"It's probably the greatest creative risk maybe going on in the game industry today," he said, responding to audience questions about dealing with failure. Calling Spore "massive" he continued, "I believe it's going to be one of the greatest franchises in our industry and will rival World of Warcraft or The Sims or Rock Band. It's going to be right up there."

"Or not."

He went on to say that EA was "100% behind the team that's creating that, and we will live and fall together," regardless of the outcome, but that the project was one that was well thought out and well executed.

Want to get digital copies for yourself? They're available for download at the official Into The Pixel web site.

While Riccitiello was proud of his achievements at EA following his return to the company, he warned developers and publishers not to make some of the mistakes the company has made in the past. Those mistakes, he said, involved the stifling of creative talent and their ensuing departure.

Riccitiello took DICE attendees to school this morning with his talk on Game industry Economics 101. EA, like Activision, Sony, Microsoft, will continue to absorb developers, as it did with Bioware Pandemic last year. And that presents a danger.

"Organizations are not coming together in a good way," he said, resulting in less interesting products born of "creative failure."

In the cases of Bullfrog, OSI and Westwood, Ricitiello said that the belief that EA and its studios could be one big happy family, with a one-culture-fits-all mentality doesn't work. Those teams suffered, and eventually lost talent, because creative decisions were escalated to the top levels of the company and creative contributors were "buried in layers of bureaucracy and policy."

What does work, Riccitiello said, are what he called "city-state" teams, with strong leaders like the ones Bioware, Maxis, DICE and Distinctive. Outside of EA, he pointed to Rockstar Games, Valve and Blizzard as strong examples of the kind of creatively independent models to follow.

He had strong words for publishers who were looking to consolidate, saying "The command and conquer model doesn't work. If you think you want to buy a developer and take their name off the credits, taking away their autonomy, you're making a profound mistake."

The solution was to "Find the people you trust and give them the keys."

ACADEMY AWARDS TOP HONORS TO CALL OF DUTY 4, BIOSHOCK, THE ORANGE BOX AT 11TH ANNUAL INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Inducts Mike Morhaime Into Hall of Fame and Bestows Lifetime Achievement Award Upon Ken Kutaragi

LAS VEGAS - February 8, 2008 - And the winners are ... Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), BioShock (2K Games) and The Orange Box (Electronic Arts and Valve Software); each picked up four statues at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards® last night. The award ceremony was hosted by comedian and avid video game player Jay Mohr at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences also honored two industry icons for their tremendous contributions. Mike Morhaime, president, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment®, was inducted as the 11th member of the prestigious AIAS Hall of Fame and Ken Kutaragi, former president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., received the highly coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.

"The Interactive Achievement Awards is the forum for the industry's best game makers to evaluate the merits of more than 160 titles submitted for consideration and honor the best in technical innovation and gameplay experience," said Joseph Olin, president of the AIAS. "This year's winners truly represent the best cross section of interactive entertainment, demonstrating the power of next-generation platforms that have come of age."

These peer-based awards recognize the outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry.

The winners in each category are as follows:

Overall Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Console Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Computer Game of the Year:
The Orange Box

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Producer: Gabe Newell

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Producer: Robert Jerauld
* Game Director: Bob Settles
* Creative Director: Jonas Norberg

Handheld Game of the Year:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

* Publisher: Nintendo of America
* Developer: Nintendo
* Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto
* Director: Eiji Aonuma Massively

Multiplayer Game of the Year:
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

* Publisher: Vivendi Games
* Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
* Producer: Frank Pearce
* Game Director: Rob Pardo
* Creative Director: Chris Metzen

Cellular Game of the Year:
skate.
Publisher: Electronic Arts

* Developer: EA Mobile
* Producer: David Manriquez
* Game Director: David Manriquez
* Creative Director: Derek Zakaib

Role-Playing Game of the Year:
Mass Effect

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: BioWare
* Producer: Casey Hudson
* Lead Designer: Preston Watamaniuk
* Art Director: Derek Watts

Racing Game of the Year:
Motorstorm

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Evolution Studios
* Producer: Simon Benson
* Creative Director: Paul Hollywood

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Lead Game Designer: Robin Walker
* Game Director: Kim Swift
* Creative Director: David Speyrer

Adventure Game of the Year:
Super Mario Galaxy

* Publisher: Nintendo of America
* Developer: Nintendo
* Producer: Takao Shimizu
* Game Director: Yoshiaki Koizumi
* Creative Director: Shigeru Miyamoto

Sports Game of the Year:
skate.

