GameX - Video Game Expo and Media Convention in Philadelphia, PA. October, 2009. GameX is three days of Games, Film, Comics, Manga, Scifi, Anime and much more.

Craig Alexander joined Turbine in 2007 as the Vice President of Product Development and oversees the development and production of all of Turbine's franchises including The Lord of the Rings Online™, Dungeons & Dragons Online™, Asheron's Call®, and all future projects. Craig brings over twenty years of engineering and studio general management experience to Turbine. Most recently, he held the position of Vice President and General Manager of Z-Axis, an Activision studio. In this role, he managed the development of multiple console titles, including the 2006 X-Men game. Previously, he was Vice President and Executive Producer for Electronic Arts Partners, managing a portfolio of externally developed PC and console titles ranging from licensed movie games to new intellectual property, and Vice President of Online for Electronic Arts' Westwood Studios in Las Vegas managing EA's MMORPG Earth & Beyond. Prior to Electronic Arts, he was General Manager for Sierra Online's original development studio near Yosemite National Park, shipping numerous titles and overseeing Sierra's entry into the MMORPG segment. Craig graduated from the University of Southern California with a BSEE in Computer Engineering and received his MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.

Jeffrey Anderson
Founder and CEO, Quick Hit

As Quick Hit’s founder and CEO, Jeff brings a strong background in game design, product management and business development to the company. Prior to starting Quick Hit, Jeff was the president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. where he rebuilt that company into a global publisher of MMORPG’s with hits like Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online. Before Turbine, he served as the vice president and executive in charge of production at Origin/ Electronic Arts, where he managed the Ultima franchise. Prior to Origin, Jeff was the executive director for the consumer products division of Viacom, Inc., managing Paramount Pictures' world-wide interactive licensing. Before Viacom, he was the vice president of operations at Mission Studios Corporation and practiced law at Holleb & Coff. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in economics and received his J.D. from University of Chicago Law School. Jeff is regularly quoted in the mainstream media, including; The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Forbes, BusinessWeek, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Reuters, Associated Press, and many others.

James Barger
Director of Broadcast Operations, NBC 10

Since 2002, James Barger has been the Director of Broadcasting and Engineering Operations at WCAU-TV/NBC 10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From 1988 to 2002, Barger served as manager of News and ENG. Prior to that, Barger was a Photojournalist and Editor for the station. On May 13, 1985, he made history, capturing the only video of the bomb that was dropped on a row home in the City of Philadelphia, resulting in sixty-one homes being burned to the ground. His photographs of this devastating event known as MOVE garnered national visibility by being featured in Time Magazine. Barger grew up in Philadelphia, and graduated from Philadelphia Wireless Institute, where he earned his degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. He also gained certification in Broadcast Management as well as completed management courses through GE.

Emily Brinkert
Director of Operations, 2K Boston

In 2006, Emily joined 2K Boston (formerly Irrational Games) as the Director of Operations and became a part of the team that made the multi-million selling BioShock, one of the highest rated Xbox360 games ever made. At 2K Boston she oversees a broad range of operational concerns from finance, HR, recruiting, and facilities management while also acting as a liaison between the local office and corporate headquarters in New York City. From 1997 until 2006, Emily was the General Manager for the Boston production of the world renowned theatrical sensation Blue Man Group. There she oversaw everything from marketing and community outreach to HR and finance.

Gordon Bellamy
Board of Directors, IGDA

Gordon was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Game Developers Association in 2009. He is also a member of the Board of the Digital Coast Roundtable, the non-profit organization whose members are at the forefront of the convergence of entertainment and technology in Southern California and a judge for the Promax/BDA MI6 Awards, which celebrate the best in marketing, advertising and design within interactive and game entertainment. As an executive consultant for MTV, Bellamy provided creative guidance on the content, direction and strategic marketing partnerships for the annual Spike TV Video Game Awards show and the highly rated weekly program GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley on Spike TV. Previously, Gordon was Executive Director of the game industry's trade organization, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Bellamy has also played key business and product development roles at Electronic Arts, where he was named the company's Rookie of the Year for his work on the best-selling Madden Football franchise, THQ, and Activision subsidiary, Z-AXIS. He earned a BA degree from Harvard College in engineering, where he was also a John Harvard scholar and AT&T/Bell Labs Engineering scholar.

