News

The Carolina Games Summit, formerly known as the Goldsboro Gaming Expo, will be held 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2008 at Wayne Community College. Tickets are available to the public for $10 each and may be purchased online or at the door. The event includes industry speakers, video game tournaments, live music, exhibition booths and educational sessions. An exciting mix of fun, academic opportunities and career exploration has been created for students, aspiring game developers, educators and professionals alike.

Last year's summit doubled in size over the inaugural year, attracting over 1,400 participants to compete in 18 tournaments and experience more than 20 speakers from a variety of game development firms and educational institutions. To build on this phenomenal growth, organizers have added bands such as Select Start to recreate theme songs from popular games using classical instruments. In addition, students and budding game developers will have the chance to display their work in the newly created student showcase room.

Hands-on training sessions will also be a first at the next Carolina Games Summit, where seasoned game development professionals and college educators will lead tutorials on how to use game content creation tools including Adobe PhotoShop, Autodesk Maya and leading game engine software. A range of presenters including corporate executives, creative leaders and educators have committed to unveil business strategies, development techniques and more at the event. 

Distinguished speakers include:

Alexander Macris, Co-Founder, President, CEO - Themis Group, Durham, NC

Bruce Shankle, Senior Software Development Engineer, DirectX – Microsoft Game Studios, Redmond, WA

David Sipple, President – Music Wizard Group, Longmont, CO

Dana Cowley, Public Relations Manager - Epic Games, Cary, NC

Joel Gonzales, Engineer - 1^st Playable Productions, Troy, NY

Attendees may participate in sponsored tournaments and enjoy unlimited free play on full-size classic arcades as well as the latest consoles and computer gaming systems. Outdoor attractions include the U.S. Army Mission Support Battalion’s "Adventure Van," a unique simulation system contained in an 18-wheel tractor-trailer, and the Panasonic Living in HD flagship truck, which includes the world’s largest plasma TV, all 103” of it.

Visit the official web site, www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com, for a listing of events and additional details. Contact the event organizers, Phi Beta Lambda club advisors Michael Everett and Tracy Schmeltzer, at (919) 735-5151 or info@carolinagamessummit.com for more information on attending, exhibiting or speaking at the Carolina Games Summit.

Wayne Community College Phi Beta Lambda is a chapter in the college division of FBLA-PBL Inc. and is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The mission of FBLA-PBL Inc. is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs.

Wayne Community College, located in Goldsboro, is a public, two-year college serving more than 14,000 individuals annually as well as business and industry, and other groups in its service area with quality, economical, convenient learning opportunities.

Mr. Sipple is president of the Music Wizard Group.  David has 20 years experience in the software and TV industries, in sales, marketing and executive management roles.  Mr. Sipple joined the Music Wizard Group in 2004, helping it grow from a development company into revenue and operations.  His unique insights and approaches have consistently led to increased sales and ROI's with previous employers, the Home Shopping Network, Quarterdeck Software and SAS.  A diverse and experienced business leader, he also owns his own consulting firm Poseidon Dynamics.  David has a BS in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Wyoming and an MBA from the University of South Florida.  His interests include reading, swimming and music.

About Music Wizard Group:

Music Wizard Group is the leader in music videogame software that teaches anyone how to play real musical instruments.   Music Wizard provides a simple and non-violent, gaming solution that "cracks the musical code" of reading notation and delivers on the promise of real musicianship for everyone.   Music Wizard Group seeks to improve the quality of life by empowering more people with the gift of playing music and by promoting music as something to be shared and enjoyed together.

Music Wizard welcomes everyone to experience the joy, self-expression and liberation naturally gained through a relationship with playing music.  Backed by award-winning software, university produced Music Wizard Academy tutorials for parents and teachers, a proven song-based curriculum and a never-ending supply of musical content, the means is now available to unlock and ignite the creative musical genius inherent in all.

Music Wizard Group believes that the language of music is a birthright, something that anyone can learn and enjoy at any age, regardless of experience.  The company's core mission is to help bring about universal music literacy.

For more information visit:  http://www.musicwizard.com/

Check out more information about David and our other speakers under our Speakers section.

Alexander Macris is co-founder, president, and CEO of Themis Group. In addition to providing the company's leadership and directing its key client engagements, he has served as editor-in-chief of the Themis Report, founder and the publisher of The Escapist magazine, and designer of the award-winning mini-game Heroes Mini. Prior to Themis, he was founder and CEO of WarCry Network, a community destination for entertainment enthusiasts, which he grew to over 1 million monthly users.