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Black Box
* Executive Producer: Scott Blackwood

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year:
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Los Angeles
* Producer: Mike Verdu
* Creative Director: Matt Britton

Action Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Family Game of the Year:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Producer: Tracy Rosenthal-Newson
* Game Director: Greg LoPiccolo
* Creative Director: Josh Randall

Outstanding Achievement in Animation:
Assassin's Creed

* Publisher: Ubisoft
* Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
* Animation Director: Alex Drouin
* Lead Animators: Elspeth Tory, Sylvain Bernard

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Visual Art Director: Scott Sinclair
* Technical Art Directors: Hogarth De La Plante, Andrew James, Jay Kyburz, Nate Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering:
Crysis

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Crytek
* Director of R&D: Douglas Binks

Outstanding Character Performance:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Writer: Erik Wolpaw
* Voice Actor: Ellen McLaw
* Character Name: GLADos

Outstanding Achievement in Story Development:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Writer: Ken Levine
* Character Designer: Rob Waters

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Lead Game Designer: Robin Walker
* UI Designer: Alden Kroll
* AI Designer: Tom Leonard

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Lead Online Designer: Todd Alerman
* Lead Online Programmer: Richard Baker

Downloadable Game of the Year:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

* Publisher: D3 Publisher or America
* Developer: Infinite Interactive, 1st Playable Productions
* Producers: Arthur Kawamoto, Steve Baldoni
* Game Directors: Steve Fawkner, Janeen Fawkner

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Composer: Garry Schyman

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Music Supervisors: Paul DeGooyer, Eric Brosius

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Sound Designers: Emily Ridgway, Patrick Balthrop, Justin Mullins
* Audio Lead: Eric Brosius

Since 1996, the Interactive Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding games, individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry. More than 160 titles were played and evaluated by members of the Academy's Peer Panels. The panels are comprised of the game industry's most experienced and talented men and women. Each panel is responsible for evaluating one award category. Interactive Achievement Award recipients are determined by a vote of qualified Academy members. Award voting is confidential, conducted online and supervised and certified by VoteNet Solutions, Inc. The integrity of the system, coupled with a broad-based voting population of AIAS members, makes the Interactive Achievement Awards the most credible, respected and recognized awards for interactive entertainment software.

Mizuguchi explained he was inspired by games at a young age, fascinated by Atari's dedicated Pong platform. He says he also discovered the music of The Beatles at the same time, combining the two experiences in a visual and emotional way.

He says he later was motivated to join Sega when he saw the Sega R-360 arcade cabinet for the first time. The enclosed, fully rotating cabinet gave developer AM2's G LOC a more realistic flight simulator experience (and surely induced plenty of nausea). When Mizuguchi saw the R-360 for the first time, he thought "Wow, who did this?"

His first project at Sega, arcade racer Sega Rally, got its own answer to the R-360 later, with a full-sized rally car chassis that sold a total of four units.

Moving on to the console division, the producer went to work on Space Channel 5. It was the result of his fascination with MTV culture as a child and his first foray into merging the emotional response from music with interactive entertainment.

His next was Rez.

The game, once known as K-Project was not just inspired by the paintings of Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian painter who had experience with the condition known as synesthesia. It was also partially inspired by Mizuguchi's early fascination with the Sensorama, a multi-modal device that promised an experience combining wide vision, motion color, stereo sounds, aromas, wind, and vibrations. "Wow," Mizuguchi said, questioning "What is this? What's happening inside?"

