Edinburgh Games Festival set for 2004 return

Following on from the success of last year's event, the Edinburgh International Games Festival is set to make a return to the Scottish capital this August, with a significantly expanded programme of events.

The 2004 event is set to build on its conference programme with an extra half day of sessions, bringing it to a total of a day and a half, while the popular public exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, Go Play Games, will return in an extended form.

New to the festival is a series of "Game Screenings" - personal presentations, open to the public and the press, by some of the leading creators in the games industry. The full conference programme and list of game screenings is expected to be announced in the months leading up to the festival.

"EIGF 2003 was an incredible success," according to Future Network CEO Greg Ingham, who is chairman of the EIGF 2004 committee. "However, we know thereâs much more we can do and in 2004 weâre even more keen to use EIGF to demonstrate to the world that videogames are a significant and important part of todayâs culture."

"The additions to the programme will offer unique opportunities for the industry, the public and the press to gain a deeper understanding of the creative processes and skills required to make world-beating games," he concluded.