EIEF06 DATES ANNOUNCED

Wednesday 15 March 2006/... This August sees the return of one of the most important events in the video games calendar, the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival 2006 (EIEF06), and the return of one of the industry's leading figures with the appointment of Chris Deering, former President of Sony Europe, as EIEF06 Chairman.

Industry luminaries and the game-loving public will descend on the Scottish capital on 21st - 22nd August for the fourth Festival. EIEF06 celebrates the best of the interactive entertainment industry and creates an environment where the development and publishing community can celebrate the latest creative milestones and look to future innovations.

The EIEF06 programme of events consists of:

• 2 days of conference sessions - The Industry 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

Chris Deering commented: "Since its inception, the EIEF has listened to its constituents and has grown and evolved with each passing year. EIEF06 is no exception and my intention is to preserve the spirit of the festivals gone by but also add some new elements in order to keep the festival fresh and interesting, not only for those in the industry but also for the gaming enthusiastic public."

Deering continued, "For the festival this year we are focusing on timings and location. We are aware that people are busy and have little time to spend travelling which is why we are making it possible for EIEF06 delegates to spend just one night in Edinburgh. We have also organised the festival in a way that enables an easy transition for those who wish to attend the Leipzig Games Convention. In addition, we have decided to move away from the traditional rather bland conference venue of previous festivals in order to revitalise and refresh the format. We will be making more announcements about EIEF06 in the very near future."

The website for this years event - www.eief.co.uk - will be launching soon.

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, Events. 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 and commercial interests of the UK's game developers. Launched in March 2001, by DTI Minister TIGA has more than 90 member companies that collectively represent expertise from right across the industry including manyindependently owned studios as well as publisher owned studios such as Sony, Eidos, Vivendi, Infospace and Codemasters. TIGA works to raise the bargaining power of the UK developer community promoting communication between developers and publishers and those that provide services to them: 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

About Chris Deering

Chris Deering was confirmed as Chairman of the 2006 Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival in March, with the remit to build on the success of the previous three years' events while offering a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities that the Festival offers to the UK industry.

Chris retired from his role as President of Sony Europe and Chairman & CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in November 2005 and has recently been appointed non-executive Chairman of Codemasters.