CHANNEL 4 INVESTS IN GAMES WITH ELECTRONIC ARTS AND THE GOLDEN JOYSTICK AWARDS
PRESS INFORMATION: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03 OCTOBER 2007
Channel 4's 4Talent has partnered with the Oscars® of the gaming world, the Golden Joystick Awards, and Electronic Arts (EA), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company, to offer budding games developers the chance to pitch their mobile gaming ideas to a panel of industry experts and gaming gurus. The panel will include Channel 4 Education's Commissioning Editor, Matt Locke; EA Mobile's European Marketing Director, Tim Harrison and UK Executive Producer, Chris Gibbs; and O2 UK's Head of Games, Despina Kaparaki. One lucky winner will be announced at the Golden Joystick Awards and receive a cash prize of £2500 from Channel 4 and the chance for a short hothouse placement within EA's mobile game division.
"4Talent is committed to helping emerging content producers maximise their creative potential", says James Estill, Senior Producer, 4Talent, "and these days it's not just about TV. This partnership with EA provides the perfect opportunity to support the gaming industry and nurture the next generation of games developers."
Full details can be found at www.channel4.com/4talent. Closing date for submissions is 17th October 2007.
The initiative is an extension of 4Talent's recent media partnership of the Mobile Game of the Year award at the 25th annual Golden Joystick Awards. Hosted by Peep Show's David Mitchell, the awards will take place on Friday 26 October, on the last day of the London Games Festival, at London's Park Lane Hilton Hotel. Gamers across the world will be able to watch the awards via a live web-cast through computerandvideogames.com and gamesradar.com.
Officially the world's oldest and most respected games award ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards this year celebrates its 25th anniversary. Held for the first time in 1982, the Awards have been honouring innovation in gaming since the days when Atari, Commodore and Spectrum ruled the earth.
Once considered the pursuit of bedroom geeks and younger kids, video gaming has broken through to the mainstream and is now one of the biggest entertainment industries in the UK, equalling the UK film industry in economic value.
To vote, visit www.channel4.com/4talent/national or www.goldenjoystick.com
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For further information please contact:
Dan Walsh, The Incubator
T: +44 20 8744 80 60 / M: +44 7775 770 379 / E: dan@incubator-music.com
Rebecca Ladbury, Channel 4
T: +44 20 7306 5547 / M: +44 7941 224 975 / E: rladbury@channel4.co.uk
Bettina Munn, EA
T: +41 (22) 316 1327 / E: bmunn@ea.com
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About 4Talent:
4Talent is the gateway to all Channel 4's talent initiatives helping budding script writers, comedians, documentary filmmakers, TV talent, find their way through the industry mire and develop their creative careers in the multi-platform world of broadcast media in TV, Film, New Media and Radio.
Online, 4Talent showcases established professionals via text, video and audio editorial features that provide details of the varied - and often unconventional - routes into the industry, providing inspiration and guidance for emerging talent to get their foot onto or advance up their creative career ladder. Full details of all Channel 4's talent schemes - from in-house training schemes to 3 Minute Wonders, 4Laughs, FourDocs and Cinema Extreme - are available on the site.
On the ground, 4Talent boasts a dedicated team of editors and producers based in London, the West Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland offering opportunities for emerging talent around the country to take part in nationwide workshops, masterclasses, seminars and showcasing events which are free to attend and fully inclusive.
About Future:
Future PLC is an international special-interest media group with offices in the UK, US, France and Italy. Founded in 1985 with one UK magazine, today it creates over 180 special-interest publications, websites and events, with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, automotive, sports, crafts and leisure sectors. Over 130 international editions of Future's magazines are also published under licence in 30 other countries across the world. Future employs around1,300 people worldwide. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR). For more information on Future PLC please contact: Will Guyatt, Communications, on 01225 822 517
About Electronic Arts:
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTST, EAT, EA SPORTS BIGT and POGOT. In fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com
About London Games Festival - http://www.londongamesfestival.co.uk
The London Games Festival is a cultural and business celebration of computer and video games, reflecting their influence and importance as central to popular culture and entertainment. Created by the London Development Agency and with the full support of the industry, trade bodies (ELSPA and Tiga) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), it will provide an exciting week of consumer and trade events in the capital. The Festival is a collection of independent events, which will run concurrently at venue throughout the city between 22 Oct and 02 Nov 2007.
Will Guyatt
UK Media Relations Manager
Future Publishing
Tel: 01225 822517
Mob: 07788 576505
ISDN: 01225 318795 (Bath - G722/APT-X)
ISDN: 02077 243686 (London - G722/APT-X)
*Now available - ISDN for studio quality radio interviews*