6:00 – 7:40 p.m.

Indie Game: The Movie

To kick off this year's Game::Business::Law Summit, there will be a free screening of the film Indie Game: The Movie. The Sundance-award winning documentary that that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

Details:

7:45 p.m.

Q&A Session

Following the screening of Indie Game: The Movie, there will be a remote Q&A conducted by Doug Darby, The Guildhall at SMU, with one of the indie game developers featured in the film; Edmund McMillen.

Moderator:
Doug Darby, Manager of Creative & Digital Strategy, The Guildhall at SMU

Speaker:
Edmund McMillen, Independent Game Designer and Artist

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 a.m.

Welcoming Remarks

Speaker:
John B. Attanasio, Dean, SMU Dedman School of Law

8:45 – 9:00 a.m.

Introductory Remarks

Speaker:
Gary Brubaker, Director, The Guildhall at SMU
Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law
W. Keith Robinson, Assistant Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law
Mark Smith, Vice President, The Center For American And International Law

9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

Panel #1: Digital Distribution and Games as a Service

Industry experts will explore the future of digital distribution and the “Games as a Service” business model.

Moderator/Panel Chair:
Marco Mereu, General Counsel & VP Business Development, uCool

Panelists:
Patrick Hudson, President and CEO, Robot Entertainment
Steve Nix, DVP GM Digital Distribution, GameStop
JJ Richards, Divisional Vice President, MOGA

10:15 – 10:30 a.m.

Break

10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Panel #2: Crowdfunding

Is crowd funding a viable new option for under-funded developers and publishers? This panel will explore the legal and business issues created by crowd funding.

Moderator/Panel Chair:
Mark Methenitis, Corporate Counsel, Metro PCS

Panelists:
Ryan Barrett, Rigger / Animator, Sandswept Studios
Evan Fitzmaurice, Attorney, Selman Munson & Lerner
J. Holt Foster, Partner, Thompson & Knight
Patrick Holleman, Founder, The Game Design Forum
Zack Karlsson, VP Business Development & Digital Platforms, Capcom

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch

Keynote Speaker:
Mark Long, Founder and CEO, Meteor Entertainment, Inc.

1:15 – 1:30 p.m.

Break

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Panel #3: Legal Threats to Game Developers

Piracy, copying and cheating remain threats to videogame developers. Legal experts will discuss ways in which developers are protecting themselves from these legal threats and identify ethical issues that may arise for lawyers counseling their developer clients (2:15-2:45 PM).

Moderator/Panel Chair:
Carolyn Luedtke, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Panelists:
Jonathan H. Blavin, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Kerry Hopkins, Senior IP Director, Electronic Arts
Marco Mereu, General Counsel & VP Business Development, uCool

2:45 p.m.

Adjournment

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Reception

Location:
The Meadows Museum, at SMU.

7:00 p.m.

Founder’s Dinner

Sponsored by: Munger Tolles & Olson LLP and The Meadows Museum.

Welcome:
W. Keith Robinson, Assistant Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law

Dinner Speaker:
Michael “Burnie” Burns, Machinima Filmmaker, Austin, TX

8:30 – 9:15 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

9:15 – 9:30 a.m.

Welcoming Remarks

Speaker:
Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law

9:30 – 10:45 a.m.

Panel #4: Law and the Future of Gaming

This panel will discuss video game gambling and identify IP issues relevant to developers. Ethical issues that may arise in counseling gaming and IP clients will also be discussed (10:15-10:45 AM). In addition, the panel will explore what the new regional patent office in Dallas means for local developers.

Moderator/Panel Chair:
W. Keith Robinson, Assistant Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law

Panelists:
Jeff Becker, Partner, Haynes & Boone, LLP
John Cabeca, Senior Advisor, US Patent & Trademark Office
Roxanne Christ, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP

10:45 – 11:00 a.m.

Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Panel #5: The Art of the Deal

Orchestrating successful deals is considered by many to be an art form. Independent developers, legal experts and investors will share experiences from their distinct vantage points.

Moderator/Panel Chair:
Scott Ticer, Co-Founder, Lone Star Angels

Panelists:
J. Holt Foster, Partner, Thompson & Knight
Zack Karlsson, VP Business Development & Digital Platforms, Capcom
Patrick Sweeney, Counsel, Reed Smith

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.

Lunch

12:45 – 2:45 p.m.

Panel #6: Game Pitches in Action

A forum in which independent studios will pitch their individual games to a group of distinguished commentators. The panel will include business development leaders and game attorneys. As spectators, the audience will watch the entire process and maybe even witness the first steps to the next biggest title in video games.

Moderator/Panel Chair:
Scott Ticer, Co-Founder, Lone Star Angels

Panelists:
Matt Himelfarb, Managing Partner, Dallas Venture Partners
Zack Karlsson, VP Business Development & Digital Platforms, Capcom
Patrick Sweeney, Counsel, Reed Smith

Presenters:
Tim Capper, Founder and CEO, Mobile MUM
Chris Daskam, Founder, Big Disc Games, LLC
Paul Nichols, CEO, FutureTech Gaming
Grant Yang, Co-Founder, Kumakore, LLC

2:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Speakers:
Gary Brubaker, Director, The Guildhall at SMU
Xuan-Thao Nguyen, Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law
Mark Smith, Vice President, The Center For American And International Law

3:00 p.m.

Adjournment