LOS ANGELES, Calif.--Jan. 8, 2001--

Over the next five years, it is widely expected that the video and computer game business will generate more than $10 billion in sales in America alone, becoming the preferred form of entertainment for tens of millions of kids and adults living in the interactive age.

In response to this cultural evolution, the University of Southern California's Annenberg Center for Communication and the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA) are hosting "Entertainment in the Interactive Age". This two-day event explores the changing content and technology of interactive video and computer games, as well as the impact these games have on entertainment, media and culture. The conference will be held Jan. 29 and 30, 2001, at USC's Davidson Conference Center in Los Angeles.

"The USC Annenberg Center for Communication targets projects that both explore and influence the impact of communications technology on society," said Elizabeth Daley, executive director of USC's Annenberg Center for Communication and Dean of USC's School of Cinema-Television. "As the lines between entertainment and interactive technology converge, it is important to acknowledge the progression as a valid cultural and creative force for the 21st century. This conference brings together some of the best minds in the industry to openly discuss the future of this `new' form of entertainment."

"`Entertainment in the Interactive Age' will launch an important dialogue exploring the many facets of the computer and video game industry, which, taken together, will have a huge impact on the future of entertainment and technology," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the IDSA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers.

`Entertainment in the Interactive Age' features leading game designers, technologists, artists, social critics and scholars, led by keynote Will Wright, creator of the highly successful "Sim City" and "The Sims." Panelists will explore provocative topics such as the computer as storyteller, the impact of video games on cinema, games and cognition, and the influence of interactive entertainment on technology. A complete program and registration information can be found at www.annenberg.edu/interactive-age. The conference is free and open to the public; registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

About the USC Annenberg Center for Communication
The Annenberg Center for Communication was established in 1993 through a $120 million endowment to the University of Southern California by Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg. The center supports active research that addresses practical problems in the convergence of technology and communications. The center is directed by a team of respected leaders from arts and entertainment, as well as science, technology and business, all of whom embrace the cross-disciplinary approach sought in its projects.

About the Interactive Digital Software Association
The IDSA is the U.S. association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers and the Internet. IDSA members collectively accounted for more than 90 percent of the $6.1 billion in entertainment software sales in the United States in 1999, and billions more in export sales of American-made entertainment software. The IDSA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, business and consumer research, government relations and First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. It is the founder and owner of the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show and the founder of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

Speakers include:
Sean Baity, Maxis/Electronic Arts
Steve DiPaola, Stanford University
Terry Hackett, Jellyvision
Larry Hodges, Georgia Tech
Yasmin Kafai, UCLA
Raph Koster, Sony Online Entertainment
Ken Lobb, Nintendo of America Inc.
Janet Murray, Georgia Tech
Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon University
David Perry, Shiny Entertainment
Tim Schafer, Double Fine Productions, Inc.
Warren Spector, Ion Storm
Dorothy Strickland, Do2Learn
Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, BioWare
Eric Zimmerman, gameLab
Douglas Lowenstein, Interactive Digital Software Association
Larry Tuch, USC/Institute for Creative Technologies California
Hal Barwood, LucasArts
Matthew Ford, Microsoft
J. C. Herz, Joystick Nation, Inc.
Henry Jenkins, MIT
Marsha Kinder, USC
Ken Perlin, New York University
Peter Molyneaux, Lionhead Studios
Robert Nideffer, UC Irvine
Celia Pearce, USC
Skip Rizzo, USC
Anne-Marie Schleiner, Writer/Artist
Eddo Stern, USC
Bill Tomlinson, MIT Media Lab
Geoffrey Zatkin, Verant

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