Penske Media Corporation, Variety, and Machinima Announced as 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit and Awards Show Partners

Multi-Year Deal between Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and PMC to Co-Produce Annual D.I.C.E. Summit and Awards Show, Distribute Exclusive Content throughout the Year;
Machinima to Live Stream 2013 Awards Show

CALABASAS, Calif., Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) today announced a multi-year, exclusive partnership with Penske Media Corporation (PMC), a leading digital media and publishing company, to co-produce the annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit and Awards program. Through the partnership, AIAS will also collaborate with PMC's entertainment publication Variety on video game industry-related content. Additionally, AIAS and PMC revealed one of the top entertainment networks on YouTube, Machinima, has signed on to live stream the 16^th annual D.I.C.E. Awards show. The D.I.C.E. Summit and Awards program, which draws the brightest and most influential interactive entertainment industry leaders, takes place Feb. 5 – 8, 2012, at The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas.

With brands across the web, television, mobile and social channels, PMC brings extensive expertise gained from blending traditional entertainment brands, emerging lifestyle brands, and breakout awards shows with new interactive technologies and programming.  In the new partnership, PMC will work hand-in-hand with the Academy to enhance the D.I.C.E. Awards show experience to better reflect and celebrate the interactive industry's tremendous growth, and expansion onto new platforms. PMC will also stream D.I.C.E. Summit sessions live, and share exclusive AIAS content throughout the year via their extensive YouTube network.  Kicking off with the upcoming D.I.C.E. Summit, AIAS also will work with PMC's Variety to expand its coverage of the video games business in order to spotlight the growing influence and importance of the art and craft of the interactive industry. PMC brands - Variety, Deadline, TVLine, Movieline, BGR and Hollywood Life – reach over 113 million monthly unique US visitors and are ranked number 43 on Comscore (as of September 2012).

"PMC has a compelling grasp of traditional and new media industries that will help elevate the D.I.C.E Summit and Awards show to the next level to celebrate the best our industry has to offer – from console to PC to mobile games. With their recent acquisition of Variety, we're thrilled to work with them to expand coverage of the video games business," said Martin Rae, President, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "And now with Machinima on board to support our awards show with their creative staff, original programming, and network of YouTube affiliates and directors, this will be an exciting year for AIAS and our members."  

"We've been eager to expand our entertainment coverage to the gaming industry, but waited for the right opportunity to enter this ascending marketplace—forging a long-term partnership with the AIAS for the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit and Awards is the perfect way for PMC to make such an entrance, and we're thrilled with the opportunity," said Jay Penske, PMC Founder, Chairman, and CEO. "Since our founding in 2004, we've watched video games become a multi-billion dollar industry and a hugely influential contributor to the entertainment industry as a whole. Through all of our branded channels and media platforms, including our premier entertainment trade Variety, we'll be providing the coverage and attention that the gaming industry has deserved for years–as such an incredibly important part of the entertainment ecosystem."  

"The D.I.C.E. Awards are a huge staple among the gaming community, and Machinima is proud to be the exclusive online destination for the show," said Allen DeBevoise, Chairman, Co-Founder, and CEO of Machinima. "Our network of content creators, combined with our millions of viewers, are a perfect match for the established D.I.C.E. brand and event."

Machinima, which boasts 253 million visitors each month (as of October 2012), and 2.3 billion video views per month, will deploy dozens of YouTube broadcasters to cover the D.I.C.E Awards show on February 7, 2013, (at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas) with engaging interactive content, exclusive features and retrospectives with The Road to D.I.C.E., as well as interviews with industry luminaries to excite the millions of video game fans who tune into their original online shows each week.

Nominees for the 16^th D.I.C.E. Awards will be announced the week of January 21, 2013. Registration for the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit and the 16^th D.I.C.E. Awards is open at www.dicesummit.org.

About the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences:
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote, advance and recognize the outstanding achievements in the interactive entertainment industry worldwide. The Academy conducts its annual awards show, the D.I.C.E. Awards, to celebrate and honor creative accomplishments in the field. To further enhance awareness of the Academy's vision, the organization created the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit in 2002, 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.  With more than 22,000 members, including Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Google, Bethesda Game Studios, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Double Fine, Gearbox Software, Nexon and Insomniac Games, among others. More information can be found at http://www.interactive.org and http://www.dicesummit.org.  Follow the Academy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+.

About Penske Media Corporation (PMC)
PMC is a leading digital media and publishing company founded by Jay Penske in 2004.   Today, PMC engages with audiences across the web, television, mobile, print and social media—reaching more than 113 million consumers monthly according to Comscore. PMC owns a unique and growing portfolio of lifestyle brands that provide the web's best original content in categories including entertainment, sports, breaking news, media, finance, tech, health, shopping, fashion, beauty, and automotive. PMC Studios, Deadline, Variety, OnCars, HollywoodLife, ENTV, India.com, Movieline, TVLine, BGR, AwardsLine, Young Hollywood Awards, The Style Awards, and Breakthrough of the Year Awards are all part of the expanding PMC portfolio. For more information on PMC and its brands, please visit: www.PMC.com or its digital properties directly.

About Variety
Variety is the leading publication for business entertainment news, recognized and respected throughout the world of show business. The Variety Group – Daily Variety, Daily Variety Gotham, Variety, Variety.com, LA 411, NY 411, and Variety Insight – are owned by Variety Media, LLC, a division of Penske Business Media, and a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation.

About Machinima
Machinima is the dominant video entertainment network for young males around the world. The number one entertainment channel on YouTube, Machinima serves over 2.3 billion video views per month, and reaches over 253 million viewers monthly. Machinima's global network is the best place for gaming content. The network features official publisher content, gameplay videos, scripted series, and original content, including weekly and daily shows, all aimed at the coveted 18-34 year old male demographic. The company is backed by MK Capital, and Redpoint Ventures, and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

SOURCE Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences