Open Source for Games Developers - A Debate on New Business Models October 28, 2008

Open source techniques in software development are already employed by multinationals and spreading fast to other areas of creative productions. They encourage collaboration, make development processes transparent and can achieve better quality faster and at lower costs. Yet despite those apparent benefits, open source technology is still the domain of a small but thriving community of independent games developers trying to find innovative ways of distribution, engaging their customers and exploring new business models along the way.

We will discuss the relative merits of their particular approaches in the context of the corporate games industry’s most recent successes to save a traditional business model by enforcing copyright law the hard way and potentially alienating future customers.

The event is free but places are limited. Please register here to reserve your place: http://www.own-it.org/events/

The panel is chaired by Becky Hogge, the Executive Director of Open Rights Group. Before joining the Open Rights Group in January 2007, Becky was the managing editor, and then the technology director and technology commissioning editor for http://www.openDemocracy.net. During her time there she established the China environment website http://www.chinadialogue.net, along with editor Isabel Hilton. As a writer and commentator, she covers the global politics of technology, open source, and intellectual property rights. She writes a weekly technology column for the New Statesman and has also written for The Guardian, Index on Censorship, Dazed & Confused and The Face.

Speakers include:
Vincent Scheurer, Lawyer, Sarassin LLP
Vincent Scheurer is the founder of Sarassin LLP, a legal and business affairs consultancy for companies in the video games industry.

Vincent graduated in law at Oxford University in 1993 and was called to the Bar in London in 1994. He started his career in interactive entertainment when he joined UK games publisher Europress as sole in-house counsel in 1997. Following the acquisition of Europress by Hasbro Interactive he joined UK law firm Osborne Clarke during 1999. There he helped develop Europe's pre-eminent interactive entertainment team, representing industry leaders from the publishing, development and licensing sectors. Vincent left Osborne Clarke to form Sarassin LLP in August 2004.

Vincent is also a contributor to the IGDA Contract Walk-Through, the editor of the TIGA model contract for developing PC, console and mobile games, and the author of the video games section of the Entertainment and Media Law Handbook, published by Law Society Publishing in 2007.http://www.sarassin.net/

Chris Deering
Chris has a background of 20 years in gaming including 10 years as founder and CEO of PlayStation-Europe, and 2 years as President of Sony Electronics Europe. He was COO of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment International from 1990-1995 and VP RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video from 1985-1990. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Chris also had various marketing management positions with Gillette and McKinsey&Co. He is now Chairman of Codemasters Group ( computer games), is on the boards of various high tech entertainment start-ups, and has been Chairman of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival since 2006. Chris was awarded a Bafta in 2003 for service to the UK games industry.

Steven Goodwin
Steven Goodwin (London, England) has been in the game industry for nearly 15 years and involved in projects on both PC and console, writing the number 1 selling game, "Die Hard: Vendetta". He is also an Open Source evangelist, developer, columnist, and author of two books, including "The Game Developer's Open Source Handbook". He is currently the Head of Development with Alten8, a publisher and developer of over 50 games.

We encourage contributions by the audience and will address your concerns and questions during the debate.

Click here for directions to the venue:http://tinyurl.com/ywqg2y

This event is part of the London Games Fringe, a festival of alternative gaming events at the end of October 2008, organised by artists, academics, gamers, game developers, educators and creative professionals from a wide range of different media.

Official Website: http://www.own-it.org/events/details/?eventId=278