Raph Koster

Creating Universes That Last Decades

From Warcraft to Diablo to Overwatch and more, Blizzard Entertainment has created game universes that last - and are loved - for decades. Join Blizzard Entertainment's Holly Longdale (Executive Producer, World of Warcraft), John Hight (General Manager, Warcraft), Rod Fergusson (General Manager, Diablo), Lydia Bottegoni (Executive Vice President of Story and Franchise Development), Allen Adham (Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer), and moderator Raph Koster (CEO, Playable Worlds) as they discuss their approaches to creating and maintaining these beloved universes.

Bio:

Raph Koster is the CEO of Playable Worlds, Inc. He is a veteran game designer and creative executive who has worked at EA, Sony, and Disney as well as run his own company twice. The lead designer and director of massive titles such as Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, he’s also contributed writing, art, music, and programming to many other titles. He is the author of the classic book A Theory of Fun for Game Design. In 2012, he was named an Online Game Legend at the Game Developers Conference Online