A Rare Opportunity at GameCity
18th October, 2007. Nottingham, UK. GameCity - www.gamecity.org - today announces Freeplay Lounge, an evening of all the best things in life, courtesy of Microsoft and Rare. On 25th October, from 7pm until late at Nottingham's Bluu bar, guests will be able to drink, play and mingle in true GameCity style.
And just what are the best things in life? How about a dedicated venue, top-of-the-range kit, the best new Xbox 360 games, some worthy opponents and prizes for those who prove themselves to be the best?
The Freeplay Lounge will be kitted out with Xbox 360s, HD screens and even a projector, offering a wide range of state-of-the-art gaming goodness. Fierce competition is guaranteed, as also attending are girl gamers The Frag Dolls and veteran developers from Rare, and prizes for those who come out on top include Halo 3. And it's not just the gaming and the mingling that will be free - the classic draws of free beer and nibbles will also be provided.
Student, academics and media are all welcome, as well as dedicated gamers or people curious to see what all the fuss is about. Admittance is free, but those wishing to attend should contact freeplay@microsoft.com for a place on the guestlist. Please note this event is only open to those over 18 years of age.
Iain Simons, GameCity director said, "A key part of the festival is bringing the people who play games together with the people who make them, and the Freeplay Lounge is a great way to do that. Especially since another key part of the festival is having a drink and a laugh."
George Kelion, Community Manager at Rare said, "Gaming is all about interactivity, fun and passion - we hope the event shows this off! We also hope it helps break a few barriers between people on either end of the games industry and highlights how we're all part of the same culture."
Freeplay Lounge - 7pm, 25th October. Bluu Bar, Nottingham. Over 18s only.
For more details please visit http://www.gamecity.org/event/2007/freeplay_lounge, or to reserve a place on the guestlist, please contact freeplay@microsoft.com .
Media Enquiries: Alison Beasley, Lincoln Beasley PR. T: +44 (0) 1608 645756
E: Alison@lincolnbeasley.co.uk
Note for Editors
GameCity 2007
Ground-breaking games, premiere screenings, exclusive appearances - GameCity brings you what other festivals can't. And a little of what they won't. Building on the success of last year's inaugural festival (4 days, 25 venues, 3000+ attendees), this year's GameCity promises to continue shattering expectations of what a videogame festival could be.
GameCity 2007 happens all across Nottingham from the 24th - 28th October, 2007. For further details, and updates, please see www.gamecity.org
GameCity is a festival celebrating the culture and potential of videogames, bringing the people who play them into contact with the people who make them - and who want to make them. Taking place across an entire city, GameCity brings gaming to huge variety of venues - from cinemas and market squares, to restaurants, cafes and schools. It remains the only event in the world to bring developers, students and lovers of interesting culture together in Indian restaurants.
Strongly supported by the games industry - already involved in this year's festival are Frontier, Traveller's Tales, Free Radical Design, Rare, SCEE, Microsoft, Bizarre Creations and more - GameCity is also unique in the way it bridges the divide between gaming and the wider world. The festival is perhaps the most visible example yet of the public sector stepping up and explicitly supporting the development of the games industry. Iain Simons, festival director commented, "We're delighted with the support that the festival has gained from the City of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University - its lead partner. It feels like a real milestone on the journey to mainstream culture for interactive entertainment that an event like this can happen at all - and then be embraced by the public sector."
"It looks like our industry might have found its first Sundance. GameCity is a unique approach to a videogame festival that seems long overdue," Lorne Lanning.
"GameCity shows us how a videogame shindig should be run" - Edge.
"..promises to be the most inventively programmed new arts festival of the year.." - The Times.