Game Connection is a unique speed dating event for business-focused game makers. It is a one-stop shop to meet face to face dozens of targeted potential partners involved in all stages of the production pipeline, from the concept to the outsourcing, publishing, distribution and financing, in back-to-back 30-minute meetings.
Where else do you get to conduct an average of 27 tailored meetings in just three days, network with the best developers, publishers, distributors and service providers of the industry who are committed to make great games?
The Game Connection history began in 2001, when Pierre Carde, Director of Lyon Game, decided to set up a professional event for the video game industry focused on one objective : doing business. Game Connection’s first edition took place in December 2001 and attracted 27 French developers and 20 international publishers. In 2004, the Game Connection went abroad to San Francisco and joined the Game Developers Conference. Two years after, the Game Connection flew away to Tokyo and Shanghai. Initially separated, Games and Services at Game Connection have been gathered to give you a more global experience.
Nowadays, Game Connection America and Game Connection Europe have become must-attend events in the videogame industry. With a range of 500-600 international attendees (including around 350 exhibitors/sellers and 330 visitors/buyers) and a 1 million $ average revenue generated per attendee, Game Connection is THE place to do business internationally.
Game Connection Europe 2008
Lyon, France
November 5-6-7, 2008
http://www.game-connection.com/content/game-connection-europe-2008
The International Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology returns.
According to the organiser:
‘If you lead a game development team of any size, you will leave this full three-day course with new tools to help you keep projects on track, motivate team members, and conduct risk analysis.
‘Sessions run concurrent with the Future Play 2008 conference, and during the three-day course you’ll be invited to join Future Play 2008 plenary sessions, meals and breaks, so you can network between learning sessions.
‘At the end you’ll walk away with production techniques and management skills, and your copy of the Game Production Handbook, 2008 Edition.’
The Future Play Conference focuses on three main themes. The first theme, future game development, addresses academic research and emerging industry trends in the area of game technology and game design. The second theme, future game impacts and applications, includes academic research and emerging industry trends focused on designing games for learning, for gender, for serious purposes, and to impact society. Finally, the third theme, future game talent, is designed to provide a number of industry and academic perspectives on the knowledge, skills, and attitude it takes to excel in the games industry.
Future Play addresses these issues through exciting and thought-provoking keynotes from leaders in academia and industry, peer-reviewed paper sessions, panel sessions (including academic and industry discussions), workshops (including design, technology, and career workshops), and exhibitions of posters, games, and the latest game technologies and supports.
Toronto, Canada November 3, 4 & 5 2008
Venue: Central London
Date: Thursday 30th October, 2008
Format: Conference
Organisers: Tandem Events +44 (0)20 7405 4500
You can visit the Tandem website here: www.tandemevents.co.uk
In Brief: Dedicated to the business of casual games, an industry that has grown dramatically. The event will be a one-day conference, the morning focusing on opportunities in the sector and what the future holds.
There will be two parts in the afternoon, with one exploring the lucrative potential of casual games and the other taking on a more technical, development-centric feel.
The Casual Games Forum has been designed with several aims in mind; to explore the business angles of this exciting market, but also to get under the skin of the more technical and practical aspects of developing casual games.
“As well as catering for those already involved in the sector, it’ll offer those waiting on the sidelines the chance to learn more and perhaps more importantly, give everyone the chance to network together, either as future partners or possible competitors.”
Debut during London Games Festival www.londongamesfestival.com
Venue: The Bridge, London
Date: 6-8 October
Format: 6th & 7th Conference and Expo 8th Workshops
In Brief:
In their second year the Conference theme will be:
‘Enterprise, education and entertainment, harnessing virtual worlds for twenty-first century advantage.’ Issues covered include the emergence of virtual worlds for competitive advantage and harnessing social networks, virtual worlds and MMOs to create communities.
The Workshops will cover Planning and Rolling Out Enterprise Virtual Worlds Applications,
Establishing Metrics Key Performance Measurement for Virtual Worlds and MMO and Legal and Tax
Update for Virtual Worlds.
The Expo is the place to attend presentations, view demos and to social network.
Register Now For Discount Pricing: www.virtualworldsforum.com
EIF 2008 will take place this year move to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre as part of a move to develop the scale and profile of the event which this year includes a number of new initiatives and changes from previous years.
