Key industry players back Edinburgh Games Festival

The organisers of the Edinburgh International Games Festival have announced the first four official sponsors for this year's event, with four of the industry's biggest companies lending their support - namely Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and NVIDIA.

Following the success of last year's event, the festival this year will run from the 8th to the 22nd of August, with the bulk of the activities taking place from the 11th to the 14th while a 2-week public exhibition, Go Play Games, will run for the duration of the fortnight.

The conference session program, which proved very popular last year, has been extended to two full games, running on the 12th and 13th, while a brand new addition, Game Screenings, gives the public and industry alike a chance to see personal presentations fro key game creators, and runs from the 11th to the 14th.

"We are delighted to have such key industry players on board," commented EIGF chairman and Future Network chief executive Greg Ingham. "Their support will prove invaluable in driving the festival forward into the public consciousness; encouraging consumer attendance and positioning the interactive digital medium as a mainstream form of entertainment which makes a valid and considerable contribution to British culture."

Further information for the event is available on the [EIGF04 website], where you can also now pre-book your delegate passes.