San Francisco, Calif. - Don Mattrick, senior vice president of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, will deliver a keynote address at the inaugural Game Developers Conference Canada (GDC Canada). Mattrick leads the Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and Games for Windows businesses at Microsoft. He and his team are responsible for driving game development at Microsoft Game Studios, as well as cultivating relationships with third-party game publishers and developers around the world.
He will be joined onstage by Victor Lucas, creator, executive producer and co-host of "The Electric Playground" and "Reviews on the Run" for an interview and discussion on the dynamic changes and growing influence of Canadian game development in a keynote titled "The Evolution of the Canadian Game Industry: A Conversation with Don Mattrick."
Initial sessions have been announced on the GDC Canada Web site (www.GDC-Canada.com), with speakers from Relic Entertainment, EA, Radical Entertainment, and Threewave Software confirmed, and others being added continuously. GDC Canada takes place on May 12-13, 2009 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Previous to his work at Microsoft, Don Mattrick helped bring to life such successful game franchises as Need for Speed, Harry Potter, and The Sims during his tenure at Distinctive Software and Electronic Arts (EA). With 25 years of broad industry and game development experience, Mattrick's portfolio includes some of the most successful games in the world, including a number of series established during his time at EA, EA LA, EA Tiburon, EA Canada, and Distinctive Software Inc.
Raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Mattrick has been an active member of the province's business and educational community. He has served on several public and private boards, including the advisory board for USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Premier's Technology Council in British Columbia.
The keynote will be presented in the form of an extensive on-stage interview, with games journalist Victor Lucas, creator and co-host of "TheElectric Playground," asking Mattrick a series of questions exploring the changing landscape of Canadian game development and Mattrick's own role in expanding Canada's role in the industry.