GamesBeat: Into the Metaverse | VentureBeat Events

Designed for leaders in next-gen technology & games

Join for two days of online content and networking focused on the metaverse, the tech leading us to there, and implications for the industry.

Following the success of GamesBeat Summit 2020, VentureBeat is excited to bring the community back for a continued discussion online.

Watch all the full-length sessions here

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The latest in the gaming industry — the latest content focused on the metaverse.

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The only gaming event on the map for gaming leaders on the forefront of advancement.

Theme: Diving deeper into the metaverse

We are diving deeper into the discussions we started at GamesBeat Summit 2020 on the metaverse. This is an event that will draw leading thinkers in the game industry and elsewhere on how and when the metaverse will come. Will it be an accidental thing like the spontaneous community around Animal Crossing, or a deliberate, engineered universe built by companies such as Roblox or Epic Games? The Metaverse seemed like pie-in-the-sky for so many decades, but now, during the pandemic, it feels like we’re nearly there. We’ll explore this topic in a variety of dimensions, from both a gaming and transformative technology perspective.

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Day 2: Into the Metaverse Agenda

8:20 AM – 8:40 AM PT

Into the metaverse with Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer at GamesBeat at VentureBeat

8:40 AM – 9:00 AM PT

The Stepping Stones to the Oasis with Hironao Kunimitsu, Founder & Chairman at gumi & Founder of Thirdverse; moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer of GamesBeat at VentureBeat

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM PT

Ready Player 10 with Dave Baszucki, CEO & Founder at Roblox; moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer of GamesBeat at VentureBeat

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM PT

Why We Need an Open Metaverse with Tim Sweeney, CEO & Founder at Epic Games; interviewed by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer of GamesBeat at VentureBeat

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM PT

Blueprints for the Open metaverse with Dean Abramson, Founder & Chief Architect at RP1; Sean Mann, Co-founder & CEO of RP1; Toby Tremayne, CTO at Crucible; moderated by Ryan Gill, Co-founder & CEO at Crucible

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM PT

Investing in the metaverse with Peter Levin, Managing Director at Griffin Gaming Partners; Sam Englebardt, Managing Partner at Galaxy Interactive; Ian Livingstone CBE, Co-founder & Partner at Hiro Capital; moderated by Eric Goldberg, Managing Director of Crossover Technologies

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM PT

Virtual Beings and the metaverse with Edward Saatchi, Founder at Fable Studio, Akash Nigam, CEO and Co-founder at Genies, moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer at GamesBeat at VentureBeat

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM PT

Will VR Unlock the Promise of the metaverse with Jesse Schell, CEO at Schell Games; Cathy Hackl, Futurist, and Author of The Augmented Workforce; moderated by Stephanie Llamas, Head of Research & Strategy, Games and XR at SuperData, a Nielson Company

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM PT

Making the metaverse personal with Mike Pondsmith, Founder at R. Talsorian Games and creator of Cyberpunk; moderated by Geoff Keighley, CEO at The Game Awards

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM PT

Roundtable: Monetizing the metaverse with Steve Peterson,
CEO of StoryPHORCE Entertainment

12:30 PM – 1:00 PM PT

Notes From Our Science Fiction Future with Rony Abovitz of Sun and Thunder; Richard Taylor, Creative Director at Weta Workshop; moderated by Ted Schilowitz, Futurist, Paramount Pictures

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT

Making Friends in the metaverse with Lauren Bigelow, Chief Product Officer at Together Labs; Meaghan Fitzgerald, Head of Experiences, Product Marketing at Facebook Reality Labs; Jessica Freeman Head of Marketing, Minecraft at Microsoft; moderated by Shasta Nelson, Friendship Expert

1:30 PM – 2:00 PM PT

Breaking the 4th Wall with Bruce Grove, CEO at Polystream; Elina Arponen, CEO & Founder at Quicksave Interactive; Si Lumb, Futurist; moderated by Wanda Meloni, CEO & Principal Analyst at M2 Insights

