EIEF06 Shows Its Emotional Side
Ground-breaking sessions to focus on the humanity of gaming
The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival (EIEF06) today confirmed details of two new conference sessions which will, in their different ways, explore the emotion behind video games.
Ken Perlin, Professor, Media Research Laboratory, New York University, will be making his second appearance at Edinburgh. Ken will build upon last year’s session in which he demonstrated how to animate characters to make them empathetic and believable and will present an engaging session on the current cutting-edge research into creating truly emotional virtual characters in games. This session is exclusive to EIEF06.
Edge editor Margaret Robertson sets out to bust one of gaming’s most persistent myths in her session ‘Games That Make Me Cry’. Both observers outside the games industry and professionals working within it often still believe that games don’t yet create strong emotions in their players, and yet nearly all gamers have tales to tell of the moments that made them choke back a tear. Margaret explores the games that have brought a lump to her throat, examines how they achieve their effects and asks if making people cry is a worthwhile goal for gaming after all.
Margaret Robertson, editor of Edge said: “It may be at the expense of my dignity, but this session is an invaluable chance to get the industry to face up to how much emotion players already invest in games, whether developers realise it or not. Creating richer game experiences isn’t just about developing better techniques, it’s about forming a better understanding of why gamers care about their games, and I hope these examples will contribute to that.”
The EIEF06 program of events consists of:
* Two days of conference sessions - The Conference will take place at the Royal College of Physicians on 21st August and at the Odeon, Lothian Road on 22nd August
* Game Screenings - Offering members of the public a chance to get up close with the creators of some of the leading video games at the Odeon, Lothian Road - 22nd August
* Edge Award - Key industry figures will gather at the Jam House for the annual Edge Award and networking party - 21st August
Visit the official website at eief.co.uk
About EIEF06
The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival EIEF) is managed by a committee drawn from all areas of the industry, including publishers, developers and the two industry trade bodies; The Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) www.tiga.org and the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) www.elspa.com.
About ELSPA
ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK. ELSPA’s activities include: Official Chart and Industry Reports, Anti-Piracy UK and EU, PR and Communication, and Government Lobbying. More information all these activities can be found at http://www.elspa.com.
About TIGA
TIGA (The Independent Game Developers Association) is the trade association which represents the business, commercial and political interests of game developers. Its members are both independent and in-house studios of companies producing for games consoles, PC handheld, and mobile and iTV games. TIGA aims to benefit its members' businesses and creative interests by encouraging a better climate for investment in games, best business practice, dialogue and favourable terms with publishers and by lobbying for government support to the industry. www.tiga.org
