Edinburgh conference sessions confirmed

Organisers of the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival have confirmed the speakers and conference sessions for the event, which takes place in the heart of Scotland this August.

The two day conference will begin with a keynote address - View From The Top: The Challenges of Next-gen - to be delivered by David Gardner, EVP and COO of Electronic Arts' Worldwide Studios, David Gardner.

Additional conference sessions include "Games That Heal — the medicine of interactive software", which takes a closer look at the growing use of interactive software as a tool to help patients with conditions ranging from cancer to post traumatic stress disorder, and an analytical look at the games industry from Nick Parker of Parker Consulting.

Day one will be rounded off by a debate on the censorship of games and the challenges presented to rating boards such as the BBFC and VSC in the light of increased realism in graphics and HDTV compatible hardware.

Finally, a mobile game tournament will test the knowledge and acceptance of what's being touted as "the next big thing" - mobile phone gaming.

Chris Deering, chairman of EIEF06, commented: "Unlike other conferences that examine the technologies or unravel business methodologies, EIEF explores the intangible, indefinable and unquantifiable. It seeks to understand not the now but the future."

"What this means in real terms is a schedule filled to the brim with passionate speakers who are not afraid to go out on a very small ledge to take a leap of faith in front of a discerning and often critical audience," Deering concluded.

The final day of the conference will be focused on the potential of hybrid authorship through Machinima (including a world premier live machinima performance from Red vs. Blue's Rooster Teeth.

Tuesday's sessions will also include the world premier of part three of author Kate Pullinger's Inanimate Alice series - a unique project which is part novel, part game and part movie.

Additional speakers include the founders of Velvetelvis, discussing the fusion of films, games, music, books and web to create a new form of creative expression and commercial opportunity.

The comprehensive EIEF06 program consists of a packed two days of conference sessions taking place at the Royal College of Physicians on 21st August and at the Odeon, Lothian Road on 22nd August.

Game Screenings will offer the public a chance to get up close with the creators of some of the leading video games and the event will culminate with the annual Edge Awards and networking party.

For a full schedule of events, booking and travel information and details of confirmed speakers for the 2006 conference, please visit www.eief.co.uk.