Monday, September 29 12:45 PM - 2:00 PM Track II: Hollywood + Games = the Next Threshold of Entertainment Predictably each year news reports appear surprised and trumpet the fact that in the prior twelve months, the games industry grossed more than did movies. While there may be truth and lessons to be learned from those numbers, there is something more going on in this competition of entertainment forms. The movie, TV and games sectors themselves may in some way be merging or perhaps evolving and creating new entertainment forms. With the quantum leaps in graphical realism impacting both films and games along with the next generation of games systems, DVD, broadband, not to mention projection and audio systems in theaters, the technology is enabling the creators of content to enter new and yet to be traveled territory. The Matrix and Lord of the Rings may be symbols of more than massively successful entertainment franchises, they may be altering the future of entertainment. Dave Perry, founder, Shiny Entertainment (Enter The Matrix) Seamus Blackley, Vice President, Capital Entertainment Group (Original Creative Team - Microsoft Xbox Project) American McGee, American McGee, President, Chief Creative Officer, The Mauretania Import Export Company (Doom 2 and Quake and creator of American McGee's Alice) Rick Giolito, Vice President, Executive Producer (Medal of Honor); Electronic Arts Los Angeles Keith Boesky, founder, Video Game Department, International Creative Management Moderator: Jim Charne, former, President & Executive Director, Academy of Interactive Arts Rick Giolito - Vice President, Executive Producer (Medal of Honor); Electronic Arts Los Angeles: As Vice President, Executive Producer of Electronic Arts Los Angeles, Rick Giolito manages an internal development team of over 120 people, as well as outside development studios dedicated to creating titles on multiple platforms. He supervised the creation of the global hit franchise, Medal of Honor, which has sold close to 10 million copies and includes Medal of Honor Underground for Playstation, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Spearhead on PC, as well as Medal of Honor Frontline on the Playstation2, Gamecube and XBOX. Prior to his current position, Giolito was part of the team responsible for launching the EA Sports Knockout Kings franchise with Knockout Kings '99 on Playstation. He also executive produced Castrol Honda Superbikes for the Playstation, Hot Wheels Turbo Racing and Knockout Kings 2000 (AIAS Console Sports Game of the Year award winner) for the Playstation and Nintendo 64 consoles, as well as Knockout Kings 2001 for Playstation2. Before joining EA in 1997, Giolito co-founded an independent game development studio in Southern California and was responsible for the creation of titles for Hasbro, Fox, Disney and Electronic Arts. Giolito holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin and had an extensive career in film and television prior to focusing solely on interactive entertainment. American McGee, American McGee, President, Chief Creative Officer, The Mauretania Import Export Company (Doom 2 and Quake and creator of American McGee's Alice): American McGee is one of the chief architects of the astonishing and constantly evolving new frontier of interactive entertainment. American's most recent release, "American McGee's Alice", a dark, gothic version of the Lewis Carroll tales (Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass) was released by Electronic Arts in December ‘00 and was the hottest selling PC game through the lucrative Christmas season. American began his career in the interactive industry over a decade ago when he was hired by industry giant, id Software. American worked across a multitude of disciplines including design, programming, music management, sound design, and art. During the four years that American worked for id he helped to mold the 1st/3rd person shooter genre as it is known today. He made contributions to a variety of enormously popular titles including: "Doom," "Doom II," "Final Doom," "Ultimate Doom," "Quake", "Quake II,", and "Quake II Deathmatch Pack.", and more. American became known for designing some of the most innovative, intricate, and vividly detailed levels in the 1st person genre. In 1998, McGee realized that it was time for a change, and by mutual agreement he left id. At that time, McGee was offered a position at Electronic Arts in its Maxis division, where the popular Sims ("Sim City") games are created. While at EA's Maxis division, McGee consulted on a variety of games including the Sims before he was wooed across the San Francisco Bay to the company's headquarters in Redwood City to develop "American McGee's Alice". While in Redwood Shores McGee served as Creative Director of the studio while consulted on a number of major PC and console titles. After completing the Alice project McGee took a short sabbatical before leaving Electronic Arts and the Bay Area. American currently resides in Los Angeles