Paris GDC 2008

For immediate release

PARIS - France – May 13, 2008 – Rob Pardo, Blizzard Entertainment®'s Senior Vice President of Game Design, is confirmed to keynote Paris Game Developers Conference (Paris GDC). In a Q&A style presentation titled “In the Eye of the Blizzard: a Keynote Q&A with Rob Pardo,” Jamil Moledina, Executive Director of GDC Events, will interview Pardo on his inspirations, challenges, and on the next steps at Blizzard Entertainment. Pardo will address Blizzard's lessons learned, the resources unlocked by its success, and the raw talent in evidence in its development team.

Paris GDC, the second French edition of the Game Developers Conference - the premier event for developers and publishers in the videogame industry - is scheduled for June 23-24 at the Coeur Défense Convention Centre in Paris.

Contributing to Blizzard Entertainment’s success since 1997, Pardo supervises the design and implementation of gameplay and story features for every Blizzard game. After being named lead designer on the STARCRAFT® expansion set, STARCRAFT: BROOD WAR™, Pardo went on to serve as lead designer of WARCRAFT® III: REIGN OF CHAOS™; its expansion set, WARCRAFT III: THE FROZEN THRONE™; and also Blizzard's largest undertaking to date, WORLD OF WARCRAFT®. The latest Blizzard Entertainment title to reach players under his leadership was the first WORLD OF WARCRAFT expansion set, THE BURNING CRUSADE™. In his current position, Rob continues to oversee all aspects of game design for WORLD OF WARCRAFT and its upcoming second expansion, WRATH OF THE LICH KING™, as well as Blizzard Entertainment's other games in development, including the highly anticipated STARCRAFT II.

“Developers across the world know that game development is a challenging, hit-driven business -- regardless of genre, geography, or platform,” said Jamil Moledina, Executive Director, GDC Events. “Pardo and the developers at Blizzard Entertainment however have cracked the code, and our discussion will focus on the key components of the company’s hit-making process – with the goal of providing our attendees with better odds for winning.”

“Blizzard has set up a new standard for the game industry and is certainly one of the only companies in the world that has created game designs that are successful in key markets from the U.S. to Europe and Asia, and particularly China. Pardo, Blizzard Entertainment’s senior-most designer, will open up with the audience by sharing the unique experiences that have led to his company’s worldwide success,” said Pierre Carde, Executive Director, Paris GDC.

Paris GDC 08 offers more than 50 sessions presented by industry experts. The event is designed for developers looking to expand their expertise, network, and learn from their peers. Highlighted talks include:

• Kim Swift, Valve, “A Portal Post-Mortem: Integrating Writing and Design”

• Chris Kline, 2K Boston, “Keep Calm and Carry On: The History of Bioshock”

• Lionel Lemarié, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, “Designing a Game for Multi-core Platforms: Pitfalls & Performance Tuning”

• Sten Hübler, Crytek, “Level Design Challenges in Crysis: The Long Journey to Open Worlds”

• John Welch, PlayFirst, “The Casual Games Revolution: Saving Games from Themselves”

Visit the Paris GDC website for the complete list of confirmed sessions. Videogame professionals who wish to take advantage of the Early Registration Rate and save more than 35% on their pass have until May 14th to register online at www.parisgdc.com.

Paris GDC is glad to welcome its latest sponsors: Intel, Babel, and AMD.

For further information, please contact:

CONNECTION EVENTS (Europe)

- Sophie Therrien, Communication and Marketing Manager, at: +33 4 26 23 41 21 or by email: stherrien[@]connection-events.com

- Clément Galiay, Project Manager, at: +33 426 234 121 or by email: cgaliay[@]connection-events.com

THINK SERVICES (USA)

- Loria Ryan, Marketing Manager, at: +1 415 947 6287 or by email: lryan [@]cmp.com

- Evelyn Donis, Conference Manager, at: +1 415 947-6204 or by email: edonis[@]cmp.com

Thank you to our main sponsors Imaginove and cap digital for their support:

The aim of the founders of the IMAGINOVE cluster / pole of competitiveness is to develop synergies between the different sectors of the moving image (video games, cinema, audiovisual, animation and multimedia) by encouraging anticipation and stimulating the innovation of professionals.

Cap digital is a Paris region business cluster for digital content: creation, knowledge and communication. Established as a non-profit organization, its 300 members represent the digital industry’s most active players in Knowledge Engineering, Digital Heritage, Audio-Visual & New Media, e-Education, Digital Lifestyle & Services, and Video Games.

About Connection Events

Connection Events is the co-organizer of the Paris Game Developers Conference, the French edition of the original GDC held yearly in California, which will take place in Paris on June 23-24 2008. Connection Events is also the organizer of Game Connection, the leading business event in the video game industry, taking place in Lyon (France) and San Francisco (California, USA) during the Game Developers Conference. Game Connection provides several different services all geared toward the same goals: matchmaking among outsourcing companies, tools providers, developers and publishers, network building and enhancement, and examination of projects and companies.

About Think Services

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using innovative media, educational events, consulting, training and certification. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute, HDI (formerly the Help Desk Institute), and Dr. Dobb's Journal. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media ( www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com .