Orlando, FL – June 13, 2014. Eric Preisz, Chief Executive Officer for GarageGames, widely known for their development of the open source game engine Torque 3D, is coming to Orlando in September to speak at GameTech 2014: Inspire, Play, Learn. GameTech is a unique opportunity for experts from around the world to discuss the current state of technologies and the advancement of their use within the Department of Defense.
Preisz, who began teaching himself how to develop games during his junior and senior years of college, is scheduled as this year’s Games Keynote speaker; and is no stranger to the Central Florida area. He previously worked for NASA, Disney and the Department of Defense, among others, and he taught at Full Sail University.
The National Center for Simulation, the nation’s top not-for-profit simulation organization, along with the leading military, industry and academia collaboration team – Team Orlando, announced today its dynamic program for the upcoming GameTech conference.
The event focuses on how serious games, virtual worlds and mobile apps help both the military and civilian organizations train, educate, and improve workforce performance through the use of technology. GameTech brings together not only users, but also developers and training leaders to discuss and promote gaming technologies.
Preisz, as the Games Keynote, will be joined by four other keynote speakers: Dr. Sara de Freitas, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Curtin University (London), Mobile Gaming Keynote; Waymon Armstrong, CEO, Engineering & Computer Simulations, Industry Keynote; and Manny Domingez, Ph.D, Deputy Chief Learning Officer for the Veterans Health Administration Employee Education System, Government Keynote. Organizers are also working to confirm the keynote for Virtual Worlds. The speakers, along with other experts, will gather to share their knowledge, discuss current research and development, and explore the state-of-the-art of these technologies through hands-on presentations and workshops.
Preisz is very familiar with GameTech, having previously attended the event, but this time he is excited to return as a speaker for the first time. As this year’s Games Keynote speaker, Preisz will share his thoughts on the current state of gaming and the impact it’s making in a multitude of industries.
“One of the truly growing areas in game development is in education, and GarageGames is working on education projects including game development curriculum and location-based entertainment,” Preisz said. “It’s now recognized that traditional methods of classroom instruction are becoming less effective in our growing technological era, and events like GameTech allow those of us most immersed in this field to get together, compare notes, and discuss future trends.”
Preisz has a background in computer science with a focus on performance optimization, and began his career in the MS&T domain working on projects for the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and NASA. He co-presented at the first Congressional Caucus for Modeling, Simulation, and Training, and exhibited at the first Serious Games Summit at L’Enfant Plaza. As an educator, Preisz was a department chair and course director at Full Sail University, where he taught Video Game Optimization and authored a book on the same topic. He has also presented at several GDCs, as well as Microsoft Research, on video game performance optimization.
GameTech is Sept. 3-5 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla., and the event is open to anyone interested in the use of games, virtual worlds, and mobile applications for training and education. Attendees can register through the registration tab on the event website www.gametechconference.com. Speakers will highlight the best uses and development tools and techniques that result in innovative training and education programs.