Heather Ellertson
VP of Marketing, Entertainment Consumers Association

Heather Ellertson has twelve years of game industry marketing experience, and currently oversees all marketing for the Entertainment Consumers Association. She began her game career as marketing assistant for the leading trade publication, GameWeek magazine. Heather was promoted to Director of Marketing on the magazine to oversee publication operations. Previously, Heather ran the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association, a non-profit association that represented retailers that sold hardware and software for the videogame industry. She was also responsible for producing the IEMA Executive Summit. Heather is involved in groups such as IGDA Women in Games Special interest Group, Gamers for Net Neutrality, What They Like and Video Game Industry Professionals.

Susan Gold
Director of Game Program Review
Chairperson, IGDA Education SIG

Susan Gold is director of the Game Program Review, a consulting firm specializing in game education for both industry professionals and students. The firm offers a speakers bureau with workshops and lectures specific to the game industry. The firm also serves as an academic consultancy for schools developing game curricula. Susan’s personal focus is on collaboration, which resulted in the 1st Annual Global Game Jam (www.globalgamejam.org), an experiment in creativity and innovation with 1650 participants in 53 locations in 23 countries that inspired 360 games in a 48 hour time span. Susan is also chair of the IGDA Education SIG, sits on a number of university advisory boards worldwide. Susan’s work with the IGDA Ed SIG has created many resources for instructors in game education. Currently, she is building an outreach campaign to meet the needs of educators worldwide, and she continues to develop tools and resources for educator professional development. Throughout her career, Susan has demonstrated her natural talent of working with industry to help build relationships and integrate their recommendations in education. Susan is an artist, teacher, and activist with a specialization in digital art, new media and videogames. Her artwork and writing have been featured in numerous galleries, museums and publications.

Jeff Goodsill
VP and General Manager, Tencent Boston

Jeff is a veteran interactive entertainment executive, having directed some of the most successful game development studios in North America. He was the General Manager at Ensemble Studios, General Manager and Producer of Papyrus Racing Games, President and Executive Producer of Iron Lore Entertainment, and the current Vice President and General Manager, Tencent Interactive Entertainment Division, Boston office. He has worked on the hit franchises of Age of Empires, NASCAR Racing, Titan Quest and Dawn of War. Jeff is currently running Tencent Boston for the Chinese company Tencent. He is responsible for growing and overseeing this studio and its products as well as assisting in the global growth of Tencent’s Interactive Entertainment Division.

Tronster Hartley
President, Geek House Games
Senior Programmer, Firaxis Games

Tronster has worked in various business sectors as a Software Architect, the past decade, with the games industry being his primary focus since 2006. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in Computer Science, Tronster has a few titles under his belt while working at Breakaway Games and by his own Flash games company Geek House Games. Tronster was one of the four founding members of the Baltimore IGDA and currently serving his second year on the board as the chapter’s chair. Despite his busy schedule, he still finds time to teach 2 nights a week for UMBC’s Interactive Art class. A gamer to the core and Tron fanatic, Tronster’s off-time is usually occupied with learning new programming techniques and technologies, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and writing house techno tracks.

Alex Horn
Lead Designer, X Points Games Studio

Alex Horn is the co-founder and lead designer of The X Points Games Studio, an independent studio based in Philadelphia, Pa where he is also a content and video specialist for Comcast Interactive Media (CIM). Alex serves as chapter coordinator for the Philadelphia chapter of the IGDA and is a member of the Game Writers SIG. He has produced original, linear and interactive content for CIM including video, news, and interviews covering everything from Epic Games to the New York Comic Con. A Philly native, Alex graduated from Temple University, and played semi-professional soccer in South America.

Steve Horowitz
Creative Director, The Code International

Steve Horowitz is a diverse and prolific musician, and creator of odd but highly accessible sounds with an output spanning the worlds of film, television, games, concerts, and recordings. As a Grammy, Webby & BDA award winner, Horowitz's work includes music and production services for some of today's top video game, film, television, and new media companies including Nickelodeon Digital, Worldwide Biggies, MTV, Spike TV, The Con, Warrior-Poets, SEGA, Sony, PF Magic, Rocket Science Games, & Living Books, just to name a few. In addition to his ground breaking work with Nickelodeon Digital and his film and television scores (Super Size Me, Casino Cinema, I Bet You Will, Nickelodeon), he also records and tours with his band The Code International. Steve won a Grammy award for engineering the multi-artist True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe [Sugar Hill], 1996's winner for best bluegrass album. Steve studied composition at the California Institute and has received performance underwriting and commissions from numerous organizations.

