Paris GDC 2008

For immediate release

Paris- France – June 3, 2008 - Paris GDC organizers announced today an art exhibition, a line-up of research sessions, new speakers, and that a limited number of passes are available before the event sells out. Videogame professionals who wish to attend Paris GDC, the second French edition of the Game Developers Conference set for June 23-24 at the Coeur Défense Convention Centre, should register online at www.parisgdc.com.

The Entertainment Design Expo is presented by Connection Events and The Building Studios, an entertainment design studio initiated by Viktor Antonov. This non-profit project aims at promoting art through videogames. Khang Le, Stephan Martiniere, Daniel Dociu and Jeff Ballinger will exhibit original masterpieces at the Paris GDC 2008.

“Contemporary concept designers, with their superb technical skills and wild imagination are our best tour guides for a trip to far away galaxies and into the world of modern science fiction. The Entertainment Design Expo presents the work of four of the most influential concept artists in the gaming industry, all recognised for creating dream worlds of mystery and beauty. For the first time GDC takes place in Paris - the capital of arts, and it becomes a perfect venue for this young art form.The event is a unique opportunity for the public to discover unpublished work that has not been exposed to date”, said Viktor Antonov and Svetlana Ilieva, co-organizers of the Entertainment Design Expo.

“The videogame art professionals are talented artists who work behind the scenes and are not always recognized for their true value. Our goal with the Entertainment Design Exhibition is to praise the artists’ work and give them the spotlight they deserve,” said Pierre Carde, Executive Director, Paris GDC.

In addition to the development-focused talks, research sessions will be presented by the leading European and French research laboratories. These sessions will cover topics such as procedural generation of worlds, perceptual audio rendering, and emotional and communicative virtual human. The research sessions are supported by the French clusters cap digital and Imaginove whose main objective is to enhance collaboration between the research laboratories and the videogame industry.

The latest speakers confirmed include: Allan Murphy (Microsoft); Lionel Lemarié (Sony Computer Entertainement Europe); Ian Baverstock (Kuju); Chris Mottes (Deadline Games); Guillaume de Fondaumiere (Quantic Dream); Franc Hauselmann (Ubisoft); and several others. Visit the Paris GDC website for the complete list of speakers.

Paris GDC welcomes its latest sponsors:

• Autodesk

• Bug-Tracker

• Digital Innovation Partnership (Ontario)

• Electronic Entertainment Design & Research

• Play All

• Scaleform

For further information, please contact:

CONNECTION EVENTS (Europe)

- Sophie Therrien, Communication and Marketing Manager, at: +33 4 26 23 41 21 or by email:

stherrien[@]connection-events.com

- Clément Galiay, Project Manager, at: +33 426 234 121 or by email: cgaliay[@]connection-events.com

THINK SERVICES (USA)

- Loria Ryan, Marketing Manager, at: +1 415 947 6287 or by email: lryan [@]cmp.com

- Evelyn Donis, Conference Manager, at: +1 415 947-6204 or by email: edonis[@]cmp.com

Thank you to our main sponsors Imaginove and cap digital for their support:

The aim of the founders of the IMAGINOVE cluster / pole of competitiveness is to develop synergies between the different sectors of the moving image (video games, cinema, audiovisual, animation and multimedia) by encouraging anticipation and stimulating the innovation of professionals. The 210 companies gathered in the cluster benefit from extensive support for their R&D, commercial and international development projects as well as recruitment and training.

Cap digital is a Paris region business cluster for digital content: creation, knowledge and communication. Established as a non-profit organization, its 300 members represent the digital industry’s most active players in Knowledge Engineering, Digital Heritage, Audio-Visual & New Media, e-Education, Digital Lifestyle & Services, and Video Games.

About Connection Events

Connection Events is the co-organizer of the Paris Game Developers Conference, the French edition of the original GDC held yearly in California, which will take place in Paris on June 23-24 2008. Connection Events is also the organizer of Game Connection, the leading business event in the video game industry, taking place in Lyon (France) and San Francisco (California, USA) during the Game Developers Conference. Game Connection provides several different services all geared toward the same goals: matchmaking among outsourcing companies, tools providers, developers and publishers, network building and enhancement, and examination of projects and companies.

About Think Services

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using innovative media, educational events, consulting, training and certification. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute, HDI (formerly the Help Desk Institute), and Dr. Dobb's Journal. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media ( www.unitedbusinessmedia.com), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.