and is creative director/founder of Carbon6 & The Mauretania Import Export Co. His current interactive projects include "American McGee's Oz" as well as several other unannounced titles. In his spare time he works as a music video/TV commercial director with Squeak Pictures. Seamus Blackley, Vice President, Capital Entertainment Group: Mr. Blackley published his first paper (first author) in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance as a Sophomore at Tufts University, and graduated Summa cum Honore en Tesis. He went on to study High Energy Physics at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory outside Chicago, Ill, while simultaneously teaching classes back in Cambridge. As a programmer at Looking Glass Technologies (then Blue Sky Technologies), Mr. Blackley wrote music for, programmed or produced several hit titles including, Ultima Underworld, System Shock, and Flight Unlimited. Mr. Blackley went on to Dreamworks SKG, where he acted as executive producer and eventually met Bill Gates, who sent an email to Mr. Blackley's boss commenting that "Microsoft should hire someone like that." While his boss took it as a compliment, Mr. Blackley took it as a career directive, and started at Microsoft in February, 1999. One month after arriving in Redmond, he wrote a memo suggesting that Microsoft make a game console, and along with three friends (one of which was Kevin Bachus), sold Xbox up the chain back to Bill Gates. Keith Boesky, founder, Video Game Department, International Creative Management: Keith Boesky has been active in the content and technology communities as an attorney, a senior executive and agent. In November of 2002, Mr. Boesky formed the video game department within International Creative Management, one of the largest talent agencies in the world. The department translates games to film, brings film and television talent to games and assists studios in maximizing the value of their intellectual property. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Boesky was the principal of Boesky & Company. Boesky & Company assisted its clients in bridging the communication gap between the worlds of content and technology. These engagements included assistance in strategic applications of technology for content Universal Studios, Paramount Studios, Squaresoft and The Upper Deck Company and advice to Apple Computer, Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC and Pacific Century Cyberworks regarding investments. In 1996, shortly after representing Eidos Interactive, Inc. (NASDAQ: EIDSY) in its initial public offering, Mr. Boesky left the practice of law to join Eidos as its President. While at Eidos Mr. Boesky focused on expansion of Eidos properties, including "Tomb Raider" and "Lara Croft.," into film, toys and publishing as well as the acquisition of new properties, such as "Final Fantasy VII PC" and "Fear Effect." From 1992 to 1996 Mr. Boesky was an attorney with Cooley Godward, where his practice included public and private finance and intellectual property protection, while his core practice covered the protection and exploitation of franchise properties. Over the next few years Mr. Boesky grew the practice into one of the United States’ largest new media practices, covering developers and publishers of content ranging from home gaming platforms to location based entertainment. For two years prior to joining Cooley Godward, Mr. Boesky practiced with the firm of Baker & McKenzie. Mr. Boesky sits on the advisory boards of Pulse Entertainment, The Marketing Factory and Angel Studios. Mr. Boesky served on the Boards of Directors of the UCSD Cancer Center Foundation and the UCSD Thriver’s Network. He was founding president of the National Association of Cancer Patients. He has spoken on the topics of interactive media, branding and interactive television at Comdex, NATPE, NAB, Showbiz Expo, IBC, The Rotterdam Film Festival, Digital Hollywood and a number of other conferences and has been a guest lecturer at UCLA. He received a B.A. in economics from UCLA and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a J.D. from University of San Diego. Jim Charne is a California, New York, and New Jersey lawyer who has provided counsel in all phases of interactive software entertainment since the mid-1980's. Jim entered the industry in 1983 as a producer for Activision, and served as VP Legal & Business of console developer Absolute Entertainment. Jim was the first President of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), is a member of the Advisory Board of G.A.N.G. (Game Audio Network Guild), and is a voting member of AIAS, International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and the Recording Academy (NARAS). Jim has been chair of the Legal and Business tutorial at Game Developers Conference since 1998, and writes "Famous Last Words," a monthly column on games contracting and business issues for www.igda.org. He can be reached by email at charne@sprintmail.com or on the web at www.charnelaw.com.