July 5, 2007

Casual Games Association Announces Casual Connect in Seattle

Seattle - The Casual Games Association’s summer meeting, Casual Connect Seattle, will be held at Benaroya Hall in Seattle on July 17 through 19, 2007.
Bringing together casual gaming executives, publishers, and developers, Casual Connect is said to be the largest dedicated casual games event worldwide. With a market valued at more than $1 billion dollars and growth of 50 percent each year, this is the most exciting area of gaming right now. This year’s conference is expected to introduce new and exciting opportunities for the industry and its customers.
 
The event's keynote and featured speakers include:

Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Corporation.
As head of the Xbox, Games for Windows and Microsoft Games Studio, Moore is at the forefront of the gaming industry.  
 
Steve Youngwood, Executive Vice President, MTV Networks.
With more than 600 million dollars of capital investment, MTV has big  plans to bring gaming to the masses.  
 
Nolan Bushnell, CEO and founder of uWink Inc.
As the  founder of Atari Corp. and Chuck E. Cheese, Bushnell is revered as the "Father of the Video Game Industry."  
 
John Vechey, co-Founder and Director, PopCap Games.
John explores what the industry can do to ensure continued success  now and in the future.  
 
Ed Zobrist, President, Sierra Online/Vivendi.
With  roots in the online casual games market, Ed explores the lessons learned from Sierra’s 2006 return to creating fun games for the mass  market.  
 
Greg Schaffer, Team Manager: In-Game Ads, Google &  Bernie Stolar, Games Evangelist, Google.
Follow Google’s announcement of entering the casual gaming space and plans for the industry.