GDC Play hall adds Lego, conTAGion studios to 2012 exhibitor lineup

GDC 2012 is less than a week away, and show organizers have chosen to highlight a new batch of notable and eccentric game developers at the first-ever GDC Play showcase. As outlined previously, GDC Play is a new program that gives emerging game developers a chance to show off their games to a host of specially invited industry decision makers, in addition to the 19,000-strong GDC attendee base. The showcase itself will take place Tuesday March 7th through Thursday March 9th in the Esplanade Ballroom in the South Hall of Moscone Center in San Francisco, and all GDC attendees are welcome to check out the products and companies on display at specially designed IGF Pavilion-style kiosks and meeting rooms. In addition, GDC 2012 All-Access Pass holders and exhibitors can also sign up in the recently announced GDC Business Matchmaking software and book meetings with GDC Play companies right now, or can turn up on site to check out the kiosks or meeting rooms. The GDC Play hall will also be home to the recently announced 'History Of 3D Games' exhibit from the Bay Area-based Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment, also free to all GDC attendees. Here are the latest organizer-highlighted companies at the band new GDC Play showcase: - Mobile gaming company 2clams will host a kiosk at GDC Play to showcase its location-based iOS games. One such title, conTAGion, puts players in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, where their real-world location determines how the game plays out. At GDC Play, the studio is looking to find new developers and investors to grow its mobile gaming business. - The UK browser and mobile game studio 4T2 Multimedia will attend GDC Play to demonstrate its partnerships with major brands around the world. In 2011, the company released Lego: Hero Factory Breakout, a single player browser game created as a tie-in to Lego's popular toy line (pictured). Now, the publisher is seeking new publishers for future branded partnerships. - Elsewhere, the Canadian studio Frima will show off original IP titles such as A Space Shooter for Free! and Zombie Tycoon. The multiplatform developer is currently seeking out new partners, platform holders, and publishers interested in exploring new projects and business opportunities. - The UK developer Tag Games will exhibit at GDC Play to discuss its latest projects on both social and mobile platforms. Previously, the studio has developed original titles and projects based on popular IPs such as Doctor Who and True Grit. At next week's showcase, the studio hopes to find new partners to develop projects for smartphones, handhelds, the web, and more. - Monochrome LLC is a startup studio currently developing Contagion, a spiritual successor to the Half-Life 2 mod Zombie Panic: Source (and not to be confused with 2clam's similarly-named conTAGion). The studio will show off the new game at GDC Play, and will talk to publishers about potential business deals and the future of its product. - Finally, Phoenix Online Studios will showcase its supernatural adventure game Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller. Previously, the studio developed The Silver Lining, a non-commercial title inspired by the classic King's Quest series. The company hopes to use GDC Play as an opportunity to reach out to publishers and investors about partnerships for future episodic adventure games. In addition to the above sessions, GDC organizers last week highlighted several other exhibitors, including GardenQuest developer 10-20 Media, adventure game studio Brawsome, Game of Thrones developer Cyanide Studio, and flight-sim and game engine house 777 Studios. Of course, these highlighted talks are just a few of the numerous companies exhibiting at GDC Play. To learn more or to see the full showcase lineup, please visit the event's official exhibitors page. For more up-to-date information on GDC 2012, please subscribe to updates from the GDC news page via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS. GDC 2012 will take place March 5 through March 9 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, and is owned and operated by Gamasutra parent company UBM TechWeb.