GameCityNights

Nottingham, 20/09/10 – GameCity, the World’s best-loved videogames festival, today announced the details of the next installment in the GameCityNights* series. GameCityNights Season 1, Episode 8 will be headlined by Dark Energy Digital showcasing new title, Hydrophobia. The event takes place on October 1st, at Antenna on Beck Street, NG1 1EQ, starting at 6pm. Entry is 18+ and costs £3 on the door. Due to limited capacity, pre-booking is advised. Ticket information is below.

Battling back from the stormy weathers of the G5 Summit, GameCityNights dives into the deep end with Episode 8 and finds a raft of support in Dark Energy Digital with their upcoming survival adventure, Hydrophobia.

During the latest Nights, Dark Energy Digital’s Pete Jones and Senior Creative Designer Rob Hewson will discuss the game in detail and give attendees an insight into Hydrophobia unavailable anywhere else, as well as answer questions from the audience, adjudicate an amazing competition and present fantastic prizes.

Dark Energy Digital’s Creative Director Pete Jones said, “As creators of the game that will redefine download games; Hydrophobia, we are delighted to be taking part in GameCityNights 8. This is an important event for us and we are very much looking forward meeting the gamers to talk about the launch (and development) of our new baby”

GameCity Director Iain Simons said, “A few weeks ago we asked our audience who they’d like to see at GameCityNights, and the first name that came up was Dark Energy Digital. Coincidentally, we’d been looking for a developer to demonstrate real-time water physics for months - so this really is the perfect match. I’m metaphorically sick with excitement.”

Never one to shy away from trying something new, GameCityNights Episode 8 will also see the launch of its own Speaker’s Corner, a chance for passionate fans to book a screen, bring their favourite game and get on the (metaphorical) soapbox to preach on behalf of their title.

As with every GameCityNights, the regular features make a welcome return; a full support cast of exciting up-and-coming developers displaying the very best games of tomorrow, a fully stocked bar, mouth-watering food and general merriment until the early hours of the morning.

Hydrophobia is an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive and is part of Microsoft’s Game Feast series. Part one of Dark Energy Digital’s trilogy, Hydrophobia is available for download from 29/09/10 in all PAL regions at 1200 Microsoft points, with parts two and three available later in the year.

To book your attendance at this limited capacity event, please go to,

http://gamecitynights8.eventbrite.com

To book a screen for Speaker’s Corner and present your favourite game to the public, email GameCity’s PR Coordinator Chris White – chris@gamecity.org

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NOTES TO EDITOR

Follow all the latest GameCity news on our website, www.gamecity.org

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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