Develop

DEVELOP SCORES MAJOR COUP WITH TOP VIDEO GAME SPEAKERS FROM JAPAN

Four esteemed video game designers from Japan will make a rare appearance in Europe this summer when they take to the podium at Develop, Europe’s leading conference for the game development community.

Atsushi Ii (Ejun), director, Pyramid Inc. and Junichi Yoshizawa, associate producer, SCE WWS JAPAN Studio will present a fascinating insight into the development of Patapon™, widely regarded as not only the best rhythm game ever released but also one of the best PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) titles ever created. Patapon was developed by Pyramid and produced by SCE JAPAN Studio.

Jun Fujiki, concept, JSPS/Kyushu University and Tatsuya Suzuki, director, SCE WWS JAPAN Studio will also present at Develop, addressing delegates on the uniquely captivating Echochrome™ video game that launched on PSP and PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) to critical acclaim earlier this year. A fellow at Kyushu University Faculty of Design, Jun Fujiki is the creator of the Object Locative Environment (OLE) coordinate system, which provided the special engine behind Echochrome.

The Develop Conference and Expo takes place from 29-31 July in Brighton and securing such high-profile Japanese speakers is a major coup for organiser Tandem Events:“We are privileged to welcome Ii-san, Yoshizawa-san, Fujiki-san and Suzuki-san to the Develop Conference and are thrilled that we can offer our delegates the opportunity to be inspired by what can only be described as some of the most creative video games designers on the planet,” said managing director Andy Lane.

The third annual Develop Conference will host more than 90 speakers and 60 sessions moulded around tracks that are key to the world of games development: Audio, Art&Animation, Business, Coding, Game Design, Production and World View.

A full list of confirmed sessions can be found online at www.develop-conference.com. Registration is now open and delegates can apply for Super, Standard, Mobile, Audio and Expo passes for the Develop Conference and Expo online at www.develop-conference.com. Discounts are available on all passes purchased before 1 July 2008. The expo pass is free of charge– please register online.

Notes to editors:

About Develop Conference and Expo: Develop Mobile and GAMES:EDU will run alongside the Develop Conference&Expo on Tuesday 29 July. Develop Mobile is expanding to offer delegates two tracks– business and development– with sessions focused on everything from the latest 3D technologies, to case studies of successful games, proven techniques for launching a new IP, and cross-platform casual games design.

GAMES:EDU is an annual conference, which aims to light a spark under the debate over the current and future education needs of the gaming community. It offers a unique opportunity for those who have a passion to transform the UK development community. Backed by Skillset, GAMES:EDU brings together the UK's foremost educators from across all disciplines to connect directly with developers and games producers, to exchange ideas and perspectives.

About Tandem Events:

Tandem Events has over 20 years of experience in organising market-leading exhibitions, conferences and events across a number of industry sectors, including Develop Conference&Expo, Develop Mobile Conference, GAMES:EDU, Games Marketing Forum and Games Grads. For more information, please visit www.tandemevents.co.uk

Interested in participating at Develop? Please contact:

Craig Mundle or Andy Lane on +44 (0) 20 7405 4500

E: craig@tandemevents.co.uk/andy@tandemevents.co.uk