Dice Summit focuses on the art of engaging players in 2016

The rather unsexy topic of player engagement takes center stage at gaming’s big show in Las Vegas this year.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) announced today that it will explore the “art of engagement” as its theme for gaming at its annual elite event for game developers. It will also hold its annual 2016 Dice Summit at a new home, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, February 16 to February 18, 2016.

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Speakers and attendees will share insights about the varying ways to enlist and captivate an audience while building the entertainment medium of the future. And to foster the discussion, Dice 2016 is adding traditional Summit format, with roundtable and breakout sessions to tackle dedicated topics and concepts. Like our own GamesBeat events, the summit draws hundreds of leaders of the industry to explore ideas for self-examination and thought leadership. It often results in a lot of news.

“A hallmark of the Dice experience is the unparalleled access with networking opportunities to really push creative thinking forward – no doubt the new venue and format will amplify this,” said Martin Rae, the president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, in a statement. “As always we are excited about our speakers — a mix of industry stalwarts who have long inspired along with emerging talents speaking to our theme, The Art of Engagement.”

The first speakers include panelists such as Sid Meier talking about the 25th anniversary of Civilization, the iconic turn-based strategy game that bears his name. Meier is cofounder and director of creative development at Firaxis Games. Over the last three decades, he has played an influential role in establishing strategy games as a cornerstone of video gaming, and is often regarded as “The Godfather of Computer Gaming.”

Brian Reynolds, chief creative officer of Big Huge Games, will join the panel. Reynolds’ games have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, and he has masterminded the design of several smash hits including Civilization II, Alpha Centauri, and Rise of Nations as well as Settlers of Catan for Xbox 360 Live Arcade.

Soren Johnson is CEO and design director of Mohawk Games. Johnson has 15 years of experience developing strategy games as both lead designer and gameplay programmer. While at Firaxis, Soren designed Civilization IV, one of the highest-rated strategy games of all time and was also the co-designer of Civilization III.

And Bruce Shelley, who helped develop the Age of Empires series will also speak on the panel. While working at MicroProse with Sid Meier, Bruce helped to design the original Sid Meier’s Civilization, alongside fan favorites such as Railroad Tycoon. Shelley will moderate the panel.

Other speakers include Todd Howard, game director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios; Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO, Glu Mobile; and Mike Gallagher, CEO, Entertainment Software Association (ESA).

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