Game Design Expo Set to Return for Second Year

PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 06, 2007 – Announcing the second annual Game Design Expo & Open House, featuring some of the leading minds in video game design and development, to be held in Vancouver, B.C. on January 19th and 20th, 2008, and hosted by Vancouver Film School (VFS), Canada's largest private post-secondary entertainment arts school.

Compared to last year's sold-out event, Game Design Expo 2008 event is bigger in every way, with two days of lectures and panels by the designers, producers, and CEOs behind some of the biggest games of yesterday and today. Speakers from top companies like Activision, BioWare, Eidos, EA, and Stormfront Studios are coming to present topics ranging from the Console Wars to Digital Acting & Interactive Narrative to Game Audio.

For those thinking about working in the game industry, the Game Design program at VFS will be holding a free day-long Open House event in conjunction with Game Design Expo 2008, with workshop classes and hands-on game demos.

Game Design Industry Expo

Saturday, January 19th, 9:00am – 7:30pm
Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St.
Sunday, January 20th, 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Vancouver Film School, 390 West Hastings St.

VFS Game Design Open House
Sunday, January 20th, 10:30am – 5:00pm
Vancouver Film School, 420 Homer St.

Last year's Game Design Expo & Open House was a phenomenal success, attracting over 500 game lovers who were treated to lectures by luminaries like Glenn Entis of Electronic Arts, and Eric Zimmerman of Gamelab. Game Design Expo 2008 features an expanded schedule, and speakers and panelists include:

Activision
Carl Schnurr, Senior Director – Game Design

Backbone Vancouver
Joe Bonar,
Studio Head

BioWare Corp.
Kevin Barrett , Director of Design
Ken Thain, Cinematic Group Design Coordinator
Steve Sim, Senior Sound Designer
Mac Walters, Senior Writer

Crystal Dynamics/Eidos Interactive
Arnab Basu, Associate Producer
Jason Botta, Senior Designer
Riley Cooper, Senior Designer

EA
David McCarthy, Executive Producer - Fusion Business Unit

EA Blackbox
Charles Deenen, Senior Audio Director

Hothead Games
Vlad Ceraldi, Co-Founder
Joel DeYoung, Producer
Ron Gilbert, Design Consultant

Next Level Games
Douglas Tronsgard, CEO
Chad York, Audio Director

Propaganda Games
John Holmes, VP & Studio General Manager

Radical Entertainment
Kelly Zmak, President

Relic Entertainment
Tarrnie Williams, General Manager

Stormfront Studios
Don Daglow, President & CEO

Tickets to the Expo (on sale November 21st, 2007, prices in Canadian dollars) are $80 for both days, $50 for Saturday, and $35 for Sunday.

Check gamedesignexpo.com for up-to-the-minute information, schedules, registration, and ticket sales.

More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks, including a special keynote presentation.

On Sunday, January 20th, Game Design at Vancouver Film School will host a free Open House event aimed at providing a unique look inside the intensive one-year program. Visitors will meet Head of Department Dave Warfield, see demonstrations of student games, and experience workshop classes on such topics as Game Art, Level Design, and Sound Design and Music for Games, taught by expert VFS instructors.

The Open House was booked to capacity last year, so those interested in attending are encouraged to register early. Registration and event information are available at gamedesignexpo.com.

Game Design Expo and its Event Partners G4TechTV, EA, CAEAA, Annex Pro, Crystal Dynamics, Radical Entertainment, Big Fish Games, Next Level Games, Metropolitan Hotel, and The Province are looking forward to another fantastic event.

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Vancouver Film School, founded in 1987, offers a proven education for everything in the entertainment industry. With 14 production-oriented programs and a unique one-year educational model, VFS prepares students to join the creative economy. Under the guidance of industry professionals, students in the Game Design, Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Design, and Sound Design for Visual Media programs develop the knowledge, experience, and portfolios and reels that enable them to step right into the video game industry.

Our professional faculty and event speakers are available for interviews upon request. For more information, please contact:

Sarah Richards
Public Relations Specialist
Vancouver Film School
+1 (604) 631.3562
sarah@vfs.com