Press Release from ThinkServices
BERLIN, July 15 -- The Game Developers Conference (GDC) Europe 2009 will host several top international speakers including The Building Studio's Viktor Antonov, Matthias Hellmund of Exozet Games GmbH, Bigpoint's Nils-Holger Henning, Lionhead Studios' Peter Molyneux and many more when it convenes as Europe's premier professional event addressing the needs and opportunities for developers and business professionals throughout Europe today. GDC Europe will take place August 17-19 at the Cologne Congress East Center in Cologne, Germany in conjunction with gamescom, the leading game industry European event for consumers, publishers and trade professionals.
Some of the game industry trends under discussion at GDC Europe include the growing market of new audiences for social games and iPhone products, creating new intellectual properties and strong visual identities that define the style of an IP, mobile game development and distribution using smaller teams, digital distribution, using player choice as a game mechanic, and alternative finance and new game development business models. Featured sessions also include international panels that aim to give developers a glimpse into what publishers want with participants from Capcom, Digital Development Management, Disney Interactive, Foundation 9, Jerry Bruckheimer Games, Konami, Microsoft, Namco Bandai and Paramount Pictures.
"There is certainly something for everyone at GDC Europe - we're very proud to have such high level executives and veteran developers speaking on a wide variety of topics and trends that are vital to game developers in Europe," said Frank Sliwka, Vice President European Business Development of Think Services Game Group. "We're excited for our upcoming event which will showcase Europe's strengths and recent accomplishments within our industry as well as serve as a landmark must-attend event for years to come."
GDC Europe will offer a well rounded schedule of forward-looking panels, lectures and keynotes on game development across five tracks: business management, game design, production, programming and visual arts.
Featured speakers and sessions include:
-- Creating Visual Identity for Games with Viktor Antonov, Creative Director of The Building Studios
-- Mobile Impossible: Development, In-House Porting and Distribution with a Small Team with Matthias Hellmund, Head of Mobile Development, Exozet Games GmbH
-- Choice: The Ultimate Game Mechanic with Peter Molyneux, Head of Studio, Lionhead Studios
-- Alternative Finance and New Development Business Models: Re-constructing the Value Chain with Marc Jackson, Managing Director of Seahorn Capital Group; Risa Cohen, Consultant at RC Productions; Sean Kauppinen, CEO of International Digital Entertainment Agency; Kai Bodensiek, Rechtsanwalt, Brehm & v. Moers
-- Why Have a Publisher for iPhone Products? with Bob Wallace, Principal of Strategic Alternatives; Alan Yu, Founder of ngmoco:); Sergei Gourskiof of Subatomic Studios; Joe Wee of Chillingo; Michael Schade, CEO/Co-Founder of FISHLABS Entertainment GmbH
-- Ask the Decision Makers: Find Out What Publishers Want And How To Get What You Want with Jeff Hilbert, Founder of Digital Development Management; John Kavanagh, SVP Interactive of Paramount Pictures; Jay Cohen, President of Jerry Bruckheimer Games; Adam Boyes, Director of Development at Capcom; Careen Yapp, VP Business Development & Licensing of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.; Sebastien Motte, Sr. Dir./Worldwide Business Development of Microsoft Game Studios; Chris Charla, VP, Business Development of Foundation 9 Entertainment; Jean-Marcel Nicolai, Sr. VP, WW Content Organization of Disney Interactive Studios; Zack Karlsson, VP Business Development of Namco Bandai Games America.
As previously announced, GDC Europe will also feature keynote addresses by Matias Myllyrinne of Max Payne and Alan Wake developer Remedy, Hilmar Petursson of EVE Online developer CCP, Cevat Yerli of FarCry and Crysis developer Crytek, and Klaas Kersting of German online game leader Gameforge. GDC Europe's early registration rate ends on Midnight July 29. To learn more about the keynotes and speaker line-up, registration and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.gdceurope.com.
