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Southern Methodist University and The Center for American and International Law To Hold International Summit on the Law and Business of Video Games

DALLAS, TX– August 12, 2008– The Guildhall at SMU, the SMU Dedman School of Law and The Center for American and International Law have announced plans to hold Game::Business::Law, an international summit on the law and business of video games January 14-15, 2009.

Video game legend and future astronaut Richard Garriott of NC Soft and Dr. Peter Raad of The Guildhall at SMU will serve as co-chairs of the event.

“Cutting-edge effects and great storytelling aren’t enough,” says Dr. Peter Raad, executive director of The Guildhall at SMU.“Successful studios and developers know that gaming is a business… very big business. The legal issues are enormous for this industry and we are delighted to host this global event.”

The summit will bring together global game industry leaders, investors, developers, publishers, and lawyers for two days to explore the latest trends in the games industry. Game::Business::Law will provide practical approaches for achieving success in the evolving marketplace of digital games.

“Digital gaming is one of the world’s fastest growth industries, creating new investment opportunities, social paradigms, business models, and a host of legal issues,” says Xuan-Thao Nguyen, professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law.

“Games take the law and finance where it has never been,” agrees David McCombs, a partner at Haynes and Boone.“It’s not just hardware and software. Gaming businesses need to juggle the demands of user-generated content, free speech, online ownership, and new business opportunities.”

The global gaming industry will jump from $41.9 billion in 2007 to $68.3 billion in 2012. The annual growth rate of 10 percent would best all other media sectors except for online advertising and access, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2008-2012.

Last year, overall U.S. industry sales (which include not only software, but also accessories and hardware) were $18 billion, a new record, according to the NPD Group. NPD analyst Anita Frazier said this month that the U.S. is on track for sales in the $21-$23 billion range in 2008.

Industry Advisory Council members for the event include Dr. Amit Basu, Cox School of Business; Steve Nix, Id Software; Joseph Olin, Academy of Interactive Arts and Science; Patrick Pugh, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and David Riley, NPD Group.

More about Game:: Business::Law can be seen on the summit website at www.game-business-law.com.

About The Center for American and International Law: The Center is a nonprofit institution founded in 1947 and dedicated to the continuing education of lawyers and law enforcement officials in the United States and throughout the world.Tens of thousands of lawyers and law enforcement officers from all 50 states and more than 125 countries have participated in its programs. The Center for American and International Law is located at 5201 Democracy Drive at Legacy Park in Plano, Texas. For more information about The Center, please visit online at www.cailaw.org.

About The Guildhall at SMU: The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University is the premier graduate video game education program in the US. Many of the school’s founders are industry icons, and classes are taught by industry veterans. In five short years, over 230 Guildhall graduates have worked at more than 80 video game studios around North America. SMU offers both a Master’s degree and a graduate Professional Certificate of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development, with specializations in art creation, level design, and software development. For more information visit www.guildhall.smu.edu or contact Ron Jenkins, 972-473-3546, jenkinsr@smu.edu.