James Huth
Director of Business Development, NBC 10

James Huth is the Director of Business Development at the NBC Universal Local Media outlet in Philadelphia, WCAU-TV, where he is responsible for the acquisition of new customers and the development of new ad products and services. In addition, James is responsible for revenue generation for on-line, mobile, and Out of Home platforms. Prior to joining NBC Universal, James was the co-founder and COO of REON Broadband, a Broadband Service Provider, which provided high-speed data and networking services to small-mid-size businesses in New England. Conversent Communications successfully acquired REON Broadband. James also served as the Vice President/Group Sales Manager at Blair Television where he worked with clients such as Gannett, Disney, Scripps Howard, and Post Newsweek, among others. James serves on the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Interactive Marketing Association and is on the Board of Advisors for Phind Me, a Mobile Publishing Company. James is a 1989 graduate of Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater.

Lorne Lanning
Co-founder, Oddworld Inhabitants

For over two decades Lorne has been focused on the integration of character and environmental design, 3D animation, visual effects, game design, and interactive storytelling. His Oddworld games have sold over 5 million copies and garnered dozens of awards not only from the game industry, but also from the music, television, and film industries - as well as illustration & design annuals. His experience in Aerospace Visualization and as a Technical Director, Art Director and VFX Supervisor at Rhythm & Hues Studios in LA - was instrumental in shaping the vision and production approach that would later become the cornerstone of Oddworld Inhabitants which he co-founded with visual effects veteran, Sherry McKenna, in 1994. Lorne serves on the Advisory Boards to the San Francisco Academy of Art University, Gnomon School of Visual Effects, The CGSociety, and the Gamecity Festival in Nottingham (UK). He is a board member of the Academy of Interactive Sciences (AIAS - former Vice Chairman) and is the longest standing member on the jury for the “Expose Annual: The Worlds Best in Digital Art” and the collaborative effort between the AIAS, MOMA, and LACMA, the “Into the Pixel” annual game industry arts competition. Originally trained in photorealistic illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York, Lorne holds a BFA in Motion Graphics & Visual Effects from the California Institute of the Arts. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the San Francisco Academy of Art University and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Entertainment Consumers Association.

Jen MacLean
SVP of Business Development, 38 Studios

Jen serves as senior vice president of business development for 38 Studios, founded by Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling in late 2006. 38 Studios has assembled a team of world-class creative talent, including world-renowned comic book and toy creator Todd McFarlane and best-selling fantasy author R. A. Salvatore. Prior to 38 Studios, Jen held the role of Vice President and General Manager, Games a Comcast, responsible for management of all games products, strategy, and business development for the United States' largest cable company. Her extensive and varied experience in online content and interactive entertainment began in 1992 at Microprose Software. She joined AOL in 1996, where she held numerous positions in the AOL brand programming division, including Programming Director for the Games Channel.

Joanne McLaughlin
Vice President Digital - Digital Media, Weston Mason

As Vice President Digital, Digital Media for Weston Mason, Joanne McLaughlin is applying over a decades worth of experience from both the private and public sectors to build and expand Weston Mason's recently launched Digital Division. Joanne is a brand-marketing strategist and seasoned executive with extensive experience specializing in emerging technologies in new media, viral marketing, social networking, web hybrid platforms, integrated business solutions and the development of online gaming platforms. With an MBA in International Marketing and a BA in Communication Joanne's clients include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Warner Bros., California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and California Earthquake Alliance. Joanne's public sector experience has also required her to join the advisory board for California Disaster Planning and Earthquake Preparedness. Joanne’s personal interests include space, science, robotics, cars, and science fiction.