Combining those two motivators with Mizuguchi's interest in understanding why people, regardless of region, reacted to music at clubs and festivals physically—and vocally, as Mizuguchi said "Waaaaagggh!", arms stretched high.

These combinations continued, with games like Lumines, which recreated the "play with music" gameplay design and Ninety Nine Nights, Q Entertainment's attempt to combine action games and movies. NNN, Mizuguchi explained, was heavily influenced by Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon. Lumines II, which felt to many like a retread, was an attempt to more heavily incorporate music videos into the gameplay.

All of these marriages of medium are just portions of what Mizuguchi feels will bring to game development, now, according to him, still in its infancy. The "Big Bang" he says will be a hybrid product for a mass audience that combines online connectivity, video games, music, movies, community and advertising.

Since moving to Q and partnering with friend and now CEO, Shuji Utsumi, Miz says he's begun to come to terms with balancing art and commerce. Utsumi, he says, has been a good influence, especially when Mizuguchi becomes "too artistic." "Games," he says "are entertainment, not just art."

Schiesel began his line of questioning by addressing some of the Microsoft's talent losses over the past year, specifically inquiring into the departure of star developer Bungie. "I think that was a case of a creative team really wanting to just be independent," he said, brushing off rumors that the team felt creatively stifled, saying "No studio had more creative freedom within Microsoft than Bungie."

On the rest of the departures, Kim called those acquisitions "the nature of the industry", explaining that the company doesn't dictate what other publishers do.

Kim responded to questions that the Xbox 360 line-up for 2008 appeared to be a bit thinner than that of 2007, "I think the pipeline is very stacked. You just don't know about it yet." The Microsoft exec was quiet on currently unannounced titles, but did point to a trio of top-tier games the publisher will focus on in Halo Wars, Alan Wake and Fable 2.

He pointed to Microsoft's first-party studios need to shoulder the burden for creating exclusive content for both the Xbox 360 and Windows platform, saying that they're watching competitors like Sony and Nintendo's first party offerings closely. "I don't think anyone should underestimate Sony," he said, calling both "formidable" competitors. "To count them out would be a foolish mistake."

While he praised the Wii's casual market acceptance, calling it "great for the entire industry", he questioned how financially successful it was when compared against Microsoft's box. He pointed to 40% of the game-buying public's dollars going toward Xbox 360 games, hardware and accessories. "How are they using the console?" he asked of the Wii consumer "Are they buying a lot of games?"

When asked if Microsoft being outsold by Nintendo worldwide represented a failure, when compared to the company's goal to be number one in any space it's in, Kim said that "No one should be surprised by Nintendo." Kim tempered that praise, telling Schiesel "I think it's way too early to declare a winner here."

Kim said not to expect a lifespan for the Xbox 360 on par with its predecessor, pointing to the strategic benefit of launching a year before a pair of current-gen competitors.

But what about new video game ventures for the company? Microsoft's Zune, Scheisel added, was behind the curve in the gaming space when compared to its biggest competitor, the iPod. While Kim left the door open, saying "Never say never", he was realistic about the investment required. "Clearly it's a big business, but launching a portable device, it's just like launching an Xbox 360. You have to step back and ask devoting whatever resources you would have to make the Zune a multifunction device, is that really the best way to go from a company standpoint?"

The team also revealed a list of the Blizzard games that have been canceled over the course of their 17 years, a list longer than you may think.

If you thought Blizzard was only focused on StarCraft, Warcraft and Diablo, think again. While they may have a few lesser known titles like Blackthorne and The Lost Vikings on their resumes, they were at one point working on all of the following.

• Games People Play
• Crixa
• Shattered Nations
• Pax Imperia
• Denizen
• Warcraft Adventures
• Nomad
• Raiko

A look at some of the preliminary artwork, in extra large size, can be seen here.

We know that Blizzard was unhappy with the quality of Warcraft Adventures and many of us were glad to learn of its termination and that Pax Imperia eventually went to another developer. Oddly enough, StarCraft Ghost did not appear on the list, despite appearing to be dead in the water. Unfortunately, Pardo, Morhaime and Pearce didn't expound upon the games in question, nor did they specifically reveal why they were canceled, but expect more from their talk later to shed more light on the decisions that go into canceling a game.

