I just got back from a great dinner put on by some of the IBM guys here in the Southeast. The aim of the dinner was to bring together CxOs of Atlanta-area video game and entertainment companies. I got a chance to share the PlayMotion story with my peers, but more importantly, I was able to learn more about what is going on here in Georgia from other players. Very cool.

The companies represented included PlayMotion, Kaneva, CCP/White Wolf, and Hi-Rez Studios.

IBM is sinking a fairly significant chunk o’ change in developing a strategy to support the space - it will be interesting to see how their strategy evolves. They are obviously more comfortable in traditional industries (banking, manufacturing, etc). The question isn’t whether or not they have the cash and staying-power to influence the space …. they clearly do. Rather, it is a question of whether or not IBM can be agile, sexy, and work well with others.

If they are serious about the space, I would recommend that they bring on an industry veteran to lead up the effort. And while that sounds good on paper, I don’t know too many gaming executives who would want to make that shift …

Of course, they could just buy nVidia … and they’d be done. Competitor ATI went for a cool $5.4B to AMD. IBM is a hardware company, first and foremost. Could be a match made in heaven. TIP: You guys should buy nVidia before Intel does.

Cheers.