Game Developers Conference Austin 2009 Opens

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The 7th annual Game Developers Conference® Austin (GDC Austin) returns to the Austin Convention Center today with networking opportunities and four days of sessions focused on the connected gaming space, encompassing MMOs, virtual worlds and social networking games. New to GDC Austin is a lineup of two day of summits centered on Game Writers, Game Audio, iPhone Games and Independent Games development. Presented by Think Services, GDC Austin serves as an invaluable event for industry professionals and prospective developers looking to gain insight into the evolving world of online game development, network with an influential and lively community of professionals, and sharpen their game development skills. This year's event welcomes more than 130 lectures, panels, keynotes, and roundtable discussions, presented by 230 industry-leading speakers and a bustling expo floor with more than 80 exhibitors and sponsors. The event ends Friday, September 18.

Leading the conference is a slate of visionary keynote speakers, each forging new territory in connected gaming. These keynote are:

    -- Wednesday keynote: John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment
       Keynote address: From Dragons and Daggers to Kart Racing, Cooking and
       Concerts...It's a Whole New MMO World

    -- Thursday keynote: J. Allen Brack, Production Director, Blizzard
       Entertainment and Frank Pearce, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President
       of Product Development, Blizzard Entertainment
       Keynote address: The Universe of World of Warcraft

    -- Friday keynote: Sebastien de Halleux, COO & Co-Founder, Playfish
       Keynote address: A New Social Era for Games: How Your Friends Are
       Changing the Way the World Plays Games

"GDC Austin 2009 is a must attend event for aspiring game developers to learn the craft from seasoned experts in the field, and a place for veteran developers to engage in the future of connected game development" says Izora de Lillard, Event Director at Think Services. "Beyond that, GDC Austin is a great opportunity for the game development community to come together and learn more about the developers and the titles that will define the future of connected games."

New to this year's conference is the Independent Games Summit and the iPhone Games Summit. The all new iPhone Games Summit brings together top game developers from around the world to share ideas, best practices and discuss the future of the thriving iPhone and iPod touch platform, devices for which more than 21,000 games have been developed since their June 2008 debut as gaming systems. Making its Austin debut, the Independent Games Summit features lectures and postmortems from some of the most notable indie game creators in the country. Rounding out the 2009 GDC Austin Summits roster are the Game Audio Summit, designed to elevate game audio development education and strengthen the community, and the Game Writers Summit, dedicated to the art and craft of game writing, game narrative and interactive storytelling. The GDC Austin Summits will feature key insights from leaders at Valve, Snappy Touch, Lucas Arts, Twisted Pixel Games, Flashbang Studios, 2D Boy among others.

For a complete list sessions and speakers or general event information for GDC Austin 2009, please visit http://www.GDCAustin.com.

About the Think Services Game Group

A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz, GameSetWatch.com, GamesOnDeck.com, SeriousGamesSource.com, the Game Developers Conference®, the Game Developers Conference® Austin, the Game Developers Conference® Europe, the Game Developers Conference® China, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.tsgamegroup.com.

About Think Services, a division of United Business Media

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. 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 (ICMI), and HDI. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than $1.6 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

    Contact:     Brian Rubin / Teresa Tyndorf
                 fortyseven communications
                 212.391.4707 / 323.658.1200
                 brian@fortyseven.com / teresa@fortyseven.com

                 Ahmad White
                 Think Services Game Group
                 415.947.6207
                 awhite@think-services.com

SOURCE Think Services Game Group

SOURCE: Think Services Game Group

Web site: http://www.tsgamegroup.com/