GameCityNights

Nottingham, 11/01/11 – GameCity, the world’s best-loved videogame festival, today announced the launch of Season 2 of GameCityNights, the monthly after-dark, adults only exploration of videogame culture, with details of Episode 1. GameCityNights take place at Antenna in Nottingham, Beck Street, NG1 1EQ, beginning at 6pm. Entry is strictly 18+ only, tickets £5 in advance, £6 on the door.

Overstuffed with turkey dinners during the festive period, the GameCity team has returned to present the launch of Season 2 of GameCityNights with an equally overstuffed line-up, as a host of fan favourites return amidst some new ideas.

Between 6 and 8pm, skills-based networking sessions will help attendees to earn a fist full of business cards, create industry contacts and, possibly, find gainful employment. Each session will be lead by a guest speaker of the month who will deliver a presentation to compliment the early evening discussions.

From 8 till late, videogame culture takes centre stage. For Episode1 GameCity have booked the biggest Nights line-up yet; videogames developer and comedian Graham Goring will push the boundaries of taste, Theremin Hero Greig Stewart is set to deliver a dazzling display of unique hands-free gaming and laser harp wizardry, pay tribute to one of history's greatest sci-fi television shows, Time-Freeze, with Nottingham's own sitcom spoofing artists The Megaphones and listen to One Life Left’s Derek Williams present a live Free Market Economy segment.

GameCity Director Iain Simons said, “It’s a brand new year and we’re throwing a lot of effort into making the brand new season of GameCityNights something to remember. We’ve got an amazing line-up on the stocks this time and a lot of surprises in store. Make sure you’ve reserved the last Friday of the month - they’re going to be special.”

Fan favourites from Season 1 make a welcome return this year, with a super secret ‘From the Desk of’ in which a well-known developer is grilled, live games, competitions, prizes and the very best indie developers showing their wares next to some of the month’s biggest AAA titles, all available to play, fuelled by the late-night bar and restaurant.

GameCityNights run on the last Friday of every month at Antenna in Nottingham, Beck Street, NG1 1EQ. Entry is strictly 18+ only, tickets £5 in advance and for students, £6 on the door for the general public. Due to limited capacity, pre-booking is advised. To do so, please go to www.gamecity.org for details.

To book space to discuss your favourite game with My Game or demo your work on the preview screens, email GameCity PR Coordinator, Chris White, chris@gamecity.org ###

NOTES TO EDITOR

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*GameCityNights is a series of after-dark monthly events that brings together developers, students and players in a celebration and exploration of videogame culture - with prizes. Every month a brilliant headline speaker will be making their way to Nottingham to share their thoughts, passions and give a unique insight into their work.

GameCity is what a videogame festival should be. 

The Centre for Contemporary Play is a research centre based at Nottingham Trent University which pioneers innovative thinking through new partnerships. Since 2008 it has worked with a variety of leading organisations from the commercial and public sector to deliver major research and inclusion projects. These include the ITAG conference, the GameCity videogame festival and the National Videogame Archive - a unique collaboration with the National Media Museum.

Driven by leading thinking at NTU, the Centre for Contemporary Play continues to create radical and innovative projects in the academic and public engagement space.

Gamecity’s aim is to bring together developers and the public to explore and celebrate videogames and videogames culture, with a particular focus on students. We attract the best speakers in the world, offer up-and-coming artists and developers a platform for their games and create totally unique events.

Some of GameCity’s greatest hits include a world-record breaking zombie gathering, Keita Takahashi designing a children’s playground and Masaya Matsuura, Lorne Lanning, Alexey Pajitnov and Media Molecule having headlined.

We’ve worked alongside some of the most prominent names in gaming, including; Warner Bros, TTGames, Crytek, Activision, Namco Bandai, SCEE, Xbox, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Freestyle Games, David Braben, Media Molecule, Splash Damage, Harmonix, Rare, Denki, Monumental Games, Midway, Zoe Mode, ThatGameCompany, Nana-on-Sha and lots more.

Going way beyond just playing games, GameCity offers other new ways for people to interact with videogame culture. Art exhibitions, director commentaries, playground building, live recreations of videogames, gigs, gong-shows, three World Records, arcade trails, club nights – nothing is off limits for this most radical of videogame festivals.

Don’t just take our word for it, see what others have said after working with us,

GameCity looks poised to become our industry’s ?rst Sundance. A truly unique approach for hosting a game festival that seems long overdue.

Lorne Lanning, Oddworld Inhabitants

GameCity is unique. Any games festival that can reunite industry legends, lead to a Japanese game developer designing a playground, and evoke religious sentiments in a shopping centre is doing something very right for sure.

Edge Magazine

The year’s most inventively programmed new arts festival

The Times