamesBeat 2014, our game-industry conference that takes place Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 at the Parc 55 Wyndham Hotel in San Francisco.

Our next speakers include:

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Bob Meese, global head of games business development for Google Play, Google’s app store for Android apps and games. Meese’s team works with mobile games developers worldwide to help them grow their businesses on Android and works closely with product teams to influence development of key areas including payments, distribution, discovery, and engagement. Prior to joining Google Play, Meese spent four years on Google’s New Business Development team, focused on launching new gaming platforms on Chrome and Google+, as well as new ad formats across mobile, web, and TV.

Meese will talk in a fireside chat dubbed “Mobile Momentum and Google Play.” Mobile has seen explosive growth across the country and across the world, and games play a critical role. With Android accounting for 62 percent of the mobile device market, the opportunity is massive for game developers. I will moderate the session.

Jonathan Simpson-Bint, chief revenue officer of Twitch, the livestreaming and game community platform that has more than 50 million users a month. Simpson-Bint joined Twitch in September 2011, handling tasks such as in-game integration and the creation of the Twitch Media Group. He previously was president of Future US where he launched a number of successful game magazines such as Next Generation and PSM: 100% Independent PlayStation Magazine, plus the portals IGN.com and DailyRadar.com. Simpson-Bint will do a fireside chat at our event.

Malathi Nayak, a reporter for Reuters in San Francisco. She reports on the video game industry and consumer technology, writing about companies such as King, Zynga, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard. She previously covered the White House and Capitol Hill for Reuters in Washington, D.C. She will be a moderator at GamesBeat 2014.

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We’ll cover the full spectrum of gaming at our sixth annual GamesBeat event. The conference gathers the top executives, investors, analysts, journalists, and entrepreneurs from the industry to explore the latest trends and monetization opportunities.

GamesBeat editor-in-chief Dan “Shoe” Hsu and I will once again serve as masters of ceremonies. Our theme for 2014 is “Total World Domination.” Gaming is competing on the world stage to become the dominant medium for entertainment. Will it succeed? And will blockbusters dominate the game business across all platforms — consoles, PCs, mobile, and online — or will diversity thrive as indies stay strong?

If you purchase one of the first 50 tickets, you can get up to $400 off the event.

Our previously announced speakers include:

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• Lucy Bradshaw, senior vice president of the Maxis label at Electronic Arts
• Rachel Franklin, the general manager of The Sims Studio at EA
• Rick Thompson, the chairman of Signia Ventures
• Chris DeWolfe, the chief executive of SGN
• Phil Sanderson, a game-savvy partner at IDG Ventures
• Peter Levin, the president of interactive ventures and games at Lionsgate, the film studio that made The Hunger Games and Divergent
• Mike Gallagher, the president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association
• Jens Begemann, the chief executive of German social mobile game publisher Wooga
• Mitch Lasky, a general partner at Benchmark and an investor in Riot Games and Natural Motion
• John Riccitiello, a gaming investor and the former CEO of Electronic Arts
• Evan Hirsch, the founder of Engine Co. No. 4 (talking about seeing signs of trouble in game studios)
• Alisa Chumachenko, the CEO of Moscow-based mobile game maker Game Insight
• Tim Chang, the managing director at the Mayfield Fund

Our advisers include:

• Brock Pierce, the managing director of the Clearstone Global Fund
• Eric Goldberg, the managing director of Crossover Technologies
• Michael Chang, the managing director of Mavent Partners
• Tim Chang

We’ll roll out a steady drumbeat of speakers as we get closer to the event. We expect to have about 100 speakers.

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 explored 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. Last year, we talked about the Battle Royale as barriers between the different industry segments came down. Now, in the bid for Total World Domination, the competition to become the biggest global gaming company is wide open.

As game companies adapt to change, we’re witnessing disruption, change, consolidation, innovation, and the arrival of big money. Billions of dollars that are at stake. Last year, more than 550 notables from throughout the game industry — social, mobile, online, PC, and console — attended the event. Please join us.

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This year, we’ll see the return of our contest for the best gaming startup. The attention that these startups get for speaking onstage and winning the event is invaluable. An all-star panel of judges will pick the most promising game startup, based on freshness, innovation, and potential for business success. The top nominees will appear onstage, and the judges will pick the winner at the event.

We are still exploring our subthemes for the event and welcome your suggestions. If you’d like to sponsor, please send an email to sales@venturebeat.com.

Here’s what a couple of game-industry leaders said about last year’s event:

“Thanks for the contributions GamesBeat has made for this industry.” –Bing Gordon, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

“It’s really refreshing listening to the cutting-edge innovation that is happening in the industry. I’m learning so much by being here.” –– Mike Gallagher, the president of the Entertainment Software Association

Purchase one of the first 50 tickets and save $400!

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Thanks to the following industry leaders for supporting GamesBeat 2014: NativeX as Corporate Partner; Tapjoy and SupersonicAds as Gold Partner; SponsorPay, LifeStreet Media and Personagraph as Event Partner.