Chris Melissinos
Chief Gaming Officer, Sun Microsystems

Chris Melissinos is Sun Microsystems' Chief Gaming Officer, lifelong videogamer and avid game collector. His responsibilities include the development of Sun Microsystems programs, offerings, and vision targeting the electronic entertainment industry. He is responsible for driving an industry-wide movement toward Java technology-based game development and promoting Sun's online game server technology which lives at ProjectDarkstar.com. Melissinos' speaking and keynote resume includes high profile conferences such as the Consumer Electronics Show, Electronic Entertainment Expo, Game Developers Conference, Harvard's Cyberposium, JavaOne, iHollywood, Java Conference in Milan, Italy, and Games4Change.

Marc Mencher
CEO, GameRecruiter

Marc Mencher is a recognized game industry career specialist and CEO of GameRecruiter. He has been responsible for helping innumerable job seekers secure jobs with leading game companies for nearly 20 years. Marc is a regular speaker at the game industry conferences, college campuses and job fairs around the country. Marc’s career development articles are published on a monthly basis in various online publications, and he is the author of the widely-acclaimed career primer, "Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry.” Marc is currently on the national advisory boards for Westwood College and The Art Institute

Coray Seifert
Game Designer, Kaos Studios

Coray Seifert is a game designer at THQ's Kaos Studios, creators of Frontlines: Fuel of War.. The youngest ever member of the International Game Developers Association's Board of Directors, he has also served as the principal coordinator of the IGDA's New Jersey chapter since 2002 and helped to found the Game Design Special Interest Group in 2008. Coray has developed games as a designer, writer, and producer for companies like Large Animal Games, Blade Edge Software, and the US Department of Defense. He has also appeared on Gamasutra.com, Forbes.com, The NY1 News Channel, in Game Developer Magazine, at the Game Developers Conference and at numerous other game industry events as an editor, panelist, lecturer, or host. An advocate for the aspiring game developer, Coray teaches game design at Bloomfield College and The Stevens Institute of Technology.

Steve Reid
EVP/Managing Director, Red Storm Entertainment, a division of Ubisoft Entertainment

Steve is the executive vice president/managing director for Red Storm Entertainment, a division of Ubisoft Entertainment. He is one of the original founders of Red Storm (1996), the studio known for creating the TOM CLANCY line of games and helping to establish the genre of squad-based tactical shooters. After a successful run as an independent developer/publisher, Red Storm was acquired by Ubisoft (2000). The studio's most recent work is the multiplayer gameplay for GHOST RECON ADVANCED WARFIGHTER 2 for Xbox 360. Before games, Steve received a master's of fine arts degree from East Carolina University. He has taught a variety of college art disciplines and now collaborates with local and national colleges as an advisor on digital art curriculum. Steve has participated as a moderator, a panelist and as a guest speaker at the Game Developer Conference, E3 and other industry events.

Tommy Tallarico
Creator, Video Games Live
Founder, Game Audio Network Guild

Tommy Tallarico is one of the most successful video game composers in history. He has helped revolutionize the gaming world, creating unique audio landscapes that enhance the video gaming experience. He is considered the person most instrumental in changing the game industry from bleeps & bloops to real music now appreciated worldwide by millions of fans. An accomplished musician, Tallarico has been writing music for video games for more than 19 years. He has won over 45 industry awards and has worked on more than 275 game titles. Tallarcio is co-creator of Video Games Live, an immersive, audio and video concert experience celebrating video games. Tallarico is the founder of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), which is a non-profit organization educating and heightening the awareness of audio for the interactive world. With over 2,000 members representing over 30 countries since its inception in 2002, G.A.N.G. has quickly become known as one of the strongest and best examples of helping the game industry community.

Wade Tinney
CEO, Large Animal Games

Wade has been designing and developing games since 1996. He founded Large Animal Games with Josh Welber in January of 2001. He was the founding editor of the Casual Games Quarterly and has led the New York City Chapter of the International Game Developers Association since 2006. After spending five years in the casual downloadable games market, Large Animal is now focused entirely on publishing games that connect friends, on networks like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, and Twitter, as well as on mobile devices such as the iPhone. Their Toga platform enables the deployment of games and the management of a virtual goods economy across all of these distribution channels. Recent titles include Bumper Stars, Bananagrams, Lucky Strike Lanes, and Twivial. For more information, and to try out some of their games, please visit their website.