Edinburgh Interactive Festival will feature a major two-day conference programme, an array of networking events, an expansion of the EIF Games Screenings programme covering three cinema rooms, a major public area with gaming features, retail and recruitment sites. Dare ProtoPlay, the public showcase event of Dare to be Digital, UK’s premier video games design competition, will also take place under the same roof as the Edinburgh Interactive Festival and will run from Sunday 10th to Tuesday 12th August alongside the public areas and Games Screenings.
Edinburgh Interactive Festival is the only event that brings together the games industry’s key decision makers from games publishing, hardware and development alongside Government, TV, film, press and other entertainment industries as well as students seeking to work within the creative industries.
International Conference Center is designed to make the event more approachable and accessible for the public and other elements of the Festival. It’s free to the public and is a great way for people to spend some time looking at new games from new young development talent, to be inspired by the Games Screenings, to see and experience some hands–on time with new games and perhaps pick up their first games machine at the retail store.
Now celebrating its sixth year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is powered up to showcase the continued popularity, growth and influence of video games. And this year, the Interactive Festival is more synchronized with the world famous Edinburgh Festival than ever, appealing to the press, public and professionals from film, television and interactive media backgrounds alike, offering a bigger event for delegates, more consumer focusing – an overall spectacle for all.
New to Interactive Festival 2008 will be Features, Exhibition and Recruitment areas specifically tailored to cater for the public - allowing them access to the latest games and job opportunities in games.
As ever, the three-day Interactive Festival wouldn’t be complete without the cornerstones of conferences, keynotes, panel sessions, games screenings, debates and more people than ever jostling to get in through the doors.
http://www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com/eif-2008
Multiplay is the organiser of M Festival one of the largest electronic games events in the UK.
The M Festival is one of the most exciting computer and video games event ever to be held in the UK featuring some of the top names in the computer games industry. Experience some of the latest and greatest games for the PC and Consoles.
A cutting edge video games technology showcase. Visitors will be treated to a hands-on experience of the modern games industry like never before, featuring worldwide leaders in video games and technology demonstrating their latest and greatest innovations.
• Biggest industry names
• 3000sqm exhibition
• World Cyber Games tournament
• Just turn up and play
• Latest games and technology
Gamers Paradise is where you’ll find the real hardcore gamers taking part in a marathon gaming session lasting over 80 hours. Over 2,000 players bring their own computers down for the weekend and camp out for a non-stop, round the clock games party.
A sight you have to see to believe!
At M Festival come and try some of the best simulations around. Test your driving skills in our F1 driving recreation or take to the skies in our realistic flight simulator. A fusion of the virtual world and reality has brought video games tantalizingly close to real life.
• Some of the best simulations available today
• Play golf whatever the weather!
• Charge around an F1 track
• Take to the skies in a flight simulator
Adrenaline junkies can get their fix with our outdoor sports activities.
• Quad bike safari
• Junior quad bikes
• 4×4 off-road experience
• Air Soft multi-scenario combat
• Archery
• Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting
• Bucking Bronco and Giant Table Football
• Kids Zone for under 12′
Buy Tickets Here: http://www.mfestival.com/default.aspx
Presenter Eric Avery said, “We had about 60 very excited Members and their guests attend the uVme event in Manchester Sunday. There was a business meeting in the morning, followed by a workshop in which we covered how to find prospects and the new coded bonuses, among other things. Then we had a question and answer session that people really enjoyed. In the break, I heard lots of very positive comments about the new ‘Black Diamond’ business-building website.
The event was a great success!”
USA Gamers Walked Away From Monterrey’s Hot Sun With Overall Team Victory, Achieving Seven First Place Prizes
Monterrey, Mexico, June 23, 2008. The third annual World Cyber Games Pan-American Championship wrapped up this past weekend in Monterrey, Mexico. The nine-game tournament took place over three days and featured a who’s who of gamers from many countries in North, Central and South America. Featuring some of the most intense and competitive matches of the 2008 World Cyber Games tournament series, the competition set many familiar faces against each other in the finals.
The USA team had an excellent showing, winning nearly all the games featured in the tournament and achieving the overall team championship.
Leading the USA to victory were:
Nikolasus Cassidy - USA - (WarCraft® III: The Frozen Throne™) - 1st place
Team EG - USA - (Half-Life®: Counter-Strike™) - 1st place
Kamran “omegaelite” Siddiqui - USA - (Need For Speed™ ProStreet) - 1st place
Team Final Boss -USA - (Halo® 3) - 1st place
Sean “maximus” Heffelfinger - USA - (Project Gotham Racing® 4 ) - 1st place
David MoB “Wolfe” Briers - USA - (Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock) - 1st place
Raghav “parfait” Phadke - USA - (Age of Empires® III: The Asian Dynasties) - 1st place
“The city of Monterrey opened its doors to the World Cyber Games and put on one of the best Pan-American games we’ve ever had,” said Mr. Hyoung Seok Kim, CEO of ICM. “With an incredible list of sponsors and a great venue, Monterrey was a fantastic location to host this major e-Sports competition.”
