The event will provide a forum for presentations and discussion on how interactive entertainment technology can be used as training tools in education, business and government sectors. The summit will take place Monday, March 20 through Tuesday, March 21 at the Marriott Hotel in San Jose, Calif.

Rosedale and Juul possess extensive backgrounds in software technology and game-based theory respectively. Rosedale has been referred to as a pioneer in streaming technology and was responsible for developing tools such as RealVideo, RealSystem 5.0 and RealSystem G2. He is the founder and CEO of Linden Lab, the 3D virtual world design company behind Second Life, based in San Francisco.

Juul is highly regarded for his game theories, and has published numerous literatures. He is the editor of the Game Studies journal and author of Half-Real: Video Games Between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds (MIT Press, 2005). His personal blog, "The Ludologist," is a well-respected site for game developers.

During the Serious Games Summit, various lectures and sessions will examine the current state of the Serious Games market and the future relevance and use of these games in areas such as healthcare, military, science and corporate training. Representatives from the games industry, academia, government and the private sector will be on hand to help define this growing field. The event will provide networking opportunities, developer training and vital information pertaining to top-line design, production and assessment issues.

The 2006 Serious Games Summit highlights include:

• · Advergaming, Game-Based Messaging, and Marketing I
  • Speaker: Ian Bogost, Persuasive Games
• · Serious Games Tutorial: Core Approaches for Serious Game Project Success
  • Speaker: Ben Sawyer, Cofounder, Digitalmill
• · Better (Serious) Game Design: As Lecture and Practice
  • Speaker: Noah Falstein, The Inspiracy
• · Human to Virtual Human
  • Speaker: Nigel Papworth, Luleå University of Technology
• · Business Model Blasts
  • Speakers: Doug Whatley, BreakAway Games, Ltd. Eric Marcoullier, Cyberlore Studio Ntiedo Etuk, Tabula Digita, Inc.
• · New Interfaces for Serious Games: Case Study Blasts
  • Speakers: Juha Arrasvuori, Nokia Domenic Greco, CyberLearning Technology, LLC Jeff Ridenour, University of California, Irvine Nigel Papworth, Luleå University of Technology
• · Mass Audience Issues for Serious Games
  • Speakers: Suzanne Seggerman, Games for Change Carl Goodman, Digital Media at the Museum of Moving Image Katie Salen, Parsons School of Design Connie Yowell, MacArthur Foundation Karen Sideman
• · A Corporate Learning Consortium Looks at Games
  • Speakers: Mark Oehlert, MASIE Center Learning Consortium Brent Schlenker, Intel
• · Real Teachers: Real Games
  • Speaker: Kurt Squire, University of Wisconsin

"Serious games are an increasingly viable option for many sectors, especially in corporate training and education," Jamil Moledina, director, Game Developers Conference, said. "As game creators develop better tools and apply the solutions more broadly, they have a larger arena to make impactful serious games."

The GDC is the largest and most important professional development event for the games industry. The conference will feature more than 300 lectures and workshops designed to provide inspiration and build skills. It offers an independent forum for developers from around the world to set the agenda for the next stage of interactive tools.

For more information on the Serious Games Summit, or to register, please visit www.gdconf.com.