Part of what makes GamesBeat special is the audience it attracts and the community we’ve forged. Lead writer Dean Takhashi along with the GamesBeat team have always been focused on bringing the best people into the room together to network, inspire each other and make deals happen. Now that room is a next-level virtual reality event space. Over the next four months, GamesBeat and Oculus will present a series of exclusive interactive VR gaming events to our confederation of gamers, developers and publishers, industry CEOs, executives, and venture capitalists.
The events are designed specifically to be experienced in VR. Venues on Oculus Quest has been connecting audiences all over the world with VIP access to live events, concerts, and shows. When you slip on your headset, you’ll join a room full of your peers to experience an event moment by moment. Attendees interact virtually, have conversations, and take photos and selfies, before, during, and after the show, because one of the best parts of events like these is sharing and talking about the experience with colleagues who were there.
“Dean has built an incredible community with GamesBeat who come to the GamesBeat Summit year after year,” says Gina Joseph, Vice President, Strategy Partnerships at VentureBeat. “Our partnership with Oculus is another great way for us to engage that community and offer more value.”
The ongoing partnership arose from GamesBeat Summit 2020 earlier this year, where GamesBeat teamed up with Oculus to offer an optional VR experience of the event. The upcoming series of hour-long virtual reality meetups will offer the type of experiences we’ve been missing over the course of the pandemic. Dean and team have curated a slate of up-to-the-minute conversation topics and speakers, from the state of the industry today to the launch of our digital future in the metaverse.
Hosted select Wednesdays at 10 am PT from November 2020 through February 2021, each virtual reality event will feature exclusive content from industry speakers and thought leaders, live Q&As, opportunities to interact and socialize with fellow attendees, and more.
Here’s preview of what’s coming up.
November 11, 10 a.m. PT: The next generation of games
What games will rule the next generation of the consoles? Will the PC race ahead? Which companies are in the best position? With industry leaders who understand the state of the art, we’ll look back at past platform launches, talk about the games that dominated past generations, and then look to our vision for the future.
Our speakers include Dean Takahashi, moderator and lead writer for GamesBeat; – Matt Piscatella, industry analyst for U.S. games at NPD; TQ Jefferson, chief product officer at Survios; and Ed Boon, vice president and creative director at NetherRealm Studios, a Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment studio.
December 9, 10 a.m. PT: Mental health, diversity, and next steps in the industry
First, Eve Crevoshay of Take This, a nonprofit on mental health in games, will talk about the challenges that marginalized people face when it comes to games and the Internet. Then we’ll talk about what it’ll take to change the industry, from the Riot Games allegations to the next steps for the industry to create a truly inclusive culture. Are we doing enough to change?
January 27: The future of virtual beings and the Metaverse
Artificial people are coming, enhanced by AI, animation, and gaming. What will they contribute to society? How will they change our lives in the wake of the next generation of VR, which is going beyond far games, to enhance creativity, create connections between people, offer events, community, and more? This session will include Edward Saatchi, CEO of Fable Studio and creator of the Virtual Beings Summit.
February 17, 10 a.m. PT: Science fiction, tech and games
What was once science fiction is real technology. Science fiction, tech, and games inspire each other, and the creators who are pushing society forward, accelerating new ideas and turning fantasy into reality. In this panel, we’ll discuss the promise of the Metaverse, the leap forward from the internet into immersive, connected worlds.
Join the GamesBeat community at our exclusive Oculus Venue events.
For those with Oculus headsets, please use your Oculus Venus app for viewing in VR.
For all other industry execs, join the conversation by registering here!
