Meet some of Magic: The Gathering's top creators answer your questions and share a sneak peek at upcoming releases, including September 2014's Khans of Tarkir. The panel, moderated by Mark Rosewater (head Magic designer), includes Doug Beyer (senior creative designer), Mark Purvis (brand director), and Gavin Verhey (R&D game and experience designer).
Saturday July 26, 2014 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
Room 25ABC
The Marvel Games team and some of the most talented developers in the industry cover nearly 15(!) awesome Marvel gaming experiences spanning all platforms-many of which feature the Guardians of the Galaxy! Whether it's exclusive announcements regarding one of the year's biggest console titles (Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes), updates to current favorites (Marvel Avengers Alliance, Marvel Avengers Alliance Tactics, Marvel Heroes, Marvel Puzzle Quest, Marvel: War of Heroes, X-Men: Battle of the Atom, Marvel Pinball), or entirely new game announcements, there's something here for every True Believer of the digital age. Also, a surprise special guest appearance-and the coolest giveaway this panel has ever handed out!
Saturday July 26, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 6A
Mass Effect developers from the Edmonton and Montreal studios discuss what it's like to expand on a well-established and beloved video game franchise. Panelists Carl Boulay (lead animator), Fabrice Condominas (producer), Mike Gamble (producer), Noel Lukasewich (senior artist), and Jessica Merizan (community manager), share their experiences in shaping the next Mass Effect game with new possibilities while staying true to the critically acclaimed series. Moderated by Nerdist.com.
Saturday July 26, 2014 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
Room 25ABC
We're seeing a groundbreaking evolution happening in e-Sports as pro players become recognized as professional athletes who are awarded visas and salaries. However, their journey has not been easy. Esteemed panelists Genese Davis (The Holder's Dominion, MMORPG.com, The Gamer in You), Ryan "Fwiz" Wyatt (VP of programming and eSports commentator, Major League Gaming), Sam "Samzorz" Hall (pro gamer, Mortality eSports, Twitch, founder of CODpedia), and John "ZeRo4" Hill (pro gamer, world champion: Quake) as they discuss the obstacles players face when seeking viable careers as e-Sports competitors. This high-powered panel will divulge exactly what it takes to become a pro gamer and how the e-Sports evolution is impacting the video game industry at large.
Saturday July 26, 2014 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 26AB
Jerry Bennington and Nate Murray from IDW's new division, IDW Games, share top secret info on the best tabletop board games around, including X-Files, Kill Shakespeare, Chew, Machi Koro, and more. Featuring John Layman of Chew fame, and others. Who knows, you may even get to play a game or two!
Chris Castagnetto (DJ Helsing) hosts the Official Gaia Online panel, your chance to meet the Gaia staff, including Princess Angelishia, get your burning questions answered, and take a sneak peek at some of the great stuff Gaia has planned for 2014. Expect plenty of fun and some great prizes.
Saturday July 26, 2014 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 5AB
Japan has long had a history of "visual novels", which are highly evolved story-based games for PC as well as game consoles like PS2/PS3. These games simulate interaction between the player and various characters, often with romantic elements. While many games are adult, the genre is well represented by both adult and nonadult games, and many of the top games are made into mainstream anime series. Peter Payne, owner of JASTUSA, will outline the history of these games from the 1980s to now and will include discussion of the growth of the genre, as well as covering subgenres. Examples of these are "otome games," or girl-centric romance Sims for female players (one of the hottest kind of games for girls in Japan now), and games like Steins;Gate, a hardcore sci-fi/time travel visual novel (all ages) with romantic themes. Steins;Gate was recently released in the USA in English.
Saturday July 26, 2014 7:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
Room 29A
Members of the San Diego Star Wars Society, veteran hosts of trivia panels at Star Wars Celebration III and Comic-Con International since 2002, have prepared an even more challenging contest this year for all fans who think they know the galaxy far, far away. Returning this year will be a game round for kids (12 and under), followed by three adult game rounds (ages 13 and up). All game rounds are conducted in a Last Man Standing format. Come test your knowledge, and win valuable prizes. The trivia panel hosts are Dean Amstutz, Linda Crispien, Leia Hornedo, Brendan Prout, and Jessica Woods.
Saturday July 26, 2014 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT
Room 23ABC