Game Developers Conference Increases Networking Opportunities With Game Connection Services to Pair Development Teams With Specialty StudiosNew Event Joins Popular Publisher-Developer Matchmaking Event, Game Connection, at GDC 2007PRNewswire SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Game Developers Conference (GDC), CMP Technology's annual conference dedicated to the art, science and business of games, is responding to the development community's increasing needs for specialty studios by adding matchmaking event Game Connection Services to the week's schedule. The event, hosted by CMP Technology and Connection Events, will provide a forum for development teams and specialty shops to meet and enter into partnerships through as many as 40 confidential meetings over two days. Game Connection Services will take place as part of GDC, March 8-9, 2007, at San Francisco's Moscone Center, just two days after its sister event Game Connection. This renowned networking event returns to GDC for a fourth year to provide top developers and publishers the opportunity to meet and preview new game concepts. Game Connection, hosted by Connection Events, will take place March 5-6, also at the Moscone Center. The addition of Game Connection Services to the GDC agenda reflects the conference's commitment to serving the ever-evolving needs of the game industry, which is now experiencing a shift of production models. The costs and skill-set demands of next-generation game development require more and more studios to supplement the talents of their core teams. Connection Events' Game Connection Services is an ideal addition to the conference schedule, as it will bring studio managers, internal studio representatives and publishers together with studios specializing in testing, porting, motion capture, graphics and animation. Launched in 2005 with events in Asia and Europe, Game Connection Services will be making its U.S. debut at the Game Developers Conference. The original Game Connection event has become known as a breeding ground for game industry deals, where leading developers, creators and game owners from the world over come to have confidential meetings with buyers, publishers and distributors for all platforms and discuss new game projects. At GDC 2006, Game Connection sold out well before the conference. The event was attended by 70 developers and 46 publishers, representing 20 different countries and 95% of the world's top 20 publishers. "The Game Developers Conference is the gravity point of the game industry, where the key decision-makers come to share knowledge and make deals -- which is streamlined by the Game Connection matchmaking event," said Jamil Moledina, Executive Director, Game Developers Conference. "In keeping ahead of the curve, and fostering the growth of specialized services ranging from outsourcing to networking to QA, we are pleased to inaugurate Game Connection Services at GDC." Connection Events is coming off the most successful Game Connection yet. Last week in Lyon, France, Game Connection Europe hosted more than 4,600 private meetings among 264 companies. Developers included Team 17, Foundation 9, and The Machine, with publishers such as Eidos, Capcom, Microsoft, Nintendo, Lucas Arts, and Konami joining them. Service and technology providers were fully integrated into the event for the first time, including Double Fusion, Bug Tracker, and Macrovision, and sponsors AMD and Nvidia reported another outstanding experience. "Connection Events strives to help the game community get their games made, so there is no better partner and location for the American editions of Game Connection and Game Connection Services than the GDC, which is all about the making of games," said Pierre Carde, Director, Connection Events. "We hail the conference for its recognition that next-generation development necessitates a second event like Game Connection Services, and look forward to helping the event become just as successful as its big brother." To enroll in Game Connection or Game Connection Services or to register for the Game Developers Conference and review conference information, please visit http://www.gdconf.com/. Attendees who purchase a GDC pass will receive discounted admission to either Connection event at GDC, and those who enroll in one of the Connection events will receive discounted admission to the conference. About Connection Events Connection Events, established by the Game Connection team after five years with the non-profit organization Lyon Game, is a new entity set up to address new challenges. The main focus of Connection Events is to organize Game Connection. In the coming years, the team's goal will be to strengthen its European and American events and to expand its event in Asia. Thanks to the support of partners and customers all over the world, Game Connection's aim is to become the most efficient business-focused convention in the videogame industry. About the CMP Game Group (http://www.cmpgame.com/) A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the CMP Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through the Game Developers Conference, Game Developer magazine, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, the Serious Games Summit D.C., GDC Mobile, GDC Europe, the Independent Games Festival, the Game Developers Choice Awards, GDC London, the London Games Summit, GDCTV, GDCRadio, and the GDC Focus On event series. For more information, please visit http://www.cmpgame.com/. About CMP Technology (http://www.cmp.com/) CMP Technology is a marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands, CMP has earned the confidence of more technology professionals than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Technology is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion. SOURCE: CMP Technology CONTACT: Sibel Sunar, sibel@fortyseven.com, or Brian Rubin, Web site: http://www.gdconf.com/ |