Battle for the box breaks out in Edinburgh

June 2005: As convergence gathers pace with gaming consoles, PCs and DVD players staking a bigger claim for TV viewing time and as the main focus of entertainment in the home, The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival 2005 is bringing the cream of the Interactive Entertainment Industry together under one roof at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from 10th - 14th August 2005, for an open international forum to debate the cultural significance of this development and to plot a path for the sector's future.

The battle lines have been drawn for this conference session which will be hosted by Sam Delaney - Broadcast magazine, with a panel gathered from the world of TV production to face representatives from the Computer and Video Games Industry. Speakers include Janine Smith - Producer, Channel 4; Dave Clark - Commissioning Editor, Bravo; Alan Duncan - Director of Marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe amongst others.

The panel will be focusing on how video gaming is changing viewing habits and have successfully attracted the holy grail of 16-34 year old males and what broadcasters are doing to fight back. The conference session will also explore how the new generation consoles and great online connectivity are upping the stakes

Ian Sharpe, session producer and EIEF editor comments: "For fifty years, viewers have willingly turned to TV broadcasters for their main in-home entertainment. With channel-hopping speed, video games have sprung up. They have fed from the world of TV, learnt from it and are now making moves to supplant it as the primary entertainment choice. This phenomenon makes a great starting point for what promises to be a highlight of the Festival's conference line up."

This feature will lead a packed conference line up that also covers the rise of mobile gaming, games in education, women in gaming, handheld gaming and independent film making amongst others.

For further information and booking, please visit www.eief.co.uk Until 15th July, members of ELPSA, PACT and BAFTA can take advantage of 'early bird' bookings for delegate places at all Edinburgh Interactive conference sessions.

Ends

For further information please contact Taylor Herring Brand Communications

Andrew Campbell-Edie T: 020 8206 5151

Naomi Segal T: 020 8206 5157

andrew.campbell-edie@taylorherring.com

naomi.segal@taylorherring.co.uk

Notes to Editors

• The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival is a jointly owned venture between the Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) www.tiga.org and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) www.elspa.com. Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian supports the Festival as part of its backing of the creative and digital industries, which are key sectors for Scotland.

• The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival's aim is to increase the awareness and understanding of interactive entertainment and its place at the heart of popular culture, highlighting the growing bond between video games and other entertainment industries notably music, literature, television and film.