2019 Speakers

Here is the list of speakers for CAX 2019.  These talks occur in the Magnolia Room adjacent to the hotel lobby.  Times are approximate and subject to change.

 

11AM:  The Future of Indie Arcade

Nik Mikros and Brian Lee (BumbleBear),

Shane Gutbrod and Dave Furrer (Arcadeaholics)

 

Join BumbleBear Games (Killer Queen/Black Emperor) and Arcadeaholics (Cosmotrons) for a round table discussion on the trends of Indie Arcade game development, market trends, and the innovation space unique to indies.

 

12Noon:  The Making of Black Knight Sword of Rage at Stern Pinball

Steve Ritchie

 

With 45 years in the coin-op biz, Steve Ritchie is a legendary designer.  Having designed and sold more pinball machines than anyone else in pinball history, he has also created video, redemption, slot machines, and novelty games, including co-designing the breakthrough Defender video game for Williams.

 

Having amassed a long list of hit titles, Steve will talk about his most recent, the third of the popular Black Knight trio.  He will also field questions on other topics, and is generous with autographs so bring your memorabilia to score one!

Steve's career truly is one of no fear, and when it comes to designing great games, he absolutely will not stop, ever!

1:30PM:  M&M Show - It Takes a Team to Build a Pinball

Mark Guidarelli and Mike Vinikour feat. Tanio Klyce

 

Join Stern Pinball’s Associate Game Developer and head of QA/Field Test Group, Mike Vinikour, and Senior Systems Engineer, Mark Guidarelli with special guest Lead Software Engineer. Tanio Klyce.  They will be hosting a presentation and behind the scenes look at all of the development and testing that is involved in bringing Stern’s games to life.  There are many people in addition to the playfield designer and lead programmer that breathe life into a pinball machine.  Mike and Mark would like to highlight the supporting cast that powers the more well-known roles. Bring your questions for Q&A and win some swag!

 

2:30PM: Is Video Pinball REAL Pinball?

Mel Kirk and Dan Amrich

 

Calling all pinball fans! Can video pinball and mechanical pinball coexist? Hear perspectives, insights and ideas about the future of video pinball from Zen Studios' VP of Publishing, Mel Kirk. As the hobby continues to evolve and expand its location-based footprint and via game consoles, mobile devices, streaming services and virtual pinball machines, we’ll continue the conversation about what makes pinball ‘real.’

 

3:30PM:  Major Havoc - The Homeworld Is Near!

Owen Rubin, Jess Askey, Scott Swazey

 

This ROM Hack (owner modification) of the original Major Havoc game released by Atari in 1983 attempts to include and improve several aspects of the game. Notably returning a Star Castle space battle and a homeworld final challenge that Owen had originally envisioned for the game before it was pushed out the door by Atari. Other improvements include; new levels, speech, new enemies, improved self tests, game statistics, special warps and more. This session will describe and show some of the new features, give instructions on how to modify your original Major Havoc PCB to support the new game and instructions on how to patch your existing ROM's to play the game. We will also talk a bit about Scott Swazey's Major Havoc hardware FPGA implementation and some details around that project along with the Major Havoc Level Editor.

 

4:30PM:  So you want to buy a pinball machine: Acquisition, Feeding, and Basic Maintenance 

Tim Showalter

 

In this Q&A session, we offer advice on how to find a pinball machine, what to look for in a used game, a little bit about how much to pay, some maintenance advice, and the single most important maintenance tip. (Spoiler: That tip is to remember to change the batteries!)

 

5:30PM:  Rise of VR Arcades and Theme Parks, VR Market, How To Develop For VR

Jeremy Lam, CEO of Virtual World Arcade, Director of VR Arcade Conference

 

Jeremy Lam, CEO of Virtual World Arcade and Director of VR Arcade Conference, discusses the rise of VR Location Based Entertainment centers like The Void at Downtown Disney and Zero Latency VR Free Roam Experiences, the current state of the VR Consumer and Enterprise Market for Entrepreneurs, and how to develop successful content for VR.

 

6:00PM:  Game Show Game Show

Dan Amrich and Owen Rubin

 

This...is...Jeopardy! Or maybe just Mild Peril, so we don't get into any legal trouble. But whatever you call the famous TV game of answers and questions, we're playing it live at CAX 2019! We've prepared a custom episode with trivia about classic arcade gaming, pop culture, and more -- if you're here, it's the kind of stuff you might know. So join us in the Magnolia room at showtime and test your trivia knowledge along with our live-in-studio players -- or if you're lucky, you might be one of them!

 

Nicholas Dobkin, Mark Johnson, Matthew Pable

 

The iconic documentary featured at San Diego Comic Con and the Game Developers Conference comes to CAX! In the twilight years of the American arcade, one little-known game brought touchscreens to an unsuspecting public a year before the first iPad. It forged a community of unexpected acquaintances, lifelong friends, and even married couples, only to be abandoned by its developers without notice or explanation. This is the story of DJMax Technika, the first modern touchscreen arcade game, and the people it brought together.

Directed by Sunnyvale-born filmmaker Nicholas Dobkin, Touching Sound was filmed and edited between 2013 and 2017, filmed on location in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and throughout the Bay Area, and features interviews with Sunnyvale Golfland arcade operator Jason Kenny, world-class Korean player Gibeom “Punew” Kim, PM Studios CEO Mike Yum, famous rhythm game composer Shinji Hosoe (AKA Sampling Masters Mega) and many more! (75 minutes + Q&A with director Nicholas Dobkin, interviewee Mark Johnson, and composer Matthew Pablo) 

And for those interested in experiencing the phenomenon chronicled in Touching Sound, the DJMax Technika arcade game will be available for play on the CAX show floor all weekend long!