The Pan-American Championship began on Saturday and included welcome speeches from Hyoung Seok Kim, CEO of ICM, global organizer of WCG; Joo Ho Song, CEO for Samsung Electronics México; Erick Baca, Marketing Director for XBOX Mexico and finally, Mario Valle, Marketing and Sales Director for Electronic Arts Mexico.
Some of the world’s best gamers came out for this event, as 105 top gamers from 13 countries battled in the heart of Monterrey, with nearly 10,000 spectators attending over the course of the three day event - making this one of the largest Pan-American championships to date.
ABOUT THE WORLD CYBER GAMES
The World Cyber Games (www.worldcybergames.com) is the premier blue chip global video game tournament and culture festival. First founded in 2000 to promote global harmony through e-sports, the WCG has grown steadily ever since. Behind the slogan “Beyond the Game” and with contestants from more than 70 countries expected to participate in this year’s event, the World Cyber Games has developed into a true global phenomenon with arguably the largest prize amount at stake. The World Cyber Games prides itself on leading the “Digital Entertainment Culture.”
CONTACT:
For The World Cyber Games
Adam Fenton / Andrew Kelly
212-689-6360
adam_fenton@bhimpact.com / Andrew_Kelly@bhimpact.com
Fabrice will talk about how 3rd party developers can break into the industry by getting the attention of a publisher like Ubisoft, including the do’s and don’ts.
Fabrice has over 10 years experience working with Third Party developers. He is now working as Business Development Manager at Ubisoft’s EMEA Third Party Department and is in charge of identifying talented developers and innovative game concepts in Europe.
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 25 countries and sales in 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 928 million euros.
Fabrice will be replacing Yuan from Disney, who couldn’t make it due to an internal merger of Disney’s Video Games Division and its Digital Media unit.
About Free Gaming Business
Free Gaming Business, an event where games means business, is one of Benelux’s largest game business events and is part of the world’s largest Free Gaming Festival located in the city center of Rotterdam.
Free Gaming Business is located next to the outdoor festival at the Willem Burger Complex in the De Doelen congress center. The business event will feature several impressive international and local speakers on this year’s theme “Level-Up”.
Registration to the event is free for all people working with or for the Game Industry, service providers, educational institutions, government and investors. You can register at fgbusiness08.bgin.org/register.php
Showcase your company with a free showcase and meeting table and more! Reserve your free table!
For more information visit:
Free Gaming Business at http://FGBusiness08.BGIn.org/
Benelux Game Initiative at http://www.BGIn.org/
Free Gaming Festival at http://www.Free-Gaming.nl/
Organizers of an annual games exhibition have raised more than HK$100,000 for victims of the Sichuan earthquake by introducing online games into the two-day event.
Scores of youngsters and their parents stood in line at the SportX area in Harbour City yesterday for the second day of the China Games Publishers Association exhibition, hoping to buy souvenirs such as figurines of online game characters.
Goody fortune bags were among the items sold by the 50 games publishers participating in the event.
The HK$10 entrance fee allowed youngsters to play the online and television games. For a small donation, the youngsters could also dress up as their favorite characters and have their pictures taken.
Local male pop celebrities I Love You Boyz encouraged the public to buy souvenirs and games to help the victims. The singers also donated their autographed figurines, which will be put on an online bidding site to raise funds.
Another young group entertaining visitors, At 17, said it was a meaningful experience for Hong Kong youngsters to help rebuild schools in Sichuan.
The public was also encouraged to donate old games, which will be sent to children in the mainland. A counter to collect these will be set up every weekend until the end of June.
Sony Computer Entertainment deputy manager James Hong said a six- figure sum had been raised.
Money raised on Sunday was donated to World Vision while yesterday’s collection went to Unicef.
World Vision said it had already raised HK$213 million for its HK$270 million rehabilitation plan for Sichuan.
South Asian groups Heavenly Path Hong Kong, Gurkhas Security Guards Union and the Southern Democratic Alliance have raised HK$4,486.10, which will be donated to the Salvation Army.
Source: Jennifer Lai - Thestandard.com