CMP Technology's 2007 Game Developers Conference to Host San Francisco Premiere of i am 8-bit Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the 80's

GDC to Host Exclusive Preview Exhibit of Award-Winning Art Featuring Dig-Dug, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man and More

PRNewswire
SAN FRANCISCO
Jan 11, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- CMP Technology's 2007 Game Developers Conference (GDC) has expanded its offerings to include the San Francisco premiere of the massively popular, award-winning i am 8-bit group art exhibition. Dozens of pieces of original art inspired by classic videogames of the 1980s will be on display during GDC, March 5-9, in the North Hall of the Moscone Convention Center, street level. The exhibition will serve as an exclusive preview of the show's third-annual engagement, which will have its official debut at Los Angeles' Gallery 1988 this April.

i am 8-bit, winner of a 2006 "Best of L.A." award from L.A. Weekly, gathers the talents of more than 100 artists each year and asks them to turn their old-school gaming memories into original creations, shining a spotlight on an era when games were dominated by characters flourishing with originality.

"When I first saw i am 8-bit, my immediate reaction was that we must bring it to GDC so that the game development community can share the experience," said Jamil Moledina, executive director of the GDC. "At their cores, both GDC and i am 8-bit are about games as an art form. Our attendees represent the present, GDC content looks to the future, while i am 8-bit is a celebration of the past; it's the perfect marriage."

"One of the most exciting aspects of bringing i am 8-bit to the GDC is giving the opportunity to the artists from the show to mingle with the artists of the industry," said Jon Gibson, creator and co-curator of i am 8-bit. "It should prove to be quite provocative to introduce two completely different kinds of artists, both working from the same inspirations of Mario, Mega Man, Q*Bert and Link."

More than 12,500 game industry professionals will convene during GDC, the world's largest games industry-only event dedicated to the advancement of resources, tools and technologies used to create interactive entertainment. The GDC features more than 300 lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussions on a comprehensive selection of game development topics taught by leading industry experts.

The i am 8-bit exhibit will be displayed in the street level lobby of the North Hall of the Moscone Center. For more information, or to register for the Game Developers Conference, please visit http://www.gdconf.com/. Press registration is also currently open.

About i am 8-bit (http://www.iam8bit.com/)

i am 8-bit is an annual group art show in Los Angeles fueled by hundreds of creative, bold, and sometimes hilarious reinterpretations of 80's gaming bliss. It is also a book (published by Chronicle Books) chock full of said paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other, more bizarre mediums. i am 8-bit is also a t-shirt label on a hell-bent, relentless mission to clothe gamers in cotton-clad art and stylish, videogame nostalgia, as well as other unique lifestyle products, from toys to housewares. For more information, please visit http://www.iam8bit.com/.

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 Game Group

CONTACT: Sibel Sunar, sibel@fortyseven.com, or Brian Rubin,
brian@fortyseven.com, both of fortyseven communications, +1-323-658-1200, for
CMP Game Group; or Tara Gibb of CMP Technology, +1-415-947-6219,
tgibb@cmp.com

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

Web site: http://www.iam8bit.com/

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

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

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

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/181993.html