SGS GDC 2007 To Feature Samuel J. Klein Keynote

Organizers of the Serious Games Summit at Game Developers Conference 2007, a gathering of professionals who use games for non-entertainment purposes, have announced that the event's second day will feature a keynote by Samuel J. Klein, the director of content for the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative. Officials note that Klein's presentation, titled "One Laptop per Child and Serious Games," will discuss the potential of the OLPC initiative as a serious gaming platform to address the educational and practical applications of video games. OLPC is a nonprofit organization that designs, manufactures and distributes inexpensive laptops with the goal of giving every child in the world access to a modern education. Klein's keynote will cover the hardware, operating system, and game development support on the first wave of laptops that will debut later this year, and address the strategies for learning through play that the OLPC team is formulating. The 2007 SGS GDC, which will take place from Monday, March 5-6 at the Moscone Convention Center North in San Francisco, will include multiple sessions focusing on a wide variety of topics. The event will feature tracks devoted to serious games development in areas such as education, government, health, military, science, corporate training, and social change. In addition, the conference will include case studies on game-based solutions and simulations used within non-entertainment industries. In total, more than 40 sessions covering areas such as learning and instructional theory, game design, business models and deals will be presented. "S.J. represents a powerfully altruistic movement in the technology industry, and offers game developers a compelling opportunity to effect positive change in the world," said Jamil Moledina, executive director of the GDC. "The OLPC platform offers access to not only practical game development, but the ability to extend the online discourse and interactivity we all take for granted to isolated and impoverished children all over the planet." For more information concerning SGS GDC, including speaker and registration information, visit the official website.