TIGA Takeout: April

Hollywood Take

Diane Mermigas, Contributing Editor to the Hollywood Reporter, will be keynote speaker at the Tiga "US Opportunities" Seminar at the Loews Hotel, Beverley Hills on Tuesday 9th May. With a brief to report on the convergence of business and creative issues between film and games, Dianeâs keynote will seek to identify where developers might position themselves for new business opportunities. Diane has unique access to key players in the field. A presentation from NPD will chart the evolution of the market in the US in 2005 and point to trends in the future. Panels of âAAAâ publishers and the budget title publishers will describe openings.

Contact Stephanie.Rickwood@tiga.org
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There are still places on the UK Pavilion - contact Elspa fast not to be disappointed.

Meanwhile both festivals for Edinburgh and London are shaping up well...

Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival has announced EAâs David Gardner as a keynote. Ken Perlin is also back by popular request with further demonstrations of amazing, state of the art AI controlled content. Other sessions will explore further developments in games as education and games as public service programming. The evolving overlap of film and games sectors will provide the interface with the Edinburgh International Film Festival this year where the 2 festivals will be exchanging delegates this year. Backed by Nintendo, Sony, Nokia, Future and others. The festival is also set to have a rip roaring party on the evening of the 21st with suspicions that a live band featuring various industry luminaries may well take the stage. The prices for the 2 day conference and screenings will be set at less that £200. Tiga member discounts apply. New website launches over Easter - www.eief.co.uk The latest festival to hit the games sector is the London Games Festival set to take place from October 2nd to 6th. This is not an event as is Edinburgh but a âbannerâ promoted by Elspa, Tiga, Bafta and the London Development Agency for any organisation interested to hold an event or exhibition related to the games world. The banner will reflect similar festivals held for design, fashion and film in the capital. Tiga and Elspa have lined up the âLondon Games Summitâ and the âLondon Content Market and Outsourcing Expoâ whilst Bafta have contributed a new look âGames Awardsâ where the creative talent, rather than marketers, will receive the credit. The Department of Education continuing its interest in the medium as a delivery mechanism for education is also set to contribute an event and much more is in planning. Anyone wishing to hold a games event in this week should contact Tiga or Elspa.

On the politics front, the Department of Culture Media and Sport have announced recently a review of its Creative Industriesâ strategies leading to the publication of a green paper by December. Tiga will be making representations on behalf of games developers based on our analysis of the current challenges facing the development sector; in a nutshell we will be looking for clarity and efficiency in the implementation of business support across the country and departments, and parity with our cousins in film and TV in terms of support that can help create new IP for games developers as is given in those sectors.