http://old.nyls.edu/stateofplay  

Experts from Sony Online Entertainment, Yahoo, Linden Lab, Internet Gaming Entertainment, NCInteractive, eGenesis, Yale Law School, 
and others to convene October 28–30  

NEW YORK, October 20, 2004 — “State of Play: Reloaded,” a conference that will examine the emergence of virtual societies and the legal questions to which they give rise, will take place October 28–30 at New York Law School, 57 Worth Street, in New York City. The conference is sponsored by New York Law School and Yale Law School.

Virtual worlds are one of the hottest and fastest-growing parts of the entertainment software industry, with games like Ultima Online and Final Fantasy driving $235 million in current revenue, expected to grow to $450 million by next year. Over 1.7 million people in North America and Europe (and millions more in Asia) currently subscribe to virtual worlds or what are often referred to as Massively Multiplayer Online Games.

Participants in virtual worlds are also buying, selling, and trading in virtual economies. More than 10,000 items relating to virtual worlds are for sale on eBay, where imaginary goods are being sold for real dollars. New companies are even being created for the sole purpose of trading virtual goods.

“All of technology is becoming more visual and more social,” said Beth Noveck, a professor at New York Law School and the organizer of the State of Play conferences. “As virtual worlds evolve into online societies, where much of business, education and social life will take place, the ‘State of Play’ asks: How can law ensure their success? Should game designers or courts or the players themselves decide on the rules for virtual worlds? At the same time,” she adds, “we ask how this new technology changes the conditions for improving business, resolving disputes, and building democracy.”

Last year’s inaugural event, “State of Play: Law, Games and Virtual Worlds,” introduced the emerging legal, economic, cultural, and sociological issues in these three-dimensional computer environments. This year, “State of Play: Reloaded” continues the conversation; game designers, entertainment software industry executives, and legal scholars will discuss the future of virtual worlds and the role of intellectual property and governance in the growth of online societies. This year’s conference is cosponsored by The American Museum of the Moving Image, Intel, Linden Lab, and The Themis Group.

“State of Play: Reloaded” will bring together industry thought leaders with leading legal minds, including:

• Richard Bartle, creator of the first virtual world, MUD (Multi-User Dungeon)
• Yochai Benkler, Internet and telecommunications law expert; professor, Yale Law School
• Edward Castronova, economist of virtual worlds; professor, University of Indiana
• Julian Dibbell, observer/author on digital culture; contributing editor, Wired Magazine and professor of “Law and Virtual Worlds,” Stanford Law School
• Jack Emmert, lead designer and cofounder, City of Heroes, Cryptic Studios
• John Erskine, director of player relations, NCInteractive (Lineage, Lineage II, City of Heroes)
• Randy Farmer, community strategic analyst, Yahoo!, Inc., and creator, Habitat
• Dan Hunter, assistant professor of legal studies, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
• Steve Salyer, president, Internet Gaming Entertainment
• Frederick Schauer, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
• Andy Tepper, president, eGenesis, creators of A Tale in the Desert
• Andrew Zaffron, senior vice president and general counsel, Sony Online Entertainment

Selected topics to be discussed at State of Play: Reloaded include:

• What is taking place in virtual worlds today?
• How will the industry grow? What is the latest technology?
• How should the law treat digital creations?
• Can free speech be protected in the online environment?
• What is the future of virtual currency markets?
• How can we use virtual worlds for real world activism?
• What does race, gender and equality mean online?
• Should virtual worlds be regulated?  

A highlight of this year’s conference will be an evening of virtual world demonstrations at the American Museum of the Moving Image, where creators of the latest virtual worlds will demonstrate and discuss life in City of Heroes, Puzzle Pirates, A Tale in the Desert, and Second Life. Also, in recognition of the enormous interest and participation in virtual worlds in Asia, there will be a luncheon presentation by Leo Sang-Min Whang of Yonsei University, South Korea, who will speak about “Virtual Worlds in Asia: Asia in Virtual Worlds.” Another special event on the program is a Machinima Film Festival hosted by Paul Marino, president, Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences.

For members of the media interested in attending the conference, registration fees will be waived.

Contact: Edith Sachs, esachs@nyls.edu, 212.431.2187, or Jim Hellegaard, jhellegaard@nyls.edu, 212.431.2191, Office of Public Affairs, New York Law School  

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