Video gaming looks to the future

May 28 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

SOME of the country’s leading players in the video games industry will head to the North East next month for a major conference in the sector.

The head of the PlayStation Home platform, Quantic Dream’s co-CEO and the former executive director of the Game Developers’ Conference (GDC) have all signed up to speak at the GameHorizon Conference.

Peter Edward, director of PlayStation Home platform group, Quantic Dream’s Guillaume de Fondaumière and Jamil Moledina – who left his role in GDC to become outreach director for EA Partners in a shock move last year – will talk at the event on June 23-24 at The Sage Gateshead.

The trio will be joined by Marc Goodchild, the head of interactive and on-demand for BBC Children’s TV.

Around 300 games industry executives are expected at the conference, which takes a look at the high-level issues facing the industry now, and where the business opportunities will lie in the near future.

Conference director Carri Cunliffe said: “We are thrilled to have representatives of EA, Sony, Quantic Dream and the BBC speaking at the conference.

“The diversity of the line-up we’ve put together for the GameHorizon Conference reflects the growing scope of the games industry and its market.

“Delegates at the conference will get a unique insight into where we are today and where the business opportunities will lie around the corner.”