PARIS- France – April 1, 2008 – Paris Game Developers Conference 08 (Paris GDC) has published its roster of featured speakers and sessions. The second French edition of the Game Developers Conference, the premier event for developers and publishers in the videogame industry, is scheduled for June 23-24 at the Coeur Défense Convention Centre in Paris. More than 50 sessions designed for developers looking to expand their expertise, network, and learn from their peers will be presented by industry experts and thought leaders at Paris GDC 08.


Highlighted sessions from the call for papers include:

The Right Tools for the Write Job, by Mac Walters, Bioware
Your Music Is the Game: Designing PHASE, the Other Project at Harmonix, by Chris Foster, Harmonix Music Systems
The Free to Play Revolution, by Howard Marks, Acclaim
Tackling High Level, Scalable Physics for Next Generation Game Engines, by Adam Moravanszky, NVIDIA

“It’s a very exciting time right now in the game industry, as developers are creating blockbuster hits for both the core market and for those who don’t call themselves gamers,” said Jamil Moledina, Executive Director, Game Developers Conference Events. “This cross-section of the sessions we intend to field in Paris should provide a taste of the range of global breakthroughs that are driving European development today.”

Sessions were selected by the Paris GDC advisory board, composed of international experts of the game industry, as well as the event organizers Think Services and Connection Events.


The advisory board is composed of the following members:

- Viktor ANTONOV, Art Director and Founder, The Building Design Studio

- Paulina BOZEK, Game Director & Executive Producer, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

- Risa COHEN, Independent Producer

- François COULON, Development Director, Pyro Studios

- Pierre DELTOUR, CTO, Widescreen Games

- Chris KINGSLEY, CTO, Rebellion

- Julien MERCERON, Worldwide CTO, Eidos

- Philippe PAQUET, Technical Director, Vivendi

- Renaud PERSON, Level Manager, Ubisoft

- Patrick PLIGERSDORFFER, CEO, Cyanide

- Eric VIENNOT, CEO, Lexis Numerique

- Avni YERLI, Managing Director, Crytek


"We are committed to presenting the most relevant content and to featuring the most cutting edge international developers for Paris GDC. Based on the quality of the sessions we have selected so far, we know this goal will be realized." says Pierre Carde, Executive Director, Paris GDC

Additional speakers and keynotes will be added in the coming weeks. Visit the Paris GDC website at www.parisgdc.com to see the complete list of confirmed sessions.

The event is supported by the key French agencies promoting industry competitiveness: cap digital and Imaginove, whose main objective is to facilitate collaboration between research labs and the industry. Paris GDC is also happy to welcome its newest sponsor, Enzyme Testing Labs™.

Videogame professionals who wish to take advantage of the Super Early Bird Rate and save 50% on their pass have until April 23rd to register online at www.parisgdc.com.


Thank you to our main sponsors Imaginove and Cap Digital for their support:


The aim of the founders of the IMAGINOVE cluster / pole of competitiveness is to develop synergies between the different sectors of the moving image (video games, cinema, audiovisual, animation and multimedia) by encouraging anticipation and stimulating the innovation of professionals.

Cap Digital is a Paris region business cluster for digital content: creation, knowledge and communication. Established as a non-profit organization, its 300 members represent the digital industry’s most active players in Knowledge Engineering, Digital Heritage, Audio-Visual & New Media, e-Education, Digital Lifestyle & Services, and Video Games.


About Connection Events

Connection Events is the co-organizer of the Paris Game Developers Conference, the French edition of the original GDC held yearly in California, which will take place in Paris on June 23-24 2008. Connection Events is also the organizer of Game Connection, the leading business event in the video game industry, usually taking place in Lyon (France) and San Francisco (California, USA) during the Game Developers Conference. Game Connection provides several different services all geared toward the same goals: matchmaking among outsourcing companies, tools providers, developers and publishers, network building and enhancement, and examination of projects and companies.


About Think Services

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using innovative media, educational events, consulting, training and certification. 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, HDI (formerly the Help Desk Institute), and Dr. Dobb's Journal. Think Services 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 $2.5 billion. To learn more, visit http://www.think-services.com.


For further information, please contact:

CONNECTION EVENTS (Europe)

- Sophie Therrien, Communication and Marketing Manager, at: +33 4 26 23 41 21 or by email: stherrien[@]connection-events.com

- Clément Galiay, Project Manager, at: +33 426 234 121 or by email: cgaliay[@]connection-events.com


THINK SERVICES (USA)

- Loria Ryan, Marketing Manager, at: +1 415 947 6287 or by email: lryan [@]cmp.com
- Evelyn Donis, Conference Manager, at: +1 415 947-6204 or by email: edonis[@]cmp.com