Tiga Takeout: July 2006

Brighton belle or b****x?

The Develop Awards delivered a record audience for the event BUT was it a serious event promoting serious excellence in the games industry? Methinks not — how cheap and sleazy can you get opening up with a cheap jibe at Brightonâs reputation for being a gay centre — that was a joke?... .and then our oh so illustrious host Ian Leigh proceeded to race through the awards as if they were incidental to his unprepared and unprofessional mumblings -time to grow up Ian ! Roll on the Bafta Games awards in October www.bafta.org

Edinburgh Interactive - the only UK event supported by all the platforms!

The problem with all current developer conferences is that you rarely learn anything new. The problem with asking for submissions for papers is that itâs the same people who generally want to self promote, and when do these conferences ever step out, to expand the imagination of delegates? And what do you have to pay to be there — mucho dinero! (too much!). Which is why the 4th Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival happening on 21-22nd August costing £195 only thanks to the sponsors is the best value going you get one and half days conference, and a choice of âScreeningsâ, and this year a party with 2 live bands and some (serious) âEdge Awardsâ, some (seriously) senior industry people around with whom to network informally. The programme is eclectic but it has been devised by a dedicated group of (serious) games industry people giving their time free, it is about future paths the industry may take, and it is the only event for the 4th year running in the UK to be backed by all the platforms — Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Nokia as well as Future Publishing! Check it out and check in on www.eief.co.uk

TV and film producers join the Tiga Content Market.

Unlike Edinburgh London Games Festival is in not an event but a banner for a lot of events which will include London Games Summit, the aforementioned Bafta Awards, a focused and slim-line GDC London and not least the TIGA London Content, Outsourcing and Middleware Market (October 2-4). We have hired a complete church for the location of the event in central London — where companies will be able to hire booths for holding meetings or display stands (There are good deals to be had on combined membership and booths).

This year we are pleased to announce that we are working with Pact - the Producers Alliance for Cinema and TV to deliver TV and Film producers to the Content Market — so that as well as top acquisitions executives from global games publishers, stand holders will also be able to book meetings with TV and film producers looking for partnerships and content deals.

There will be a series of Best Practice seminars on Outsourcing doâs and donâts with case studies, on financing and not least on the future of middleware in development which we think is bright — TIGA has just launched a middleware group that will be forming a knowledge transfer network and hopefully also applying for research grants for companies involved. Check out details on Tigas new website: www.tiga.org.