TiE Sept Event - The Rise of a Video Game Startup September 10, 2008

Come listen to Darren Steele, Vice President of Publishing & Marketing at Firesky (formerly Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment), talk about his company’s exciting history and the creation of their Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) Stargate Worlds.

Darren will detail the trials, tribulations and opportunities in the video game industry, including:

* How market dynamics make video gaming one of the most dynamic, not to mention recession-proof, industries.
* How three founders started with an idea and landed a license for a major property at one of the largest entertainment companies.
* How key executive hires have helped to guide the vision, development and growth of the firm – including raising significant venture capital.
* How the company has transitioned from a video game developer to video game publisher.
* How IP is developed, implemented and managed in the video game industry.
* How to maximize a very limited marketing budget to make a big splash at critical industry events.
* How to leverage internal and external resources to maximize performance.
* And more…

More about our speaker:

Darren Steele, a veteran of Microsoft, Ethix Media and Access Software, serves as the company’s vice president of publishing and marketing. Prior to joining the company in 2007, Mr. Steele had over 12 years of experience responsible for the product marketing for more than 30 consumer software brands. He worked for 7 years as a senior marketer at Microsoft, where he led the marketing efforts for a $200 million Xbox games product line and a $300 million segment of the U.S. Windows XP business. After leaving Microsoft, Mr. Steele joined Ethix Media, where he led the marketing team of a consumer technology start up company through launch of the web application Homeminders as the vice president of marketing. Previously, Mr. Steele worked at Access Software, the creators of the bestselling Links™ golf franchise, where he served as the director of marketing prior to the company’s acquisition by Microsoft in 1999. Mr. Steele earned his BA in advertising and MBA from Brigham Young University.

TiE Members - $20
Non-Members - $35
Student Members - $20

Official Website: http://www.tie-az.org