GDC 07 Adds Game Connection Services Matchmaking

The CMP Game Group (which also operates Gamasutra.com) has announced Game Connection Services, a matchmaking event scheduled to take place as part of GDC, March 8-9, 2007, at San Francisco's Moscone Center. The Game Connection Services event, hosted by CMP Technology and Connection Events, will provide a forum for development teams and specialty shops to meet and enter into partnerships through as many as 40 confidential meetings over two days. Organizers note that the event was added to the GDC schedule as a means to address the needs of the industry as it works to meet the costs and skill-set demands of next-generation game development. Game Connection Services will bring studio managers, internal studio representatives and publishers together with studios specializing in testing, porting, motion capture, graphics and animation. Game Connection Services' sister event, Game Connection, is scheduled to take place at the Moscone Center earlier in the week from March 5-6. The conference has become known as a catalyst for game industry deals, where developers, creators and game owners from across the world would gather for confidential meetings with buyers, publishers and distributors for all platforms and discuss new game projects. At GDC 2006, Game Connection sold out well before the conference, was attended by 70 developers and 46 publishers, representing 20 different countries and 95 percent of the world's top 20 publishers. "The Game Developers Conference is the gravity point of the game industry, where the key decision-makers come to share knowledge and make deals-which is streamlined by the Game Connection matchmaking event," said Jamil Moledina, executive director, Game Developers Conference. "In keeping ahead of the curve, and fostering the growth of specialized services ranging from outsourcing to networking to QA, we are pleased to inaugurate Game Connection Services at GDC." For more information regarding Game Connection Services or the larger Game Developers Conference, including session descriptions and registration details, visit the official website.