Verbinski attacked the current publisher-developer business model, affirming that "Games are not merchandise." He spoke of his own struggles with game development, saying "With the Pirates of the Caribbean games, the business model killed the potential for something really unique." He explained "I'm not hiding my disappointment, because I know the fanaticism could have driven that world. Five years ago, while adult audiences were dressing up in pirate garb to attend the cinema, I lobbied heavily for an MMOG for Pirates to no avail, because it wasn't in their business plan."

The director blamed publishers for "responding to data and basing creative decisions on existing formulas" and "reacting to a world that is already passing them by", using brown, me-too first person shooters as evidence that the medium could be in danger of becoming sterile, if not for auteur developers who would "make the suits shit themselves" with bold new concepts.

While Verbinski's opening speech was certainly inspiring, probably mostly to rank and file creators who were looking to move beyond the bald space marine stereotype, it would seem that the director of Hollywood fare like The Ring and Mousehunt has large aspirations for game developers.

He did, however, refreshingly point to individual contributors in video game and film development as key factors in realizing the artistic zenith. Game designers, like directors, he said have an obligation to test executives—"You must make execs uncomfortable, whether they know it or not, and believe me, the good ones do"—to make their work "diverge from the path."

While the director may have seemed slightly green in his vision of game development—by his own admission, he's only played a handful of games—his passion for moving the medium forward seemed genuine. He referenced last year's DICE speaker Alex Rigopulos and the team at Harmonix at one point, lauding them for having the gall to convince RedOctane to manufacture plastic guitars to meet the fantasy of standing in front of a mirror with a tennis racket to virtually rock out. "They naysayers completely missed the point," he said, praising the visionaries at Harmonix for convincing investors to make the Guitar Hero series a success.

We certainly appreciated Gore's unbridled enthusiasm. We hope that he'll return at a future date, having learned more about the medium from DICE attendees, from his own experiences and from the experiences of his children, with a better grasp of the realities of video game development. Perhaps he'll have even played some of the genre's best storytelling games and will be able to contribute more to the conversation.

Expect more details from Gore Verbinski's keynote speech and his follow-up Q&A with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal throughout the week.

Coinciding with the DICE Summit are the 11th Interactive Achievement Awards, the industry's prestigious, peer-recognized award ceremony. If you want to watch the awards live, they'll be broadcast on Comcast HD Video on Demand and streamed live on GameSpot. For all the information on this year's events, check out the full press release.

Video Game Industry Leaders Bet Big on D.I.C.E.

The video game industry's most influential leaders gather in Las Vegas for the 2008 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit(R) kicking off today and continuing through Feb. 8 at the Red Rock Resort. The conference includes three days of seminars with some of the most celebrated and creative minds in the video game industry. The D.I.C.E. Summit also plays host to the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards(R) ceremony on February 7, where industry leaders and members pay tribute and recognize the individuals and products that contribute to the growth of the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment software business. Favored comedian and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr returns for his third year to host the award festivities.

The power-packed conference has attracted a dynamic line-up of high-profile industry leaders to discuss topics relevant to the current state of the video game industry, developing trends and key issues facing publishers and business leaders. The single-track conference program features sessions led by the elite shaping the industry, including:

— John Riccitiello — Electronic Arts, CEO

— Shane Kim — Microsoft Game Studios, Corporate Vice President

— Gore Verbinski — Pirates of the Caribbean, Director

— Russ Crupnick — The NPD Research Group

— Robin Kaminsky — Activision, Executive Vice President

— Mike Morhaime — Blizzard Entertainment, President

— Masaya Matuura — NanaOn-Sha, President

— Michael D. Gallagher — ESA, President

— Dr. Mark Ollila — Nokia, Director of Technology & Strategy for Games

— Yannis Mallat — Ubisoft Montreal, CEO

— Dr. Mike Capps — Epic Games, President

— Andy Burke & Mike Acton — Insomniac Games

"This year represents the true evolution of narrative in gaming and creative forms of entertainment with the development of a wider breadth of games, offering a variety of entertainment options that new game players will find attractive," said Joseph Olin, president, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. "This in turn continues to expand the marketplace beyond the traditional game playing community to the mass consumers."

