Peace, Love, and Video Games - D.I.C.E. 2012

Video games have the ability to engage audiences like no other creative medium can. At this year's D.I.C.E. Summit, Glen Ballard argued that game creators can no longer simply broadcast to an audience; they must have a dialogue with the audience. That means putting more power into the hands of players and letting them shape their own experience. Developers are the masters of the universes they create--they control the tools, the characters, the tone--but they shouldn't determine the outcome for the player. A strong, collaborative partnership can help widen your perspective. By providing a safe, respectful working environment, a collaborative team can start making art that touches others and not just themselves.

The D.I.C.E. Summit (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) is a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. It is organized by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and hosts the annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which celebrate the best games of the past year, as voted by AIAS members. Comedian Jay Mohr will return to host the awards show, which takes place on February 9.

For more, check out GameSpot's coverage page, which will feature full video of every panel and keynote address from the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit.