Top Xbox Executive Kevin Browne To Keynote GDC FOCUS ON: Game Advertising Summit June 9 In San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO - May 18, 2006 - Kevin Browne, general manager, Xbox New Media and Franchise Development, Microsoft Corp., will keynote GDC FOCUS ON: Game Advertising Summit, taking place June 9, 2006 at the San Francisco Marriott. Browne will outline a vision of the growing advertising and games market through the viewpoint of the software and gaming platform giant whose recent purchase of in-game ad network Massive Inc., has single-handedly set a new stage for the industry.

Presented by CMP Game Group, host of the industry-leading Game Developers Conference (GDC), GDC FOCUS ON: Game Advertising Summit will gather key players from the video game and advertising sectors as well as industry analysts to explore the viability of the space, projected to grow from $56 million in 2005 to as much as $1.5 billion in 2010. Browne's opening lecture will assess current practices, evaluate opportunities and challenges for both publishers and advertisers, and offer perspective on what Microsoft's acquisition of Massive, Inc. will mean to consumer brands, game-makers, and other in-game advertising firms. Attendees will also hear firsthand Microsoft's plans on how it will leverage Massive's assets through Microsoft's extensive console distribution, online gaming and publishing channels.

In his keynote, titled "Scaling Up: Growing Games into the Next New Ad Medium," Browne will share his views on the future of the market, and whether rich dynamically served in-game advertising can grow to the scale of TV, print and radio as well as touching on hot buttons such as measurement and effectiveness. Browne will highlight best practices and present Microsoft's views on how to balance the needs of the gamer seeking a positive interactive entertainment experience with the needs of the brands trying to reach the player.

"Microsoft's move to acquire Massive significantly impacts the playing field - literally and figuratively," said Neil Kent, regional events director, CMP Media. "We are honored to have Kevin Browne as a keynote speaker at our inaugural event. His talk parallels the mission of our conference: assessing current practices, drawing a future vision and opening minds to market opportunities."

Kevin Browne has been with Microsoft for more than 15 years. As general manager, Xbox New Media and Franchise Development, Browne is responsible for two developing businesses. He works to enable advertising on Xbox to offer gamers quality products with more options, and to support additional revenue streams for publishers. He also leads the efforts to license Microsoft Game Studios' IP, working currently with Universal Studios on the Halo movie and with 4Kids Entertainment on the "Viva Pinata" television show.

GDC FOCUS ON: Game Advertising Summit will provide objective, real-time data and insights on the potential investment value garnered from in-game advertising campaigns. Representatives from all segments of the market who drive this new marketing medium will come together to outline the opportunities and challenges inherent to in-game advertising and investigate the best ways of executing such campaigns. The summit will be the first GDC FOCUS ON event and part of a series of mini conferences each dedicated to a significant sector or trend in the video game industry.

Other GDC FOCUS ON events to take place this year include:
Game Outsourcing Summit in LOS ANGELES, AUGUST, 2006
Game Advertising Summit in NEW YORK CITY, SEPT 2006
Casual Games in SEATTLE, DECEMBER 2006

For early rate pricing, be sure to register by May 19. For more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://www.gdcfocuson.com and http://www.gdcfocuson.com/gameadvertising.

About the CMP Game Group
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the CMP Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through the Game Developers Conference, GDC Europe, GDC London, the Serious Games Summit D.C., GDC Mobile, GDC Asia, Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com, the Independent Games Festival, the Game Developers Choice Awards, GDCRadio, and GDCTV. For more information, please visit www.cmpgame.com.

About CMP Media
Through its market-leading portfolio of trusted information brands in the technology, healthcare and lifestyles industries, CMP Media has earned the confidence of more professionals and enthusiasts in these fields than any other media company. As a result, CMP is the premier provider of access, insight and actionable programs designed to connect sellers and buyers in each of these industries in ways that yield superior return on investment. CMP Media is a subsidiary of United Business Media (http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com), a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.

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