DEVELOPING GAMES IN THE EAST MIDLANDS
August 2004
PUBLIC DOMAIN: developing games in the East Midlands, organised by EM Media, is an informative and entertaining evening event focusing on the current state of play for games developers, graduates, outsourcing companies, recruitment services and support services in England's East Midlands.
The event on Thursday 16 September will include presentations from Free Radical Design (GoldenEye, TimeSplitters, Second Sight), Climax Entertainment (Italian Job, Moto GP), Martin Iveson (Tomb Raider), Gillian Cordall (Lewis Silkin) and The University of Lincoln. In addition EM Media will be launching its East Midlands Games Initiative.
No sales pitches, no headhunting, just a frank and open discussion of the art and science of games development. The event's panel discussion will allow the opportunity for audience members to ask questions of the experts, before an opportunity for networking.
The East Midlands Games Initiative is driven by EM Media and designed for everyone in the business of games within the region. PUBLIC DOMAIN: developing games in the East Midlands is the initiative's inaugural event and will provide the East Midland's development community with a commercial and technological driven professional analysis of developing games in the region along with a far-reaching program of content. More PUBLIC DOMAIN branded events are planned for the future with the consistent aim of supporting and developing the games development sector within the East Midlands.
Toby Barnes, Executive Producer for Digital Media at EM Media comments, "The East Midlands boasts a number of the UK's biggest and most prolific design studios, and with a raft of additional game developers and services the region has reached a critical mass of development. With 25% of the UK's development occurring within the East Midlands and some of the biggest games icons born here, EM Media have recognised the need to support the games development sector in order to ensure it can grow and mature to produce the world's next top games, both in terms of sales and creativity and innovation."
The publicly funded EM Media supports the games development sector within the East Midlands through a variety of routes and by providing these support services aims to provide a backbone to the development of new and existing products and services. EM Media provides investment and support through training, skills development, research and development, tax credit assessment, royalty audit assessment, business development and pitch development services. EM Media has historically invested in products and games and currently has a substantial amount to invest in further media product.
Confirmed speakers:
Toby Barnes, EM Media on EM Media's role within games development in the East Midlands. Dave Doak, Free Radical Design on studio independence and the future of independent studios. Martin Iveson, on developing ideas of outsourcing to provide a new way of working. Mark Doughty, Lincoln University has been running the game development course at The University of Lincoln for the past 3 years, and is providing the game community with some of the most talented graduates in the country. Gillian Cordall Lewis Silkin partner in the Media, Brands and Technology team.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: developing games in the East Midlands takes place on Thursday 16 September at NCSL (National College of School Leadership) in Nottingham, starting at 6pm.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- EM Media is the regional screen agency shaping a vibrant media future across England's East Midlands. It has the full support of the UK Film Council and Skillset at a national level and East Midlands Development Agency and Culture East Midlands at a regional level. Its aims and priorities are focused on the development of a sustainable and accessible film and media industry in the region.
- EM Media provides a range of media business support and development services (including location finding, crew support and so on) and financial investment to individuals and businesses working in film, television, radio and digital media across England's East Midlands.
- NCSL (National College of School Leadership) is one of Nottingham's largest exhibition and conference venues. Public transport links to NCSL are well established with the rail station and the City just minutes away by taxi. There is easy access to the M1, A52 and NCSL offers car parking facilities for over 200 cars. For more information visit www.ncsl.org.uk/directions
- For further information please contact: toby.barnes@em-media.org.uk or sally.hodgson@em-media.org.uk.
0115 934 9090