2:00 PM – 2:30 PM PT

Tools of the metaverse with Timoni West, VP, XR Tools at Unity; Dr. Danny Lange, Senior Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at Unity; moderated by Charlie Fink, XR Consultant, Author, Columnist

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM PT

The Metaverse & Transmedia Narratives: Rising Opportunities with Jeff Gomez, CEO at Starlight Runner Entertainment; Mark Long, CEO of Neon Media

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM PT

Blockchain and the metaverse with Arthur Madrid, CEO at The Sandbox; moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer at GamesBeat at VentureBeat

3:30 PM – 4:15 PM PT

Town Hall Closing Session with Tim Sweeney Founder & CEO at Epic Games; Hironao Kunimitsu, Founder & Chairman at gumi & Founder of Thirdverse; Jesse Schell, CEO at Schell Games; Mike Pondsmith, Founder of R. Talsorian Games; moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer at GamesBeat at VentureBeat

4:15 PM – 5:15 PM PT

Reception and Networking

Day 3: Into the Metaverse Agenda

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM PT

Introduction by Mike Minotti of VentureBeat’s GamesBeat

8:45 AM – 9:15 AM PT

The Future Economy of the Metaverse with John Burris, Chief Strategy Officer at Together Labs

9:15 AM – 9:45 AM PT

The Evolution of Bots and Future Predictions with Alon Dayan, Founder of Unbotify at Adjust; moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer of VentureBeat’s GamesBeat

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM PT

Metaverse Startups with Frederic Descamps, CEO & Co-founder at Manticore Games; Raph Koster, CEO at Playable Worlds; moderated by Jason Wilson, Managing Editor of VentureBeat’s GamesBeat

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM PT

5G and the metaverse with Ronan Dunne, CEO at Verizon Consumer Group; John Hanke, Founder, and CEO of Niantic Inc.; moderated by Joost van Dreunen, Author of OneUp

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM PT

From Storytelling to Storyliving in the metaverse with Vicki Dobbs Beck, Executive in Charge at ILMxLab; Siobhan Reddy, Studio Director at Media Molecule; moderated by Jamil Moledina, CEO at Hexagram

11:15 AM – 11:45 AM PT

How to Build the Metaverse with John Linden, CEO at Mythical Games; Chris Swan, Publishing Director at Unit 2 Games; Jacob Navok, Co-founder & CEO at Genvid Technologies; moderated by Wanda Meloni, CEO & Principal Analyst at M2 Insights

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM PT

Diversity & the metaverse with Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO at Entertainment Software Association; moderated by Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer of GamesBeat at VentureBeat

12:15 PM – 12:45 PM PT

EVE Online: A Metaverse Blueprint with Hilmar Pétursson, CEO at CCP Games; interviewed by Mike Vorhaus, CEO at Vorhaus Advisors

12:15 PM – 12:45 PM PT

Roundtable: Blockchain and the metaverse with James Zhang of Concept Art House/Fifth Era and Arthur Madrid, CEO at The Sandbox

12:15 PM – 12:45 PM PT

Roundtable: Indies and the metaverse with Kate Edwards, CEO at Geogrify

12:45 PM – 1:15 PM PT

Listen to the metaverse with Philip Rosedale, CEO & Co-founder at High Fidelity; Andy Vaughan, Sr. Developer Relations Manager at Dolby; moderated by Mike Minotti of VentureBeat’s GamesBeat

1:15 PM – 1:45 PM PT

Enterprise and the metaverse with Richard Kerris, GM Media & Entertainment – Head of Worldwide Developer Relations at NVIDIA; Raffaella Camera, XR Strategist, former Global Head of Innovation & Strategy at Accenture XR; Christoph Fleischmann, CEO at Arthur; moderated by Kyle Wiggers, Staff Writer at VentureBeat

1:45 PM – 2:15 PM PT

The Ethics of the metaverse with Richard Bartle of University of Essex; moderated by Hendrik Lesser, CEO at Remote Control Productions

2:15 PM – 2:20 PM PT

Closing Session

2:20 PM – 3:20 PM PT

Networking

Access the full agenda here