Game Developers Conference China a Critical Success; Inaugural Shanghai Event Merges Western and Chinese MarketsWith Chinese Government Support, 2008 Event Will Look to Grow and Capitalize on Momentum Established This YearPRNewswire SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The 1st annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) China exceeded expectations with more than 700 conference attendees. The majority of these attendees, 70%, were from the local Chinese game industry. In addition, nearly 2000 attendees visited the Tools Display Expo and Career Fair held in conjunction with the conference. The inaugural event was hosted by the CMP Game Group, presenters of the largest global event dedicated to video game creation, the Game Developers Conference, in partnership with the Shanghai office of leading technology, media and events company IDG, with the support of the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China (GAPP). Plans for a 2008 conference are well underway. Content at GDC China, programmed by an advisory board comprised of representatives from the leading companies in China's game market, offered a deep dive into the Chinese game industry, both for Chinese developers and for international industry leaders doing business in China. To this end, sessions addressed online game development and business as well as outsourcing and next-generation game creation. The conference also included mobile content and tutorials on Monday, as well as dedicated career content and sponsored sessions. The result was a unique learning, sharing and networking experience. "By assembling a high-caliber group of individuals with global perspective, the inaugural GDC China provided a forum to share both region specific and cross cultural lessons in game development," said Greg Short, Director of Platform Product Management, Sony Online Entertainment, who keynoted the online track. "Moving forward, as the event grows and evolves so will the opportunity for attendees and presenters to benefit from the diversity and enthusiasm I saw in this year's conference." Robust support for GDC China came from top Chinese and international game companies, including Ubisoft, Nokia, NVIDIA, Electronic Arts, International Games System (IGS), Wingking Entertainment, Shanda, XPEC Entertainment Inc., Epic Games China, Shanghai Zizhu, 9you, Netease, Tencent, Red 5 Studios, and Ultizen. In total, more than 30 companies participated in the Tools Display Expo and Career Fair. "In true GDC spirit, people pitched in and shared invaluable real-world experiences. The very best inside China and in the international industry gave unprecedented speeches on how things are done behind the scenes. These exchanges attracted people up and down the game industry value chain and made it an effective setting for business gathering," said advisory board member Billy Hsu, owner of DJL International. "We had a wonderful first year. The GDC China Advisory Board is looking at ways to improve and to keep the grassroots spirit. Next year, I'm certain, GDC China will be even better." For more information, please visit http://www.gdcchina.cn/en. About the CMP Game Group (http://www.cmpgame.com/) The CMP Game Group delivers essential information and enables community within the game industry through events, services, and media. The group's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference and the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com. For more information, please visit http://www.cmpgame.com/. About CMP CMP (http://www.cmp.com/) is a media and marketing solutions company serving the technology industry. With the leading online, event and print brands in all technology market categories, and with services and tools that reach beyond traditional advertising, CMP shapes and influences the technology industry worldwide. CMP publishes highly respected media brands such as TechWeb, InformationWeek, ChannelWeb, CRN, EE Times and TechOnline; produces major industry events such as Interop, Web 2.0 Expo, XChange, Game Developers Conference and the Embedded Systems Conferences; and provides business information and marketing services such as the International Customer Management Institute, Semiconductor Insights and Second Life consulting for technology marketers. CMP 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. For more CMP news, go to http://cmp.com/news. About IDG (http://www.idg.com/) International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries including CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG's online network includes more than 450 Web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and gaming worldwide. IDG's lead generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers. IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo, DEMO, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 850 IDC analysts in 50 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends. SOURCE: CMP Game Group CONTACT: Craig Sinel, craig@fortyseven.com, or Sibel Sunar, Web site: http://www.cmpgame.com/ |