The PC Gaming Comeback

Lecturer: Alex St. John, Wild Tangent

The PC has often been regarded as the ugly gaming stepchild compared with its sexy, sleek video game console brethren, but many in the industry believe that the tide is shifting in favor of PC/online. The rise of the console was founded on three important principles: (1) the living room and the TV were central to the entertainment and gaming experience; (2) consoles featured far superior graphics and performance than the PC; (3) closed systems meant piracy was virtually impossible therefore developers could spend big money on game development for consoles that they couldn’t for PCs.

The massive popularity of the ever-mobile laptop and the widespread availability of online connectivity have made both the TV and the living room less and less relevant to gamers and to all forms of entertainment. Kids in particular aren’t playing games in the living room. They are playing them on handheld devices and laptops in their bedrooms, closets, kitchens and back porches. The living room and TV will become only less relevant as time goes on.

In this session WildTangent co-founder and CEO, Alex St. John, author of Microsoft’s DirectX technology, will discuss the blue sky opportunities provided by the PC/online gaming model, and highlight the challenges the console market will face moving forward. The discussion will closely examine key differentiators between the two platforms, and the role that community and social gaming play in the equation. He will also demonstrate the economics for making premium games free online, supported by advertising, and how this model can really generate more revenue than retail models. Attendees will walk away questioning their current business models, but with the right strategies and tools in mind to help them survive and profit from this apparent shift in the gaming business.

Intended Audience: Developers, publishers and others looking to maximize on opportunities in online/PC gaming.

Prerequisites: None

Format: Keynote

Track: Business/Legal

Date/Time: Thursday, 5:00 PM

Room: Grand Ballroom

St. John - ION 2008.ppt