Penn Jillette and Randy Pitchford open DICE summit next month with talk on magic, lying

Penn Jillette, the talkative, towering half of Penn & Teller, will take the stage with Gearbox's Randy Pitchford to kickoff next month's DICE summit with a talk about the art of engagement, organizers announced this morning.

"Engagement is central to both business and art," said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "This year a variety of talented people will explore engagement and how it deeply affects what they do — whether it is advancing automobile technology, building boundless entertainment franchises, or creating open worlds based on experience. As always, our audience will be treated to big ideas that will help drive their own creative pursuits forward."

The talk, entitled Assumptions and Expectations with Interactivity and Magic, will have Jillette and Pitchford discussing the art of misdirection, expectation disruption and "just plain old-fashioned lying."

Jillette and Pitchford will then lead members of the audience through a magic trick that will move from the live theater to virtual reality, according to the press release.

Earlier this year, the two announced they were making a sequel to Desert Bus.

Other summit talks announced this morning include one entitled "Automobiles, the Next Mobile Platform," discussing innovations in open computing systems, new transportation service models, self-driving technology and social interactive real-time robot racing, and how can gaming become a part of this evolving platform.

There will also be a talk with Roy Lee, president of Vertigo Entertainment, entitled "Franchise Fever: Pursuing Big Ideas and Big Audience."

New speakers announced include Ubisoft's new IP editorial director Tommy Francois and writer Rhianna Pratchett.

DICE kicks off February 16. As always, we'll be there live to cover the talks, find the news and interview the people.