Ben Sawyer to Speak at FuturePlay 2009

Ben Sawyer, the co-founder of Digitalmill and the Serious Games Initiative, will be one of the keynote presenters at the Future Play 09 @ GDC Canada, this May 12th and 13th in Vancouver, British Columbia. Registration for Future Play 09 @ GDC Canada is now open.

Sawyer has long been a leading advocate for the applications of serious games, serving as the volunteer producer of the first Serious Games Summit that took place at GDC in 2004. He is currently the co-director of the Serious Games Initiative located at the Woodrow Wilson Institute for International Scholars in Washington, D.C. The chief aim of the initiative is to foster a new series of policy education, exploration and management tools by utilizing state-of-the-art computer game designs, technologies and development skills.

A prolific writer, Sawyer has authored more than ten computer trade books and a multitude of articles covering a wide swath of technology issues. He is a former contributor to Game Developer Magazine and its online counter-part Gamasutra. His expertise has made him a sought-after speaker and his observations have been important in formulating a better understanding of how the gaming industry's value chain functions.

Digitalmill, based out of Portland, Maine, is a technology project and software development company that was co-founded by Sawyer and Dave Greely in 1997. The firm is known for its strong focus on how new technologies, especially games, create new opportunities for businesses and organizations. Notable clients have included Lockheed Martin, Cisco Systems and the American Hospital Association. In his capacity as President of Digitalmill, Sawyer is responsible for strategy, business development and technology.

Sawyer last spoke at Future Play 2008 on the topic of serious games, building his presentation around the question, "Are We Learning Yet?" Sawyer has also been a member of Future Play's advisory committee for several years.