With continual growth in size and attendance, the D.I.C.E Summit has again begun to attract a dynamic line-up of high-profile industry leaders for the 2008 conference. Discussion topics will be relevant to the current state of the videogame industry, developing trends and key issues facing top video game designers, developers, publishers and business leaders. Also, returning this year, are the “power-hour” sessions that provide three speakers an hour, giving brief 20-minute presentations about the existing obstacles and opportunities confronting the multi-billion dollar industry.

The 2008 D.I.C.E Summit Confirmed Speakers:

• John Riccitiello - Electronic Arts CEO and long-time pioneer among the interactive entertainment industry, Riccitiello, in his first DICE appearance, will share his views on current challenges game creators face today as one of the conferences keynotes.
• Shane Kim- As the corporate vice president and head of Microsoft Game Studios, Kim oversees a team of more than 1,100 programmers, designers, artists and producers developing a broad range of first-party Xbox 360 (Halo 3, Fable 2, Forza, Motorsport 2, Viva Piñata) and Microsoft Games for Windows (Halo 2 for Windows Vista, Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs, Shadowrun and Flight Simulator X). At this year’s conference, Kim will participate in a live interview session with questions from leading members of the media and Summit attendees.
• Anita Frazier - As a nationally recognized cross-entertainment industry expert, Frazier represents The NPD Research Group. She is an Entertainment Industry Analyst, providing regular commentary to internationally recognized media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Associated Press, making her uniquely qualified to discuss the topic of “Understanding Consumers & Entertainment Consumption” at the D.I.C.E. Summit 2008.
• Lorne Lanning - Co-founder and president of Oddworld Inhabitants, Lanning is a long standing game designer, writer, voice actor and animated film director -- most notable for creating the Oddworld series, including the games Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath. A member of the AIAS board, he is set to discuss “Lessons learned in presenting original IP” at the upcoming conference.
• Yannis Mallat – As CEO of Ubisoft’s Montreal Studios, Mallat has been responsible for a number of award winning game franchises including Assassin’s Creed, and the Prince of Persia trilogy. Mallat will discuss how to avoid compromise in creating original game concepts within a large studio environment.

More of this year’s speakers will be announced over the next few weeks.

In addition, D.I.C.E. Summit 2008 will play host to the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards® ceremony, where industry leaders and members pay tribute and recognition to the individuals and products that contribute to the growth of the interactive entertainment software business. Favored comedian and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr returns for his third year to host the award festivities.

The 2008 conference will kick-off with the ever-popular Opening Night Party – the ultimate mixer, bringing all tastemakers in the interactive entertainment industry together for an enjoyable evening to mix and mingle. The party will directly follow the D.I.C.E Summit’s Opening Keynote on Wednesday, February 6 at the Red Rock Hotel.

Other anticipated activities to take place over the three-day event include:

• The EA Sports 5th Annual D.I.C.E. Summit Golf Tournament : The tournament will be held on Wednesday, February 6 at the beautiful TPC Canyons Golf Club, host to the SENIOR PGA TOUR'S Las Vegas Classic. Players of all ability levels are invited to enjoy a great day of friendly competition, camaraderie, food, drink, and prizes. Shotgun start begins promptly at 9:00 AM. Scoring and awards reception will be immediately following the event. Transportation between the Red Rock Hotel and TPC Canyons Golf Club will be provided.
• The 3rd Annual Poker Tournament at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino: The Texas Hold ‘Em tourney will be held on Friday, February 8, following the close of the Speaker Sessions.
• Interactive Achievement Pre-Awards Party: Comcast/Game Invasion will be hosting the pre-awards party at the decadent Cherry Nightclub and private Cherry pool and cabanas. This party always sets the tone for the red carpet, awards and the post awards party. Party goers can experience music, dancing, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from Cherry Nightclub.
• Interactive Achievement Post-Awards Party: The 2nd Annual post awards party will be held at the Red Rock Casino, in their state of the art VIP bowling alley. Cosmic bowling with dancing lights, fog machines, glow in the dark lanes, pins and bowling balls will be offered for an evening of fun and festivities.

The D.I.C.E. Summit 2008 key sponsors so far include: Bioware/Pandemic, Boesky & Company, Business Wire, Comcast, Day One Studios, Dell Computer, EA Sports, Electronic Arts, Enterprise Talent, GameRecruiter, Insomniac Games, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Philips amBx, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Stormfront Studios, and Ubisoft.

The D.I.C.E. Summit 2008 will be held in Las Vegas, at the upscale Red Rock Resort, February 6-8, 2008, online registration opens October 4, 2007.