Early registration for the Austin Game Conference closes this Friday, leaving just five more days for registrants to save $200 off of the onsite price of $495. Register prior to Friday and the price is only $295 for all three day’s of the conference. Plus attendees also gain access to the Technology Pavilion, Career Pavilion and the Casual Games Conference, Game Writers Conference and the Game Audio Conference - all running concurrently. After Friday the price rises to $395. The Austin Game Conference will educate and entertain attendees for the fourth straight year thanks to the hard work of The Game Initiative, the leading producer of conferences for professionals in the computer and video game industry.

The three-day conference will bring together 2,500 attendees from more than 20 countries to participate in concentrated discourse with their peers, network with colleagues, learn from industry leaders, conduct business, and see the latest tools, technologies and techniques - all in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The full roster includes 120 speakers participating in five detailed conference tracks: Games in Asia; Multiplayer Business/Production; Multiplayer Design; Multiplayer Tech/Art; Multiplayer Service and Support; Future of the Development Pipeline and Next Generation Game Development.

This 2006 AGC keynotes include:

• Rob Pardo - Blizzard’s VP of Game Design and lead designer for World of Warcraft

• Michael Dell - Chairman of Dell, Inc. (who will participate in a special Q&A session with attendees in the Tech Pavilion)
• Vernor Vinge - Hugo Award Winning Science-Fiction Author
• Surprise Guest Keynote - to be announced here shortly

Registration to the AGC grants full access to the following:

• Technology Pavilion - See the latest tools, technologies, products and services. Free beer from 2pm to 5:30 on Thursday in the Attendee Lounge in the Tech Pav.

• Recruiting Pavilion - Converse with companies including Activision, BioWare, Midway, THQ, Microsoft/Xbox, Vivendi, and more.
• Casual Games Conference - Learn more about the design considerations and business principles required for developers to succeed in this rapidly-expanding game industry segment. Sponsored by Microsoft Casual Games.
• Game Audio Conference (new this year) - Gain insight from advanced game audio sessions designed to educate industry professionals, spark discussion, and propose solutions to some of game audio’s most daunting challenges.
• Game Writers Conference - Delve into the art and craft of game writing with fellow writers, developers and publishers.
• Game Developer LivePitch 1-on-1 - Watch as LivePitch puts indie game developers and their unsigned projects in front of the world’s leading game publishers. The application process is now open. Go here for details.
• Machinima Theater - Explore the convergence of filmmaking, animation and game development. In partnership with the Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences and sponsored by BioWare.

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