Hall of Fame Inductee:

During the Interactive Achievement Awards, Mike Morhaime, president, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment(R), will be the eleventh visionary inducted into the AIAS's prestigious Hall of Fame. As one of the organization's highest honors, candidates are annually voted on by the Academy's illustrious Board of Directors. Induction into the Hall of Fame is bestowed upon individuals who've contributed to a significant advancement within the industry, while demonstrating proven success and leadership.

Morhaime will be honored for his efforts and contributions to the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) space through Blizzard Entertainment's spectacularly popular World of Warcraft(R) as well as the tremendous success of the company's Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R) and Diablo(R) series. In particular, World of Warcraft has cemented Morhaime's influence and impact on the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment industry; it's the world's largest online game, with more than 9.3 million subscribers. Morhaime and Blizzard Entertainment are recognized for creating an MMOG that expanded the traditionally hardcore audience of the genre to also include the broader casual-gaming audience.

Lifetime Achievement Award:

The AIAS has named Honorary Chairman and former President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Ken Kutaragi the recipient of the coveted 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be bestowed at this year's Interactive Achievement Awards(R) (IAA) ceremony. The Award honors those who have devoted their lives to the advancement of the interactive entertainment industry and have made significant contributions that have guided the business to the prominent position it is in today.

Recognized internationally as the "Father of PlayStation(R)," Kutaragi will be honored for revolutionizing the global in-home entertainment market with the creation and monstrous success of the PlayStation(R) computer entertainment systems. The original PlayStation(R), which was launched in 1994, and the PlayStation(R)2, which launched in 2000, went on to become the most popular computer entertainment systems of the era, resulting in combined shipments of more than 230 million units worldwide.

The Interactive Achievement Awards for the first time can be viewed live via webcast on GameSpot (www.gamespot.com) and Comcast HD Video on Demand. This gives game enthusiasts worldwide the opportunity to experience first-hand the excitement as the coveted Interactive Achievement Awards are presented to the geniuses and giants behind the most popular video games of the year.

Special Events:

In addition to the conference sessions and the Interactive Achievement Awards(R), the AIAS will host several other activities during the three-day event:

— The EA Sports 5th Annual D.I.C.E. Summit Golf Tournament: The tournament will be held on Wednesday, February 6 at the beautiful TPC Canyons Golf Club, host to the SENIOR PGA TOUR'S Las Vegas Classic.

— The 3rd Annual Poker Tournament at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino: The Texas Hold 'Em tourney will be held on Friday, February 8 following the close of the speaker sessions.

— Interactive Achievement Pre-Awards Party: Comcast/Game Invasion will host the pre-awards party at the decadent Cherry Nightclub and private Cherry pool and cabanas. This party sets the tone for the red carpet, awards and the post-awards party. Party goers can enjoy music, dancing, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

— Interactive Achievement Post-Awards Party: The 2nd Annual post-awards party will be held at the Red Rock Resort, in their state-of-the-art VIP bowling alley. Cosmic bowling with dancing lights, fog machines, glow in the dark lanes, pins and bowling balls will be offered for an evening of fun and festivities.

— Into the Pixel(TM) (ITP) Exhibit and Auction: ITP is an exploration and celebration of the art of video games. The exhibit enables published game artists to be reviewed and recognized by the public and by their peers. ITP features a representative sampling of video game art, selected by a panel of jurors from a field of submissions. Funds raised at D.I.C.E. this year will benefit the AIAS and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

2008 D.I.C.E. Summit(R) Sponsors:

The D.I.C.E. Summit 2008 key sponsors include: Bioware/Pandemic, Boesky & Company, Business Wire, Comcast, Day One Studios, Dell Computer, EA Sports, Electronic Arts, Enterprise Talent, GameRecruiter, Insomniac Games, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Philips amBx, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Stormfront Studios, and Ubisoft.

