The European Games Developer Federation is committed to the stimulation and development of a stable, vibrant and creative European games development sector that is competitive globally and recognized culturally.

The EGDF will act to advance the political and economic interests of the European computer and video games industry by providing a platform for collaboration and discussion between European institutions and game developers.

The federation represents some 600 studios based in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, which together employ about 17,000 people. The European computer and video games industry, including distributors and students in game educations, encompasses almost 100,000 individuals.

Program:

• Gijón, Asturias, Spain
  Date: 6/30/2010 (Wednesday)
• Moderator of the day: Dr. Malte Behrmann, EGDF
• Other: Jari-Pekka Kaleva, EGDF

Agenda:

10:00h Windows Phone 7 Series: A different proposal and a great opportunity for developers  (45 minutes)

10:45h Development platform architecture (1 hour and 15 minutes)

12:30h Creating a game with XNA for the Windows Phone platform (2 hours)

As the greatest influence in video game history, the games designer and producer Miyamoto is a candidate for the Prince of Asturias Awards in the category of Communications & Humanities.

Born in Kyoto, Japan in 1952, Miyamoto has revolutionized the world of video games on consecutive occasions, by surpassing over and over any technical and creative limits currently in force. He was chosen as one of the most influential figures in the world by Time Magazine, and was awarded both the French Legion of Honor as well as the British BAFTA for his outstanding creative talent.

The nomination has been presented by Gamelab, the International Video Game & Interactive Entertainment Fair, which is held every year in Gijón, Spain (www.gamelab.es). Gamelab´s director, Iván Fernández-Lobo, highlights the fact that Miyamoto is “the greatest figure from a brilliant generation of interactive creative talent, who conceives of video games as a new medium, one that is able to join people around a shared experience, regardless of their age, sex, social group or culture”.

The Prince of Asturias Awards is the prize which carries the greatest prestige in the Spanish-speaking world. It was created in 1981 to honor with distinction “a person, group of people or institution whose creative work or research represents a relevant contribution to humanity and to mankind´s universal heritage.” Those who have been awarded the prize in the various categories include luminaries such as the film producer Woody Allen, the musician Bob Dylan, the political leaders Nelson Mandela and Mijail Gorvachov, the architect Norman Foster, the authors Paul Auster and Gunter Grass, the philanthropists Bill & Melinda Gates, the musician Paco de Lucía, the sportsmen Michael Scumacher and Lance Armstrong, the television network CNN, and the internet search engine Google (more information at http://www.fpa.es/en/ ). The awards are presented in Oviedo, the capital of the Principality of Asturias at a grand ceremony presided by the Prince and the Queen of Spain. A sculpture expressly created by Spanish sculptor Joan Miró is presented to the yearly recipients.

The people behind the initiative to present Miyamoto as a nominee emphasize that “in recent decades, Miyamoto has been behind all of the technological and creative revolutions which have led to the global expansion of interactive entertainment; he has stimulated ways of playing which clearly state the power of video games as mental, physical and social activators.” The proposal also highlights that “this genius of the game design has also achieved significant participation of women and the elderly in the world of interactive entertainment”.

Miyamoto´s nomination to the Prince of Asturias Awards is obtaining unanimous support not only from the games industry, but also from political figures, celebrities and famous names in the media and art world.

Three intense days of lectures, symposia, presentations, workshops, exhibitions, competitions, networking activities and meetings with the press, in which you can measure the pulse of the industry and the latest news and trends.

This sixth edition of Gamelab will take place, from June 30th to July 2nd, at the Palacio de Congresos de Gijón. Stay tuned to this website or join our groups on social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to keep updated of all the news and changes in the program.

Degree in psychology, and writer frustrated astronaut career, Enric began his career in the video game industry back in 1998, when he was hired by Rebel Act Studios as a level designer for “Blade” the medieval fantasy game published by Codemasters in the year 2001.

