Neal Stephenson to Keynote Game Narrative Summit at the 2011 Game Developers Conference Online in Austin, TX

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Neal Stephenson, best known for his works of speculative fiction including Snow Crash, The Baroque Cycle and Cryptonomicon, will keynote the Game Narrative Summit at the 2011 Game Developers Conference Online (GDC Online).  In Stephenson's keynote, titled, "Music, Movies, Microcode, & High-Speed Pizza Delivery: A Conversation with Neal Stephenson," he will be joined on stage by renowned video game journalist and Spike TV host Geoff Keighley on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 11am.  GDC Online 2011, presented by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, brings the premier online game development event back to the Austin Convention Center from October 10-13, 2011.

Stephenson, the author of Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Zodiac, the three-volume The Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World) and Snow Crash, which was named one of TIME Magazine's top one hundred all-time best English-language novels, has explored and redefined genres from cyberpunk to the historical epic.  Now, to celebrate the publication of his new novel REAMDE, set against the backdrop of the games industry, Stephenson comes to the Game Narrative Summit at GDC Online for a unique keynote conversation led by video game journalist Geoff Keighley.  A special book signing for REAMDE, which releases on September 20, 2011, is also scheduled during GDC Online.

Geoff Keighley has spent almost 20 years covering the video game business as a journalist, television personality, and producer. Today he serves as both host and executive producer of "GTTV" on Spike TV, which is consistently the highest rated video games show on television.  Keighley is also a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Kotaku, Business 2.0, and Entertainment Weekly, and is the author of the acclaimed iPad app "The Final Hours of Portal 2."  Keighley was named one of the top 30 journalists under 30 in 2004 by NewsBios.

The Game Narrative Summit is one of three specialized Summits at GDC Online focusing on relevant and emerging sectors in the online and connected games space.  The conference will also feature the Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit and the GDC Virtual Items Summit.  The Summits kick off the week of the event on October 10-11. Highlighted Summit sessions and speakers include:

GDC Online takes place in Austin, Texas from October 10-13, 2011. Further information about the keynote, all other sessions and registration can be found at www.GDCOnline.com.

About the UBM TechWeb Game Network 

A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the  UBM TechWeb Game Network – formerly known as the Think Services Game Group - offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include the Game Developers Conference®, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com and network of sites, the Game Advertising Online ad network, the Game Developers Conference® Online, the Game Developers Conference™ Europe, the Game Developers Conference™ China, Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Game Career Seminars and GameCareerGuide.com, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.  Visit www.jointhegamenetwork.com

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands includes: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.  Visit: www.ubmtechweb.com

SOURCE UBM TechWeb Game Network