About the D.I.C.E. Summit(R):

The D.I.C.E. Summit is a high-level interactive entertainment industry conference that brings together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all the major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends and the future. The three-day event will be held in Las Vegas, at the upscale Red Rock Resort, February 6-8, 2008. Online registration for the D.I.C.E. Summit 2008 is open now. Please visit www.dicesummit.org for more information and to register to attend the interactive entertainment industry event of the year.

About the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The Academy's mission is to promote and advance common interests in the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and conduct an annual awards show (Interactive Achievement Awards) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The Academy also strives to provide a voice for individuals in the interactive entertainment community. In 2002 the Academy created the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, a once-yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. The Academy has over 10,000 members, with the board comprised of senior executives from the major video game companies including Bioware/Pandemic, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and Ubisoft. More information on AIAS and the D.I.C.E. Summit can be found at www.interactive.org and www.dicesummit.org.

When we broke the news of Jim Ward quitting LucasArts last week, I mentioned that he would no longer be speaking at the DICE conference this week.

The folks at Kohnke weren't able to tell me who would be taking his place, but today when I hopped onto the DICE site I see he is no longer listed and that there have been a number of changes to the line-up. It looks like Oddworld's Lorne Lanning is also no longer speaking at the conference and that folks from Namco and Massive Black have been added.

Hit the jump for the before and afters, according to the DICE schedule. (Thanks to GameLife, which ran the old schedule last week and made it possible for me to do some comparisons.)

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM — Breaking the Broken Model!: Jim Ward, President, LucasArts
"The New "Gamer": Closing Gaps in our Growing Industry": Michael Gallagher, President, ESA:

Replaced with:

Robin Kaminsky, Executive VP Publishing, Activision (perhaps talking about Implementing Creativity)
The New "Gamer": Closing Gaps in our Growing Industry" Michael Gallagher, President, ESA

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM — "But wait, there's more!" Lessons learned in creating & selling original IP!: Lorne Lanning, Oddworld

Replaced with:

Everyone said it wasn't possible with six grand...so we did it anyway—Then came the acquisition discussions. Jason Manley, CEO, Massive Black
How Great Game Characters Get Made Roger Hector, VP Development, Namco Bandai Games

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM — Power Hour: Implementing Creativity: Robin Kaminsky, Executive VP Publishing, Activision, Dr. Mark Ollila, Director Strategy & Research, Nokia

Replaced with

Game Maker's Surprise Dr. Mark Ollila, Director Strategy & Research, Nokia

DICE

LucasArts president Jim Ward surprised the developer on Monday with news that he was leaving the company he's been with for nearly ten years.

In a prepared statement sent to Kotaku shortly after we broke the news of his departure, Ward sang the praises of a game development company he says he's helped reboot.

"I am so proud of all people and the work we've done together at LucasArts over the last four years," he wrote. "It's been an incredible experience. Together we've rebooted the company and set LucasArts on a path to even greater success. This is a fantastic team and they are positioned for their best year ever."

Margaret Grohne, PR director for the game development arm of Lucas Films, said LucasArts found out about Ward's decision Monday evening.

"He told the company he was leaving for personal reasons and he didn't elaborate on that," she said. "He is leaving in a couple of weeks.

"We are starting a search for a new president and in the transition Howard Roffman, president of Lucas Licensing, will be stepping in. He has been with the company for over 25 years and very intimately connected with the games business. "

Ward's departure, Grohne said, will not impact release dates or development schedules for any of LucasArts' games.

"We have a really strong line up for 08," she said. Ward "has a very strong team in place and he has set up a very strong company. He is leaving us in a very good place."

"We are sorry to see him go. He's been with the Lucas film organization for over 10 years and he has definitely contributed quite a bit to our organization."

Ward was scheduled to speak at next week's D.I.C.E. conference in a talk entitled "Breaking the Broken Model!", but LucasArts confirmed he will no longer be attending the event.