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EA commits to Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival

Electronic Arts has announced that David Gardner, EVP and COO of the publisher's worldwide studios, will deliver the opening keynote address at the fourth annual Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival.

Electronic Arts has announced that David Gardner, EVP and COO of the publisher's worldwide studios, will deliver the opening keynote address at the fourth annual Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival.

Scheduled to run on August 21st and 22nd, the EIEF event is designed to celebrate the best of the interactive entertainment industry, and will feature two days of conference sessions held in the heart of the Scottish capital.

Chris Deering, EIEF chairman and former president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe commented: "To have one of the world's most successful publishers kicking off what will be two days of provocative seminars and creative screen presentations covering the broad-based landscape of interactive entertainment is a compelling example of what delegates should expect from this year's festival."

"David Gardner's breadth and depth of experience in the games industry with the world's leading publisher signals the breed of expertise and forward thinking that will characterise this year's festival," he added.

Key industry figures will also be gathering on the eve of August 21st for the annual EDGE Awards presentation ceremony and networking event, celebrating the latest innovations and successes of the games industry.

The festival will include game screenings, giving industry professionals and members of the public an opportunity to experience first hand the latest offerings from publishers and developers of all sizes, and will have a heavy focus on next-generation software titles.

"As games, movies and other entertainment channels move ever closer, we need to open our minds to new creative frontiers as well as new platforms and business models if we, collectively, are to persuade time-strapped consumers to allocate their valuable leisure hours to interactive entertainment," Deering concluded.

More information on the 2006 EIEF event, including conference sessions, sponsorship opportunities and registration information can be found by visiting the official conference website.