Atlanta - The Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta will host the fourth-annual Game Developers eXchange April 10 and 11, at 1600 Peachtree St. This year’s conference will spotlight alternative gaming and emerging modes of design, production and distribution.
Matthew Maloney, animation professor and academic director of the animation program at SCAD-Atlanta, says, “We’re breaking away from the constricted classification of gaming simply as ‘digital first-person shooters for teenage males.’ We are proud to have representatives from virtually every aspect of the games community involved in this two-day event.”
Eric Zimmerman, game designer, educator, entrepreneur and co-founder of Gamelab, will be the keynote speaker at GDX 2008. Gamelab creates and self-publishes innovative single-player and multiplayer games that are distributed online, on mobile phones and through retail, including the hit downloadable games "Diner Dash" and "Miss Management."
Zimmerman’s keynote address, “Going Indie: An Independent Game Developer's Survival Guide,” draws from 14 years of experience to share the highs and lows of being an “indie” in the game industry. From cash flow to company culture, he will cover the tangibles and intangibles of what it takes to survive. Along the way, he'll address bigger questions, such as what's wrong with the game industry today, why other forms of pop culture seem to have more independent creators, and what might be in store for the future of independent games.
More than 20 industry experts will be on hand to share their expertise and behind-the-scenes knowledge.
GDX is a two-day event of activities. Attendees can expect roundtable discussions, interactive gaming workshops, a reception, and “Entelechy 2008”—SCAD’s annual student exhibition of interactive and game design artwork.
For the full list of speakers and to register to attend, visit
www.scad.edu/gdx. For more information, call 404.253.2759 or e-mail gdx@scad.edu.