IBM NPUC 2000
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NPUC Talks - Applying the Game Console UI to Traditional User Applications

The user interface for games is more demanding than that of traditional consumer applications. In games, each action must have an instantaneous reaction, such as a shot of a gun as it is being fired. The interface must move almost simultaneously as the user is controls it, a clunky interface will just make game unplayable. Games must also be intuitive and very easy to learn. If they are complex, users will not take the time to play. Applying these and other game design principles to more traditional applications can make an otherwise complicated application more intuitive for non-experienced users. These are the principles that Planetweb applies in creating Internet applications for enhanced consumer electronic devices.

Speaker Biography
Ken Soohoo

Ken Soohoo,
Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Planetweb, Inc.

ksoohoo@planetweb.com

Ken Soohoo, Co-Founder, President and CEO, has led the technical evolution of Planetweb since its founding in 1996. Under Soohoo’s leadership, Planetweb has grown from a small team of software developers delivering their first product in the fall of 1996 to over 4 million units shipped today. 

From cornerstone partnerships in the gaming market with Sega and the Japanese version of the PlayStation 2, Ken is bringing his software and engineering expertise to the forefront by delivering Planetweb technology to the market. Planetweb has secured strategic partnerships with DVD chipmakers including C-Cube, National Semiconductor, LuxSonor, VM Labs and Zoran. Planetweb is also creating unions with various device manufacturers, ISPs, and content and service providers to deliver a complete enhanced entertainment experience for consumers.

With a background in software engineering and programming, Ken has held key executive positions with Planetweb, Inc., Digital Pictures, Inc., and engineering positions with Momenta Corporation and Atari. Before co-founding Planetweb in March of 1996, Mr. Soohoo was vice president of engineering at Digital Pictures, Inc. where he led the company's program to develop games for 32-bit video game consoles. Prior to Digital Pictures, Mr. Soohoo held engineering positions with Momenta Corporation and Atari. Mr. Soohoo is personally credited with developing nine video game titles and currently holds several patents in the area of Digital Video Editing.

Mr. Soohoo’s career is built upon his vision of bringing Internet access to the masses through consumer electronic devices such as gaming consoles, iDVD players and set-top boxes.

Mr. Soohoo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
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