THE SHOW

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 2008
ARENA FILMCITY, SIHLCITY ZURICH.
8:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Tickets
Flyer: | pdf |
Program / lineup: see below.

Some of the world's hottest game creators gather at the legendary GAMEHOTEL SHOW extravaganza for another inspiring journey into the future of interactive entertainment. Packed with ideas, style, and a whole lot of fun, this exuberant live event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for game aficionados and broad audiences to experience world-class game designers sharing their thoughts and visions while demoing their latest titles.

This year’s guests from the US, Japan, and Europe include the mastermind behind cult music games Gitarroo-man, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, and upcoming Lips, KEIICHI YANO; industry visionary CHRIS HECKER, at the helm of Spore’s technology efforts; RU WEERASURIYA, co-founder of Californian developer Ready At Dawn, the studio that brought beautiful Okami to the Wii; GEORG BACKER of Lionhead Studios’ latest venture, Fable 2. Returning to the show is STEVEN POOLE, cult columnist at Edge Magazine, and author of seminal book "Trigger Happy – Video Games and the Entertainment Revolution." True to its mission of presenting the industry’s Stars & Rising Stars, GAMEHOTEL continues to feature some of the most promising young developers set to rock tomorrow’s gaming scene with their fresh ideas. From Europe’s cool Northern shores, the maker of Crayon Physics Deluxe, PETRI PURHO; from California, DEREK YU, co-creator of Award-winning Aquaria; as well as world traveler, and serial mobile gaming innovator, TOM SÖDERLUND.

Among the two-hour show's many highlights is the thrilling GRAND GAME BATTLE. Four über-motivated contestants will show off their skills in a breathtaking multi-round battle. "The winner of the GRAND GAME BATTLE will need to amaze the audience and the guest stars with a unique blend of gaming skills, a solid knowledge of yesterday's and tomorrow's games, and a memorable stage performance," says GAMEHOTEL executive producer Tina Cassani. "Hard-boiled gaming enthusiasts, self-confessed gamer girls, cocky fan boys are welcome, and casual gamers with panache are encouraged to apply." Also, as the rumor goes, legendary Tanguy Ukulele Orchestra might honor Zurich with one of his rare live acts.

:: THE LINEUP ::

For the series' third edition in German-speaking Europe the event organizers have again handpicked a roster of high-profile game creators and key voices in the constant quest for innovation and creativity in interactive entertainment.

KEIICHI YANO (Tokyo) is one of the most inspiring figures on the international gaming scene. As Chief Creative Officer, and co-founder, of iNiS Corporation, Yano-san has masterminded the development of some of the industry’s most popular music video games, including the first rhythm-based guitar game, Gitaroo-man, as well as cult rhythm action title Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan. Yano-san, who has a unique perspective on the Japanese and American game industries, has now turned his attention to creating his latest title Lips, once again setting the tone for the future of musical game development. 

RU WEERASURIYA (Los Angeles) is the co-founder and Vice President of innovative Californian Ready At Dawn Studios that brought the critically acclaimed Okami to the Wii platform, and has garnered many awards and nominations for its games God of War, Chains of Olympus, and Daxter. Ru leads the studio’s creative development, as well as its art & design supervision. Previously, Ru worked with Blizzard Entertainment, where his distinctive visual style influenced the direction of both game and cinematic art of Starcraft: Brood War, and Warcraft III Reign of Chaos. A native of Sri Lanka, having grown up in Switzerland, Ru has lived and worked in Southern California since 1996.

CHRIS HECKER (San Francisco), at the helm of Spore’s technology efforts, counts among the industry’s most respected visionaries. He is an outspoken advocate for pushing the boundaries of design and interactivity, so that games will achieve their full potential as this century’s premiere art and entertainment form. During his GAMEHOTEL SHOW appearance Chris will illustrate how his recent work at EA/Maxis has centered around using proceduralism to enhance player creativity and agency in Spore. In 2006, Chris received the Community Contribution Award at the prestigious Game Developers Choice Awards.

STEVEN POOLE (Paris/London) is a legendary columnist for leading industry publication Edge Magazine. He has written the seminal book "Trigger Happy – Video Games and the Entertainment Revolution" that counts among the brightest and most compelling approaches to the aesthetics of video games, and the cultural phenomenon of interactive entertainment. Steven, returning to GAMEHOTEL after his noted 2003 Paris Extravaganza appearance, will look at the future trends in gaming, and surprise the audience with an unexpected skill set.

PETRI PURHO (Helsinki) has amazed players (and You Tube viewers) around the world with his strikingly charming physics-based puzzle game Crayon Physics Deluxe. In a high-speed presentation, the founder of Finnish independent game studio Kloonigames, and winner of the Seumas McNally Grand Price 2008, shows the GAMEHOTEL audience what else he has in store, and why he is considered one of the hot young talents on the global gaming transfer market.

GEORG BACKER (London) has been responsible as Staging Designer for Drama & Story Experience in the games of famed developer Lionhead Studios, the creators of blockbusters Black & White, Fable, and The Movies. He will demo the much-anticipated role-playing game Fable 2, that industry legend Peter Molyneux has previewed during his unforgotten GAMEHOTEL appearance in 2006.

DEREK YU (San Francisco) is the founder of independent Californian game developer BitBlot. During his first GAMEHOTEL appearance he will present his most ambitious game to date, Aquaria, winner of last year’s Game of the Year Award at the Independent Games Festival. Also, courtesy of Derek’s magical skills, guest stars of previous GAMEHOTEL editions will make surprise cameo appearances on the show stage.

TOM SÖDERLUND (Stockholm) has entered gaming history in 2000 as the developer of one of the world’s first location-based mobile games, the SMS-shooter Botfighters. Returning to GAMEHOTEL, the game designer, entrepreneur, and serial innovator, chats about the future of mobile gaming, and presents his latest venture, Zyked, where he blends gaming, mobile technology, social networking, and exercising into a new kind of experience.