News Highlights

Chris Swain, Director USC Games Institute, To Give 2nd Keynote For IGC West, Nov. 5-6 at Marina Del Rey Marriott

Oct 29 2009 12:00 AM | Events For Gamers in IGC - West

Indie Conference Adds Business Track: “The Upside of the Downturn”

LOS ANGELES – Oct. 28, 2009 – Chris Swain, Director, USC Games Institute, will highlight why it’s a great time to be in game development Friday, Nov. 6 at IGC West, a Game Path event for indie studios and those seeking a career in game development, at the Marina del Rey Marriott.

In addition to being Director of the USC Games Institute, Swain is co-author of the book Game Design Workshop. Swain was co-founder of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab at USC and he has developed game research projects in academia for institutions that include the National Science

Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Annenberg Center.
Swain has also mentored dozens of students and hundreds of student games. While lead advisor on three USC student projects, the students’ works have been published by major publishers -- fl0w for Sony PlayStation, Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom for 2K Games, and Reflection for Konami.

Before joining USC, Swain designed over 50 games and interactive products for companies that include: Microsoft, Sony, Disney and Warner Brothers.

Swain’s IGC West keynote, “Rise of the Indie - Why Today is a Golden Time to be an Independent Developer and Strategies for Maximizing the Impact of Your Work through Gameplay Innovation and Creative Distribution" will take place Friday, Nov. 6 at 9:30 a.m. in the Palisades Room.

IGC West is also replacing its Programming track with the aptly-named The Upside of the Downturn, a series of sessions designed to help developers make the most of today’s challenging economic climate.

Other sessions will include:

* Turning your Video Games Into Reality: How to Start a Game Company
* A Group of Friends: Profit Sharing & Finding Solutions that Work
* The Ugly Truth & the Uglier Lies: Why I Work so Hard to Avoid a Job
* PR and Marketing on a Shoestring: What You Can Get For Free
* Finding a Job You Love: Where They Are & How to Find Them

Registration is now open for the IGC West Game Demo Night, where indie developers can show off their art, design and programming skills to publishers, peers and industry press.

Register for IGC West at http://www.igcwest.com. Early Registration for the conference is $275 in advance for both days (includes 15 percent web-only discount) and $165 for one day attendance. At-the-door registration is $325 for both days and $195 for a single day. Discounted student pricing is also available.

The conference will take place at the Marina del Rey Marriott, Thursday – Friday, Nov. 5-6, 2009 and is produced by Game Path LLC, an independent conference and trade show management company.