GameHorizon Conference 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE USE

The head of the PlayStation Home platform, Quantic Dream's co-CEO and the former executive director of the Game Developers' Conference (GDC) are amongst the latest leading games industry figures who have signed up to speak at June's GameHorizon Conference.

Peter Edward, director of PlayStation Home Platform group, Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Fondaumière and Jamil Moledina – who left his role in GDC to become outreach director for EA Partners in a shock move last year – will talk at the event on June 23-24 at The Sage Gateshead in North East England. The trio will be joined by Marc Goodchild, the head of interactive and on-demand for BBC Children's.

An exclusive audience of around 300 games industry executives are expected at the conference, which takes a look at the high-level issues facing the industry now, and where the business opportunities will lie in the near future.

Carri Cunliffe, director of the GameHorizon Conference, said: "We are thrilled to have representatives of EA, Sony, Quantic Dream and the BBC speaking at the conference.

"The diversity of the line-up we've put together for the GameHorizon Conference reflects the growing scope of the games industry and its market. With presentations from a mix of established players, up-and-coming organisations, analysts and business leaders from outside the industry, delegates at the conference will get a unique insight into where we are today and where the business opportunities will lie around the corner."

Sony's Peter Edward will talk about the opportunities for developers and other games companies to strengthen and develop their IP’s using PlayStation Home, and reveal some of the exciting new content already on the horizon.

Quantic Dream's Guillaume de Fondaumière will give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the ideas and technology behind their hugely anticipated upcoming title, Heavy Rain, which is billed as an 'interactive film noir'.

And Jamil Moledina – who was editor-in-chief of the US's biggest games industry magazine, Game Developer, before taking charge of the multi-million dollar GDC – will head up a panel session on 'The Survival of the Fittest', which will look at whether businesses in the games industry can cope and even thrive during the recession. Also on the panel will be Mark Rein of Epic Games, Darren Jobling of Eutechnyx and Robert Bond of games specialist law firm Speechly Bircham.

A full list of speakers is available at www.gamehorizonconference.com/speakers

For more information and to book a place at the GameHorizon Conference go to www.gamehorizonconference.com

ENDS

Notes for editors

About the GameHorizon Conference

The GameHorizon Conference is the leading European event for executives working in the global games industry. A two-day event, the conference features creative, innovative and inspirational speakers from the worlds of gaming, entertainment and business ( www.gamehorizonconference.com). The conference is run by Codeworks GameHorizon ( www.gamehorizon.net), the leading business network for UK-based games companies.

About Jamil Moledina

At Electronic Arts, Jamil is the Outreach Director, Business Development for EA Partners, connecting the best independent visionary game creators with the industry-leading production and commercial power of EA. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the Game Developers Conference, the world's largest professionals-only event in the games industry, where he managed the financial and creative direction of this multi-million dollar learning/inspiring/networking show. Prior to that, he was Editor-in-Chief of Game Developer magazine, the leading B2B publication in the game space.

About Guillaume de Fondaumière

In 1993, aged 21, Guillaume de Fondaumière co-founds ARXEL TRIBE specialised in high-end 3D graphics. By 1996, Arxel Tribe becomes one of Europe’s premier special effects companies for the advertising industry.Introduced to author Paulo Coelho, Arxel Tribe produces PILGRIM, its first video game published in 1997 by Infogrames. The international breakthrough comes in 1998 with RING, adapted from Richard Wagner’s eponymous Opera, which sells on PC in excess of 600 000 units. In 2001, ARXEL TRIBE boosts 120 employees and is sold to CTO Spa. Guillaume remains President-CEO of ARXEL TRIBE until resigning in 2003. He joins David CAGE’s Quantic Dream shortly after to produce FAHRENHEIT, which becomes one of 2005’s most critically acclaimed games on PC, X-BOX and PS2.Today Co-CEO, he is also the executive producer of HEAVY RAIN, an exclusive PLAYSTATION 3 title developed with Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios. HEAVY RAIN aims at breaking new grounds in the fields of interactive narration and emotion in games.Since 2005, he is also the president of France’s video game trade body SNJV.He was recently knighted in France’s National Order of Merit in recognition for his contribution to the country’s digital economy

About Marc Goodchild

Marc Goodchild is currently Head of Interactive and On-Demand for BBC Children's, responsible for Cbeebies and CBBC content across all interactive media. He oversees a portfolio that includes mobile, iTV and the web which attract around two million unique users every week. The Cbeebies and CBBC websites are among some of the most popular in the BBC's current portfolio. Marc has also just overseen the delivery and launch of two child-friendly versions of the BBC iplayer and is a leading exponent for child-safe services for under 13s across the industry.

About Peter Edward

Peter is Director of the PlayStation®Home Platform group, based in SCE’s London Studio, responsible for development, support and operational running of the PlayStation®Home service. PlayStation®Home open beta went live in December 2008, and since then has accrued over five million downloads, with over €1 million spent on Home items in the first month after open beta.

Peter left a lucrative career in the pharmaceutical industry to work in games. He joined SCE as a producer in 2000, with a softography that includes Dropship: United Peace Force (2002); SCEE’s first online multiplayer game, Hardware: Online Arena (2003); The Getaway: Black Monday (2004), and Eight Days (RIP).

All media enquiries: Lewis Harrison, PR manager, Codeworks

0191 556 1128 | lewis.harrison@codeworks.net