Wednesday, January 5 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Track II - GP6: Game Power on the Inside: Chips, Optical Technology and Microprocessors The fact that the power of an enterprise computing system is now built into every game playing machine, with all of its technology dedicated specifically to the game playing experience goes all way to explaining why games are revolutionizing the future of entertainment. The combination of chips, microprocessors, optical technology, storage together with nearly unlimited R&D investment is rapidly leading to a next generation entertainment experience. Games are great today, but what will they look like in two or three years? In this session, we will hear from the technology companies that provide the developers and consumers with game power. They are the developers of the secret sauce that is establishing games as the future of entertainment. Chekib Akrout, VP of Game Processor Development, IBM Corp. Kim Pallister, Technical Marketing Manager and Processor Evangelist, Software and Solutions Group, Intel Corp. Dr. Mark Tuffy, Director of Advanced Technology, THX Bill Rehbock, Director Developer Relations, NVIDIA Peter Henry, Vice President, National Semiconductor's Portable Power Systems Mike Olivarez, Principal Staff Scientist, Director of Multimedia Operations for i.MX, Freescale Semiconductor Neil Trevett, Senior Vice President of Business Development, 3Dlabs, Moderator Chekib Akrout, Vice President of Entertainment and Embedded Processor Development, IBM Systems & Technology Group: Chekib Akrout joined IBM in 1982, where he worked on the bipolar high speed SRAM, then CMOS Cache Design for a high speed microprocessor. He managed several areas -- from microprocessors to ASICs to analog mixed signal design. In 2000, as Director of high speed and broadband microprocessor development in IBM's Microelectronics Division, Chekib was responsible for the development of PowerPC processors for Apple and Nintendo GameCube. In 2001, his role was expanded to include responsibility for the "Cell" project being developed through a Sony/Toshiba/IBM (STI) partnership in Austin Texas. In 2002, Chekib was appointed Vice President of PowerPC and Networking Technology Development, continuing his responsibility for the PowerPC processor roadmap for Apple and the STI Cell project, as well as embedded and networking processor development. He recently was named Vice President of Entertainment and Embedded Processor development. Chekib graduated with a BS in Physics from University Pierre & Marie Curie in France, and holds a PhD in Electronics and Physics. Kim Pallister is a Technical Software Strategist and Engineering Manager with Intel's Software Solutions Group. He and his team focus on media, graphics and gaming technologies and their role in the digital home, and on enabling software developers to take advantage of next-generation technologies. Kim is the author of several technical publications, including the upcoming Game Programming Gems 5 from Charles River Media. He has been with the games industry for eleven years, the last seven of them with Intel. Dr. Mark Tuffy, Director of Advanced Technology, THX: Tuffy has played an integral role in the development of THX multi-media and video games initiatives since joining the company in 2000. As director of advanced technology, Tuffy helps define the technical feasibility of business opportunities being evaluated by THX Business Development and leads the PC system certification and THX Games team. He is charged with inventing new technologies and applying current THX technologies to the video game, PC and home theatre environments. He began his association with THX as the principal engineer of digital technologies. One of his early accomplishments was spearheading the development of THX Certified PC multi-media systems. His impressive academic achievements include earning a Ph.D. from the department of electronics and electrical engineering at the University of Edinburgh, a master of science in digital systems engineering from Heriot Watt University, and an honors degree in electronics and electrical engineering from the University of Edinburgh. Peter Henry is vice president of National Semiconductor's Portable Power Systems product line. He previously served as its director since its establishment in 2000. Henry is responsible for development, market strategy and silicon for this strategic market segment. Henry joined National Semiconductor in 1998 as director of design for the Power Management product line. Prior to coming to National, he was vice president of marketing for Suni Imaging Systems and held a variety of engineering, marketing and product line management positions at Analog Devices, Inc. Peter earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed the Stanford AEA Executive Institute in 1999. Mike Olivarez, Principal Staff Scientist, Director of Multimedia Operations for i.MX, Freescale Semiconductor: Mike Olivarez works in the Freescale Mobile Multimedia Operations on the i.MX family of applications processors. His work includes defining the i.MX family architecture, as well as working with the Khronos group to define the OpenGL ES and OpenML specifications. The work included keeping a pulse on mobile gaming and entertainment needs and driving technologies to meet this rapidly growing market. Previous architecture work included working the University of California, Irvine’s Center for Embedded Computer Systems on the development of the SpecC Methodology and Design Language. Much of the work done with UCI was geared toward mobile communications and multimedia capabilities to drive the low power, mobile market space. He has also done extensive work to support EDA tools and systems. He has a BS degree from Texas State University, Continuing Engineering certificates from UCLA, and has done research with the University of California, Irvine. Neil Trevett, Senior Vice President of Business Development, 3Dlabs, Inc.: Mr. Trevett has spent over 20 years in the 3D graphics industry. As vice president of 3Dlabs, he has been at the forefront of the silicon revolution bringing interactive 3D to the PC desktop and holds several patents in the area of graphics technology. For the past two years, Mr. Trevett has been Chairman of the Khronos Group, a consortium defining OpenGL ES for graphics on mobile devices, and for the past five years has been President of the Web 3D Consortium - a group dedicated to creating open standards for 3D on the Internet. After receiving a first class joint B.Sc. Electronic Engineering and Computer Science degree in the United Kingdom, Mr. Trevett worked at a major systems house designing advanced architectures and programming languages for image recognition systems. In 1985, Neil joined benchMark Technologies as Head of Graphics Systems. benchMark later became Du Pont Pixel (a subsidiary of the multi-billion dollar Du Pont Corporation) and eventually evolved into 3Dlabs, Inc. Bill Rehbock, Director Developer Relations, NVIDIA: Bill Rehbock has been Director of Developer Relations at NVIDIA since December 2001, heading up the marketing and business relationship teams that work with software developers and publishers worldwide, ensuring that games and applications are well-aligned with NVIDIA graphics and platform hardware. Previously, Bill was the Vice President of R&D and Technical Support at Sony Computer Entertainment America and was responsible for the North American PlayStation library development, Development Support, and Peripherals Licensing groups. Prior to Sony, Mr. Rehbock worked for Atari Corporation as Vice President of Software Business Development. Mr. Rehbock attended the Illinois Institute of Technology, studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.