In 2002 Enric and colleagues, in an unconscious act of recklessness, decided to found and finance MercurySteam from his pocket his first project “American McGee presents Scrapland.

In 2004 the game came out on PC and Xbox. Between 2005 and 2007 Enric directs the project “Clive Barker’s Jericho for Codemasters, who becomes the first game made in Spain for the new generation of platforms, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Enric currently heads the first draft of “next-gen” that the Japanese giant Konami entrusted to a separate European study will be completed in 2010 and that he can not say anything more… for the moment…

Pyro Studios Technical Director

Since I discovered the existence of computers, Javier was clear he wanted to make video games. Together with his brother Juan Carlos, with just 15 years knocking on doors all companies in Madrid until Erbe Software believed in them and supported to carry out “Stardust”, sold in 1987 for computers Sinclair, Amstrad and MSX. Later the two would create “Bronx” for Animagic.

After studying at the School of Informatics, Polytechnic University of Madrid and working several years as a programmer for financial firms and multimedia, Javier returns to the world of video games with “Speed Haste”, the Spanish first game with 3D technology and distribution in five continents. Then come the unfinished “Headhunter” and a stint in the U.S. as head of programming “Microsoft NBA Inside Drive 2000.” In 1998 he returned to Spain as head of technology for “Commandos 2: Men of Courage”, director of “Praetorians” and other projects supported by the study.

In 2007, again crossing the Atlantic to join Radical Entertainment as Associate Technical Director of their technology equipment. There also is directly involved in the intense “[Prototype]” to next generation consoles before returning to Spain and Pyro Studios in 2010.

Virtual Toys, dedicated to game development, currently has studios in Madrid, Barcelona and Castellón.

After developing management tasks in other companies, he founded Virtual Toys in 1995 along with Jesus Iglesias, currently the company’s Creative Director.

Virtual Toys is a company that was founded with the intention to develop video games for all platforms, including consoles, laptops, gaming machines and mobile phones.

Are slot machines that actually serve Virtual Toys to be in the market and get the revenue necessary to finance early in 1998, by creating a system for video game hardware and software distributed by Franco Recreation worldwide including Japan which becomes a great success.

Sera in 2001 when Virtual Toys finally enters the market with home video games and Torrente Torrente Online.

Subsequently developed different titles for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox with varying luck as High Rollers Casino, Shooting Stars, Campfire Tales or Torrente 3.

It is with the arrival of new consoles from Nintendo, Wii and DS, when Virtual Toys definitely takes off and becomes a global benchmarking study in the field “casual.”

Virtual Toys has developed over 60 commercial games among its portfolio with the game set in Spain’s best-selling in history, Imagine fashion designer, who has sold over four million copies worldwide, and other titles as veterinary Imagine Horsez or more than 2 million copies each.

Virtual Toys is currently developing over 10 new games for both the Hardcore and the Casual market for PS3, XBOX360, Wii, PSP, DS and iPhone.

Richard has a degree in French and Italian Studies from University College London. He is currently working in Vaughan Systems as I+D Director and has authored and co-authored over 70 books with a total of three million copies sold worldwide.

He is also the host of the television program “Learn English” and Vaughan Radio announcer.

General Secretary, European Game Developer Federation (EGDF)

Member of the steering board of the NEM initiative.

Malte Behrmann, 35, is an attorney based in Berlin. After law studies in Bonn and Munich, he pursued Audiovisual Communication Management at Valenciennes, France. Malte has led legal & development affairs at Pix.Co, a Korean animation studio, and currently teaches international co-production and film funding law in Valenciennes. Besides his legal and university work, Malte lectures at Games Academy in Berlin and in different institutions in France.

Malte co-founded the German National Association of Game Developers (GAME e.V.) and serves today as the organisation’s managing director – politics. As general secretary of the European Game Developer Federation (EGDF), he also works actively on game development issues at the European level. Malte is also author of the book “Kino & Spiele, Öffentliche Förderung der Entwicklung von Computerspielen” (ISBN 3898214699).