Introducing our first speakers for GamesBeat 2014: Total World Domination

We’ll have a great time next week at the Game Developers Conference. And we’re pleased to announce today that we’ve been busy with our own event. Today, we’re talking about our first speakers for GamesBeat 2014, our game industry conference that will take place Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 at the Parc 55 Wyndham Hotel in San Francisco.

We’ll cover the full spectrum of gaming at our sixth annual GamesBeat event, which will gather 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 first speakers include:

• Mitch Lasky, a general partner at Benchmark. Lasky has scored more than $2 billion in gaming exits over the years. He invested in Natural Motion, which Zynga bought for $527 million.
• John Riccitiello, a gaming investor and former CEO of Electronic Arts. He spoke at last year’s event with bold predictions about the game industry.
• Evan Hirsch, founder of Engine Co. No. 4. Hirsch has had to put out a lot of fires at gaming companies during his 25-year career. He will be talking about “Smelling Smoke: Knowing the warnings signs of trouble inside your studio.”
• Alisa Chumachenko, the CEO of Game Insight. She is one of the few female game industry chiefs, and Game Insight has racked up some impressive sales in mobile gaming.
• Tim Chang, the managing director at Mayfield Fund. Chang has invested in companies like Playdom, Basis, and Ouya. He always has some keen insights about the top trends driving the industry forward.

I’d also like to mention our advisers for the event. They include Brock Pierce, the managing director of the Clearstone Global Fund; Eric Goldberg, the managing director of Crossover Technologies; and Michael Chang, the managing director of Mavent Partners; and 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 for the 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 2010, 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. 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.

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.

This year, we’ll see the return of our contest for the best gaming startup. The attention that these startups get for speaking on stage 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 Caufiled & 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 as Gold Partner; and SponsorPay as Event Partner.