Atlanta, U.S.A – The Southern Interactive Entertainment and Game Expo (SIEGE) program released today showcases more than 100 speakers on sessions covering all aspects of modern game development. Scheduled for October 5 – 7, 2012, at the Marriott NW Atlanta hotel, SIEGE focuses on the fast-growing game design industry in the South.

“This year’s focus on the latest developments in the game industry have attracted a great deal of attention,” said Andrew Greenberg, director of the sixth annual SIEGE and producer of the upcoming Noble Armada iPad game. “We’ve added speakers like the executive director of the International Game Developers Association; celebrities like Ellen McLain, the voice of GladDOS in Portal 2; sponsors like Tripwire Interactive and Hi-Rez Studios; a game investment conference; a games for health day; and much more.”

Highlights include a forum by industry leaders on how games are improving areas as diverse as health, training and education; business sessions on creating a game development studio; and in-depth looks at game art, programming and design.

Now in its sixth year, SIEGE features leading figures from a wide spectrum of the game production industry, including artists, programmers, designers, investors, writers, teachers and business executives. Other speakers include government figures, experts on computer game violence, social issues, serious games and more. The event also includes a college fair for high school students looking to learn game design skills, a Games for Health Day @ SIEGE, a game investment conference and many networking events for people looking to enter the industry as well as people already making games.

SIEGE attracts a variety of sponsors, including leading companies like Tripwire Interactive and Hi-Rez Studios as well as colleges like Westwood. The keynote speeches are sponsored by Peak 10 and Tapjoy. Conference sessions include classes on the latest software, game design techniques, business issues, serious games, starting a new company and more. Information is available at www.siegecon.net.

Image Courtesy of  nickstone333

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An impressive line-up is expected to more than satisfy the raging crowds at Africa’s largest technology and video gaming exhibition, the really AWESOME gaming expo (rAge) this year. Celebrating a decade of gaming, 2012 will see demos and tournaments like never before.

With a good turnout expected as the expo continues to grow year on year, this year’s rAge will not disappoint. “Last year we saw an explosive growth of visitors, which grew by 29% from 2010. The expo thrives because of the passion and dedication of the video gaming community and its media, which will come through at the 2012 rAge once again as audiences experience a cultivated gaming culture,” says Michael James, Senior Project Manager on rAge.

Pokemon:

50 Pokémon TCG players will be playing for the National Championship crown in the Senior, Masters and Junior divisions at rAge this year. Mandy Meredith Communications Manager Core Group says “If you’re new to Pokémon and want to learn how to play the game, you can. We will be hosting a series of ‘Learn to Play!Pokémon’ workshops over the course of the weekend, where two Pokémon Professors will be on hand to guide you through the game in a few simple steps – it’s that easy. “

Extreme Wargaming, a company that retails and runs weekly events for various games such as Magic the Gathering, Warhammer, Yu-Gi-Oh Dust and other board games, is one to look out for this year with new and exciting demos, fantastic gaming products and great discounts at rAge 2012. Casper Kleynhans explains “rAge is the perfect place to promote our company to a larger community of gamers due to its size and the environment created.”

Sharing this vision is Skycastle Games, the largest distributor of hobby games in the country, who will not only be selling their games, but they will have a large demo area where you can try out many of the latest and most popular games available. “We believe there is a synergy between computer and board games. Over the past few years we have been warmly received by rAge attendees, so we love being there,” adds Vemeulen. Keep an eye out for the free Heroclix Avenger movie figures that they will be giving away as part of their Heroclix demos.

Board Games and Card Games:

With the widest range of board games and card games from the largest number of international game publishers and markets, rAge would not be complete without Wizards. This year Wizards is releasing the latest game from the Settlers of Catan family – Star Trek Catan, one of several new games at the Wizards’ board game demo area that you can learn to play.

“rAge is THE  place to be to introduce new products and meet new customers,” says Chris Legg, “Board games and card games are a growing feature of leisure markets internationally and we are looking forward to introducing our games to a wider audience by being at rAge this year. I am sure we will not be disappointed.”

Boardgames will also be showing off their offering, giving visitors at rAge access to their hundreds of award-winning games that they have available. Visit their stand and be entertained for hours with a team that are just as crazy about board games as you are.

Comics and Graphic Novels:

Outer Limits is another show-stopper this year, showcasing their latest comics, graphic novels, role-playing games, T-shirts and Geek Toys. The team will also join Skycastle Games and Boardgames to run demos of the latest board games. Keep an eye out for the much anticipated sales of the latest Magic the Gathering cards, which releases internationally on 4 October.

Magic: The Gathering:

Blowfish Entertainment bring ‘Magic: The Gathering’ back to rAge this year with a demo stand as well as a tournament area. Treveshan Pather from Blowfish Entertainment says “Tournaments will be running throughout the expo with beginner mini-tournaments running every day. So if you don’t know how to play and are keen to learn make sure to sign up.”

Tapping into a market that is growing more popular by the second in South Africa, rAge offers a platform for demos and tournaments, as well as an opportunity for those in the industry to showcase their fantastic offerings and exciting new goods.

Statistics from the GFK Group show that South Africa’s gaming market is estimated to be worth about R1.72 billion, excluding digital game sales. It is because of this that rAge draws not only the best businesses operating in the industry but the most enthusiastic gamers in the country, eager to grip the entertainment technology and video gaming sector by the horns.

Taking place from 05-07 October 2012 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Gauteng, rAge has achieved a solid reputation in the local gaming community. The expo consistently delivers the latest technological developments, new and pre-released games on console and pc, the hottest consoles, creative-arts learning opportunities, product launches, competitions and giveaways, exclusive presentations by international game developers, and so much more.

The annual 52-hour BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) NAG LAN @ rAge keeps gamers on their toes, with tickets for 2580 gamers selling out fast.

To be part of the celebration, join the rAge expo from October 5-7 2012 at the Coca-Cola Dome or visit www.rageexpo.co.za for more details.

Image Courtesy of   Axel Bührmann

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