Irish developers can showcase their wares, learn more about their craft, and exchange ideas with fellow industry compadres at a new conference to be held in London, September 1st to 3rd 2004. The European Developers’ Forum: The Interactive Entertainment Conference is brought to us by TIGA, the Independent Games Developers’ Association.

Fred Hasson, TIGA CEO, reckons the Forum will be of direct interest to Irish developers. “The issues facing developers in Ireland are the same as in the rest of Europe – too little profit for too much work,” he says. “EDF will help you contemplate and resolve some of these (if not all) issues. You’ll also get a chance to meet others who you can discuss these issues with. EDF will be affordable and importantly we have a group of dedicated developers putting the programme together.”

The Forum’s Steering Committee includes developer notables such as Chris van der Kuyl (VIS & BAM!), Hermen Hulst (Guerrilla Games), Harald Riegler (Sproing), Ian Baverstock (Kuju), Jason Kingsley (Rebellion) and Mark Hewitt (Elixir).

“The conference will be similar to GDCE,” says Fred. “In fact our advisory group, currently designing the programme, is full of defectors from GDCE who want to do even better [than that conference]. So the core focus will be technical issues for programmers, artists and designers about 3rd gen technology, about doing things better and more efficiently, all wrapped up with some keynotes that put a perspective on where we are in the evolution of the industry.”

The European Developers’ Forum takes place alongside the European Games Network (EGN) at London’s Exhibition and Conference Centre (ExCeL). TIGA also has an exclusive agreement with the three-day event to create the TIGA International Content Market: a developers’ exchange with an ambitious programme of activity. This business forum will be hosted on the main floor of EGN, consisting of a mix of open plan meeting areas, low cost closed presentation rooms, private meeting rooms and demo areas.

“The TIGA International Content Market is a clearly focused event in which we line up third party publisher representatives who make the decisions on what games to buy. Irish developers can buy a booth and invite publishers to visit you to look at your new ideas. We hope that way you can potentially meet eight or so a day for the duration of three days.”

Does Fred expect The European Developers’ Forum to become an annual event?

“Absolutely. EDF must become an annual event. Next year the newly created European Developers Federation will have a lot more say on how it is run. This is an event which will be partly owned by the industry, rather than by a conference owner whose key ambition is to make money from the industry.”

European Games Network takes place alongside Game Stars Live, the consumer games show that runs from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th, September 2004, at ExCeL.

For further information please contact:
Fred Hasson
CEO
TIGA
Tel: 00447788-563723

More info:
http://www.tiga.org.ukhttp://www.tiga.org.uk
http://www.excel-london.co.ukhttp://www.excel-london.co.uk
http://www.gamestarslive.co.uk/http://www.gamestarslive.co.uk/