London Game Festival Unveils Key Events

London Game Festival, scheduled to take place September 30 to November 4 in the London area, has announced several upcoming events for this year's attendees. A gala opening and VIP preview will kick off the festivities on September 30th at the Eurogamer Expo held at Earl's Court. The Eurogamer Expo will play host to major publishers, plus space for up to 20,000 consumers. A Eurogamer Expo party to raise money for GamesAid will also be held on October 1st, and game industry-chosen charities will receive the proceeds. Several award events have been confirmed as well, including the The Games Media Awards on October 14th and The Golden Joystick Awards on October 29. The first ceremony honors both the best of gaming journalism, while the latter is the largest consumer-based awards event in the UK and will honor sixteen categories of gaming achievement. UK Trade association TIGA will also hold a one-day business summit on the October 27, which is geared for developers wishing to move into self-publishing. The MCM Expo returns this year as well, after seeing a record 41,000 attendees at their May 2010 event. It will run from October 29-31 and will have several key publishers in attendance, such as Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Tecmo Koei, Capcom and Bandai Namco. "By extending the event to run for just over a month, we've been able to ensure a full and diverse programme," said festival director Kirsty Payne. "Whether you're a consumer or working in the games industry; a hardcore player or someone who doesn't necessarily class themselves as a gamer. We've many more incredible events to announce over the coming weeks - and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the Festival from September 30." More information about the London Games Festival can be found at www.londongamesfestival.com.