According to a recent announcement on the Game Developers Conference Austin Web site, Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley will be a keynote speaker at the event. The session is called "From Dragons and Daggers to Kart Racing, Cooking and Concerts...It's a Whole New MMO World" and will focus on Free Realms. According to the announcement, "attendees will learn about the challenges and lessons learned when creating a full-blown MMO for kids together with a ground-breaking new business model."

The Game Developers Conference Austin will be held from Sept. 15-18 at the Austin Convention Center. Smedley will speak on Sept. 16 at 9:30 a.m. Other keynote speakers include Frank Pearce and J. Allen Brack of Blizzard Entertainment, who will discuss the ongoing challenges involved in operating World of Warcraft.