J.J. Abrams, recently revealed as director of the new Star Wars movies, and Gabe Newell of Valve fame will open the 2013 DICe summit with a discussion about storytelling, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences announced today.

Abrams and Newell’s keynote, titled “Storytelling Across Platforms: Who Benefits Most, the Audience or the Player?” starts off this year’s Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain summit on February 6 in Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel.

“J.J. thoughtfully weaves together suspense, action, emotion, and fun into every one of his projects—elements every game developer aspires to capture as well,” said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. “Each year, the D.I.C.E. Summit sets the tone for the year ahead in games and adding J.J. and Gabe’s shared insights is a natural fit as we see all forms of entertainment converge.”