Spore™ and The Sims Creator Will Wright Selected as a SIGGRAPH Keynote Speaker

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SIGGRAPH announces the selection of famed video game designer Will Wright, creator of the popular Spore™ and The Sims series, to give a keynote presentation at SIGGRAPH 2009, the 36^th International Conference and Exhibition for Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.

Wright rose to prominence when he invented SimCity, the widely acclaimed, non-violent, open-ended simulation video game. Since its release 20 years ago, Wright has expanded his simulation realm with the introduction of The Sims series, and several other follow-ups that include, SimEarth: The Living Planet, and SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony. In all, the franchise has sold more than 58 million games and was the best selling PC game for five consecutive years.

In 2008, Wright unveiled his latest achievement: Spore™, an internet-based game that allows users to create a species of creatures and share their evolutions with other players interactively worldwide. The game garnered immediate praise including being named by Time Magazine as one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2008.”

“With growing frequency, game development and gaming technology are greatly influencing innovations in computer graphics and animation,” stated Ronen Barzel, SIGGRAPH 2009 Conference Chair. “Will Wright is a visionary whose insights have the power to inspire people from all industries. His selection to give a keynote presentation this year is a perfect fit as SIGGRAPH 2009 integrates gaming as an expanded focus of the conference.”

Wright’s achievements have won him many accolades including receiving PC Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and being named by Entertainment Weekly as one of “the 100 most creative people in entertainment.”

SIGGRAPH keynote speakers represent a variety of prominent industry luminaries and technology experts, who present on different aspects of the multi-dimensional computer graphics and interactive techniques.

For detailed information on the SIGGRAPH 2009 dynamically evolving program or to download a copy of the SIGGRAPH 2009 Preview Video visit www.siggraph.org/s2009.

About SIGGRAPH

SIGGRAPH 2009 will bring an anticipated 20,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to New Orleans, Louisiana, USA for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, music, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from Monday, 3 August through Friday, 7 August 2009 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2009 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 4-6 August 2009. More than 200 international exhibiting companies are expected. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2009.

About ACM

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.

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