Singer to Open the Show

Friday, 29 July 2005 - Today, The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival (EIEF) is very proud to announce that Adam Singer is to open the festival proceedings by delivering the keynote speech.

"Games should be the television of the 21st century. What TV did for entertainment, news current affairs and education is now open to games". Singer continued, "In this new world Harry Potter is merely a book, but World of Warcraft is a future pointing phenomenon. So why do games remain caged in a mire of middle-aged ignorance and misplaced puritan ethic? The Rethian act that founded the BBC in the 1920's now needs to be recreated for games, as the last thing we need is more public service television. We need public service games where the concept of educate, entertain and inform are converged into one word - engage. After all, reality is only an information rich game".

A TV and media veteran of over 30 years, Adam has played a significant part in creating the UK multi-media sector. He has launched or managed over a dozen television channels, and as Chairman and CEO of Flextech PLC he helped take it from a value of £60 million pounds to its eventual sale price of £2.4 billion. He was formerly COO of John Malone's TCI International, and CEO of Telewest plc, and has been a non-executive director of the Scottish Media Group.

Fred Hasson, chairman of TIGA, commented "We're extremely delighted that Adam has accepted our invitation to deliver the keynote for this years EIEF. He's an immensely gifted speaker and has gathered an incredible amount of knowledge and experience over the past 30 years. Adam has a very thorough understanding of the interactive entertainment industry and it's an honour to have him open the show."

Adam Singer is one of few people to have been involved in all aspects of communications at CEO level. He has made TV programmes, created TV channels for cable and satellite and run a telecommunications and broadband business. He has dealt extensively with government at ministerial level and with regulated businesses. He regularly writes for UK press, radio, and television, on digital issues. Among other activities, he currently sits on the Ofcom Content Board.

In February 2005 he joined the MCPS-PRS Alliance as Group CEO. He is also the founder and CEO of media think-tank consultancy Cordelia UK Ltd.

To book your place visit www.eief.co.uk.

Full details of all the conference sessions taking place can be found at http://www.eief.co.uk/content/conference-programme.htm

Ends

For further information please contact Taylor Herring Brand Communications

Keef Sloan T: 020 8206 5684 E: keef.sloan@taylorherring.com

Naomi Segal T: 020 8206 5157 E: naomi.segal@taylorherring.com

Notes to Editors

• The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival is a jointly owned venture between the Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) www.tiga.org and the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) www.elspa.com. Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian supports the Festival as part of its backing of the creative and digital industries, which are key sectors for Scotland.

• The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival's aim is to increase the awareness and understanding of interactive entertainment and its place at the heart of popular culture, highlighting the growing bond between video games and other entertainment industries notably music, literature, television and film.

• Cordelia UK Ltd. is a global technology consultancy that has access to a cumulative 250 years of management and strategic thinking, and over $32 billion dollars worth of deal making experience, as well as expertise in corporate communications both inside and outside the company. Cordelias corporate clients include: Ofcom, KPMG and The Royal Palaces Development Council.