a href="http://www.thisistruck.com/>Truck, featuring the Lemonheads performing the"whole of It's A Shame About Ray), the line-up of big videogame events is growing, both in terms of size and diversity. So here's a quick guide, just in case you find yourself with a free weekend and a desire to play - and learn about - lots of lovely new titles...
NLGD Festival of Games Utrecht, Netherlands June 14-21
You'll have to be quick to catch this busy event, combining conference, workshops, expo and career fair. Like E3, it's mostly targeted at industry professionals, but students can gain access to most of the programme. Highlights include talks by Shinichiro Kasama, Senior General Manager at Taito, who'll discuss the evolution of the Space Invaders and Chris Swain, co-founder and director of the EA Game Innovation Lab. Interestingly, they're also running a multiplayer location-based mobile gaming tournament, based around footie title, Navball.
Game developers Conference Paris Paris, France June 23,24
50 sessions, 70 speakers and possibly the only games event of the summer with its own art exhibition, the Parisian arm of the renowned GDC series is another industry-aimed combination of expo and keynote-stuffed conference. Blizzard's VP of Game Design, Rob Pardo, and Media Molecule's Mark Healey and Alex Evans are among the talkers.
E3 Santa Monica, USA July 11-13
Radically downsized but still essential highlight of the games calendar, now marketed as an intimate networking and demo-ing event. You'll need to be an industry insider to gain access as it's invite-only, but if you manage it, you'll see lots of big Christmas and 2009 titles. There's a consumer version later in the year - or you can keep up to date via the website.
Develop in Brighton Brighton, England July 29-31
Aimed at the development community and organised by the trade magazine of the same name, Develop is a popular industry shindig, based around a packed schedule of business and development sessions as well as the main expo. There are over 90 guest speakers on the agenda, including David Braben (Frontier Developments), Damian Isla (Bungie Studios) and Richard Lemarchand (Naughty Dog). Gamesblog will be there, too, hosting our own event - more on that later...
Edinburgh Interactive festival Edinburgh, Scotland August 10-12
A landmark event, drawing on the atmosphere of the Edinburgh International Festival, to provide a range of panel sessions, debates and games screenings as well as a public exhibition area. With the backing of all three console manufacturers expect plenty of Triple A gaming action. You'll also get to see the latest projects developed for the University of Abertay's annual Dare to Be Digital competition. A must for the cultured gamer.
Games Convention Leipzig, Germany August 20-24
Now that E3 has transmogrified into a diddy business expo, GC is the key games event in the West, filling four halls and one outdoor area. 185,000 visitors turned up last year and the organisers reckon more have registered for the 2008 event. All the major publishers will be showing of their big forthcoming titles, while events like the German finals of the World Cyber Games and a case-modding contest add extra flavour.
.jpg?w=600)
