Second Game Developers Conference China Succeeds in Advancing Chinese Games Industry

SHANGHAI -

- The Only Game Industry Event Endorsed by the Ministry of Culture Attracts Close to 3,000 Attendees and 60 Exhibitors and Sponsors for Three Days of Learning, Networking, and Inspiration

Think Services’ Game Developers Conference(R) China (GDC China) came to a close on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at the Shanghai International Convention Center. The event brought together over 900 conference, media, and speaking attendees and over 2,000 expo attendees for three days of exploring the flourishing Chinese game development scene with a diverse lineup of more than 60 speakers and more than 50 sessions. As the only government ministry responsible for management of industry bases, project development, conferences and trade fairs, and market oversight for the animation and online gaming industries, the Ministry of Culture of the P.R. of China (MOC) officially endorsed GDC China and sent delegates to interact with the development community.

The conference commenced on Sunday, October 11 featuring focused talks on mobile and independent games. On Monday, the esteemed game designer, programmer, screenwriter and creator of Prince of Persia, Jordan Mechner, kicked off the day with his keynote address entitled, “Prince of Persia: 20 Years From Game to Film.” Tuesday began with the opening keynote, “A Fantastic Westward Journey,” from Min Kim, vice president of Nexon America, a leading developer of massively multiplayer online titles and pioneer of the free-to-play business model. Kim’s keynote chronicled the role that microtransactions have played as the evolutionary catalyst for the North American games market.

This year, GDC China also played host to the Inaugural Independent Games Festival China (IGF China), recognizing the best independent game developers in the Asian-Pacific area with a competition, conference summit, and awards ceremony. GDC China also contained one and two-day tutorials on Scrum and Visual arts and hosted a robust expo floor with over 60 participating companies including: Shanda Games, Tencent Games, 9You, Emergent, Dolby, Autodesk, Crytek, China Telecom, and Xpec.

“The success of this year’s GDC China once again affirms the GDC’s reputation for delivering quality content and providing international and regional developer communities with the tools they need to grow the industry,” said GDC China event director Meggan Scavio. “We want to thank the Ministry of Culture and participating international developers for making these three days of learning and networking possible.”

GDC China returns to the Shanghai International Convention Center in December of 2010. For more information please visit www.gdcchina.com.

About the Think Services Game Group

A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz and other Gamasutra Network websites, the Game Developers Conference(R), the Game Developers Conference(R) Austin, the Game Developers Conference(R) Europe, the Game Developers Conference(R) China, the Game Developers Conference(R) Canada, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.tsgamegroup.com

About Think Services, a division of United Business Media

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. 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 (ICMI), and HDI. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media ( www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than US$1.6 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

Contact: Audrey Shen Think Services, a division of United Business Media ashen@ubmtechnology.com.cn +(86-21)-62787488-8701 Ben Veechai, North America +1-415-947-6280 bveechai@think-services.com

Source: Think Services Game Group

Audrey Shen of Think Services, a division of United Business Media, +86-21-62787488-8701, ashen at ubmtechnology.com.cn, or Ben Veechai, North America, +1-415-947-6280, bveechai at think-services.com