Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009

Wednesday 25th February/... The Edinburgh Interactive Festival today confirmed that Nintendo has become a partner of this year’s event. Taking place in the heart of Edinburgh between 10th and 16th August 2009, with the Conference running on 13th and 14th, Edinburgh Interactive combines industry and public facing events, including conference, screenings, free game play and Protoplay, the University of Abertay’s showcase of new games design talent.

Edinburgh Interactive Festival, which is a part of The Edinburgh Festival – the biggest cultural festival in the world, offers delegates, speakers and press a unique opportunity to network and share opinions in relaxed and atmospheric surroundings. Members of the public looking to check out the latest innovations and ideas in gaming can enjoy the free play area and grab a look inside the games industry and at some of the hottest new titles around at Edinburgh’s screenings programme, which runs during the festival.

Nintendo wowed the crowds last year with its hugely popular, family-friendly Nintendo’s Cooking Guide™: Can't decide what to eat?

David Yarnton, General Manager Nintendo UK, said: “We are very pleased to be a part of the Edinburgh Interactive Festival once again this year. The festival is unique in that it brings together all the different aspects and facets of our business under one roof and provides the perfect opportunity for us all to celebrate our industry's rich creative diversity. Edinburgh is an important platform for interactive entertainment and showcasing software to the public alongside TV, film, literature and comedy highlights the cultural worth and credibility of our industry to the UK and the world."

With publishers and developers competing with each other for most of the year, Edinburgh Interactive Festival offers a chance to relax and share their views for the interactive and entertainment industry.

Edinburgh Interactive Festival Chairman Chris Deering added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Nintendo again. It’s a free festival for the public and a great chance for everyone to come and take a look at some genuinely exciting developments within the industry. Nintendo’s involvement as a partner will certainly add another dimension to the experience for anyone attending.”

Now in its seventh year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is set to bring the latest developments that the video games industry has to offer. Year on year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festive Festival is becoming more and more synchronised with the world famous Edinburgh Festival. With such rapidly growing popularity, EIF‘s appeal has broadened considerably; it is now a massive draw for press and professionals from film, TV and interactive media backgrounds.

Check out the feedback and event footage from EIF 08: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FpazfKYSKcM

Please submit proposal papers for the Edinburgh Interactive Festival conference to Wendy Rosenthal at wendy@hyperentertainment.com

Screening Submissions should be directed to screenings@edinburghinteractivefestival.com

For more details about partnership opportunities please contact jodie.holdway@edinburghinteractivefestival.com

Press enquiries should be directed to sarah.hartland@bhpr.co.uk or tom.sargent@bhpr.co.uk

Ends.

About Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009

Now celebrating its seventh year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is powered up to showcase the continued popularity, growth and influence of video games. And this year, the Interactive Festival is more synchronised with the world famous Edinburgh Festival than ever, appealing to the press, public and professionals from film, television and interactive media backgrounds alike, offering a bigger event for delegates, more consumer focusing – an overall spectacle for all.

EIF 2009 will again host a Free Game Play and Recruitment areas specifically tailored to cater for the public - allowing them access to the latest games and job opportunities in games.

As ever, the Interactive Festival wouldn’t be complete without the cornerstones of conferences, keynotes, panel sessions, debates, games screenings and even more people than ever jostling to get through the doors.

The Edinburgh Interactive Festival is managed by a committee drawn from all areas of the games industry, including publishers, developers and the two industry trade bodies: The Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) www.tiga.org and the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) www.elspa.com.