He is a graduate magna cum laude of Harvard Law School, where he authored a study on the effects of game design on community growth. Credits include Game Media Publisher (The Escapist Magazine, WarCry Network, Themis Report 2002, 2004); Game Designer (Heroes Mini, Settlers Mini, Death Star Designer); Game Publisher (Road Wars, Capitalism Plus, Seven Kingdoms: Ancient Adversaries); Game Consultant/Marketer (Fury, Neocron, Rubies of Eventide, Anarchy Online, Pirates of the Burning Seas, Underlight, Wish, Time of Defiance, Saga of Ryzom, Pocket Kingdom, Jumpgate, Gods & Heroes, Phantasy Star Universe, Driver: Parallel Lines, American Conquest, Blitzkrieg, Breed, Combat Mission 2, Project Nomads, Heroes of Might & Magic V, Star Wars Lethal Alliance).

He will present on:

Gamer Snacks - How to Profit from Bite-Sized Entertainment that Attracts Hardcore Gamers

Check out more information about Alex and our other speakers under our Speakers section.

Carolina Games Summit is excited to announce a new aspect to our event.  BANDS!  We can confirm the addition of Select Start.  They will be performing in our 400 person auditorium.

Select Start is the band that will bring your favorite Video Game moments to life with their live renditions of old and new Video Game music.  The six-member band uses their classical music and rock ‘n roll background to create a unique and versatile sound.  By combining their love of Video Games and Music, they are able to give all gamers and music fans an experience they will never forget.  Armed with two violins, a cello, flute, guitar, and keyboard these six have performed in conventions all across the state, trying to show the world the amazing sounds of the game. 

You can check them out at:
 www.selectstartband.com or www.myspace.com/selectstartband.com.

Keep checking back we’re working on adding more bands to the list.

Joel Gonzales is an engineer at 1st Playable Productions in Troy, NY. Before then, he received his Master's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. During his time there, he played a major part in helping the university be the first in the state of Louisiana to offer courses in video game design & production. His credits include a serious game called "A Force More Powerful" as well as a kids game "GoPets: Vacation Island. " He enjoys long walks on the beach.

About 1st Playable Productions, LLC:

1st Playable Productions, LLC is an independent game development studio with a focus on handheld games for kids. We're here to make fun and great looking games! Games that build, not exploit, the entertainment brands that they represent. We love finding ways to get more out of limited game platforms, and are a licensed developer for Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Xbox, as well as other embedded game platforms.

Carolina Games Summit will be exhibiting at the triangle’s first video game techonolgy showcase and career fair set for November 17th.   The Triangle’s video game community is experiencing robust growth, in part due to the unprecedented collaboration between private sector companies and the region’s internationally-acclaimed universities.

The region’s top video game companies are coming together for the first time to offer a first-hand look at the technologies that are driving the future of digital entertainment worldwide. .

Admission is free so come join us November 17th from 10 am-5pm at One Eleven Place,111 Realtors Way, Cary, North Carolina. Visit www.Trianglegameinitiative.org for more information

Pre-register online and reserve your spot at this year's Carolina Games Summit. General admission tickets went on sale this week at the price of $10. This includes registration for one official tournament and access to all the speakers, exhibits, and free-play gaming you can handle! Buying your ticket online will also give you access to pre-registered members-only Web content that includes private forums and additional features.

Pre-registered members will be able to register for tournaments online beginning December 1st. Keep visting carolinagamessummit.com for all the latest news and information on our upcoming event.

The U.S. Army Mission Support Battalion will again be exhibiting at this year's event. They bring with them a unique simulation system that must be experienced by all attendees and was a huge hit last year. Their exhibit will include an 18-wheel tractor-trailer that is a self-contained and climate controlled “Adventure Van.”

The Army Adventure Van incorporates several exhibits into one. While the specifics of the particular van appearing at the expo are unknown some example experiences may include flying or firing weapons on a helicopter, testing your skills and accuracy in operating an Abrams tank, or improving your marksmanship in firing an M9 on a simulated targeting system.

All experiences are simulated but with the realism required to prepare troops for real world combat.

 Phi Beta Lambda, a business club associated with Wayne Community College,  will host its third annual gaming event on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008. The event, slated for 10 a.m. to 9p.m. at the college, will utilize a new branding identity that portrays the events regional growth both in attendance, press coverage, and industry penetration.