We're thrilled to announce the return of Gamesbeat Next, hosted in San Francisco this October, where we will explore the theme of "Playing the Edge." Apply to speak here and learn more about sponsorship opportunities here. At the event, we will also announce 25 top game startups as the 2024 Game Changers. Apply or nominate today!I’m happy to announce a number of speakers and a new venue for our GamesBeat Next 2023 conference, which takes place in San Francisco on October 24-25.Registration is available here and you can get a 40% discount off the ticket price with this code: GBSDEANNEWS. As you can see from the pictures, we found ourselves a new venue at the NTT Experience Center, a beautiful space in San Francisco across the street from the Moscone Center. NTT has graciously agreed to be the host sponsor of the event. You can also apply to be a speaker or a moderator on this link or to be a sponsor here, though we are close to wrapping that up. Our theme for the event is “Playing the Edge,” which encapsulates the spirit of pushing boundaries, taking risks, and venturing into unexplored territories within the Gaming world. This will be a live, in-person event, with very little virtual-only content.It represents an invitation to embrace the thrill of being at gaming’s edge, the forefront where innovation and excitement converge. Last year, we had more than 500 people turn out for this event and we had some memorable talks like the fireside chat I did with Neal Stephenson, author of Snow Crash and chief instigator of the open metaverse vision that remains with us three decades later. The video is attached to this story. GamesBeat Next 2023Join the GamesBeat community in San Francisco this October 24-25. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry on latest developments and their take on the future of gaming.We’ll talk about things like generative AI’s impact on games, the gaming economy, esports and creators, Web3, the metaverse, cloud gaming, games and Hollywood, diversity and talent, mobile games, VR/AR (like Apple’s Vision Pro and its clash with the Meta Quest 3), gaming for good, user-generated content and deals and investments. This is a major community event for GamesBeat, and we’ll get into building gaming communities. I like to think community is our superpower.We are expecting special programs like our seventh Women in Gaming breakfast (the code for women attendees is here: GBN23WIG).We want to bring more of that magic mix of inspiring talks and great networking together again in our third annual GamesBeat Summit Next event. We’ll have some historic figures in the game industry on hand, including Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris CEO Maya Rogers, and Tetris leader Henk Rogers.Our speakers this year include Songyee Yoon, president and chief strategy officer at NCSoft; Alex Seropian, CEO of Look North World; Lucy Hoffman, cofounder of Carry1st; Kylan Gibbs, cofounder of Inworld AI; Stef Corazza, head of Roblox Studio; Steve Zhao, CEO of Sandbox VR; Jay-Ann Lopez, CEO of Black Girl Gamers; Taehoon Kim, CEO of nWay; Nicodemus Madehdou, CEO of Jump Button Studios; Cory Ondrejka, Linden Lab cofounder and Oculus pioneer; Raph Koster, CEO of Playable Worlds; Cat Mallet, head of Maxis/The Sims at Electronic Arts; Hilary Mason, CEO of Hidden Door.Previously announced speakers include Negar Shaghaghi, CEO of AI-based multiplayer gaming firm Auxworld; Hank Howie, game evangelist at anti-toxicity AI firm Modulate; Chris Hewish, president of Xsolla; Ana Belova, CEO of Devar; and Eric Goldberg, cofounder of Playable Worlds. These include both new speakers and veteran speakers and sponsors who keep coming back, which I think says something about the power of our community. We’ve also got many more speakers still to announce.Here’s a bit more about the theme of our journey of into “Playing the Edge.” We want game entrepreneurs and leaders to step into the realm of limitless possibilities, where new frontiers are forged, and new rules are established. Through immersive experiences, thought-provoking discussions, and interactive showcases, we’ll explore the edge of gaming innovation.Join industry leaders, visionaries, and fellow enthusiasts as we redefine the boundaries of gaming. Engage in dynamic conversations, forge meaningful connections, and gain valuable insights that will inspire you to push your own limits and unlock your creative potential.Embrace the challenge of “Playing the Edge” and be part of a community that thrives on innovation, exploration, and the pursuit of extraordinary gaming experiences. I’ve been sending out a speaker deck lately to recruit some of the brightest minds in gaming to discuss the latest trends, technologies, and ideas that are shaping the future of the industry. We always target the best and most diverse people in the industry. Our attendees come from the C-suite, as we usually enlist more than 100 speakers from through gaming. We target attendees at director level and above. Sample job titles include CEO, CTO, COO, president, founder, chief gaming officer, head of gaming, vice president of gaming, game designer, game developer, game producer, vice president of marketing, vice president of branding, and vice president of acquisition.We’ve had good things happen at these events. Tim Morton, CEO of Frost Giant Games, told me that 80% of Frost Giant Game’s investors came through GamesBeat. Michael Chang and Mark Otero of Capital Games met at a GamesBeat event and went on to create Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes grossing over $1.38 billion. And Rovio raised $42 million Peter Vesterbacka met Rich Wong of Accel at a GamesBeat event. I hope I’ve created a little sense of FOMO to get you to come out and enjoy the company of the gaming community again. I can’t wait to start talking about some of our speakers.GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? 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