The Edinburgh Interactive Festival today announced a series of new partnerships for the year’s event. Sony Computer Entertainment, Codemasters, Future and Gamestation confirmed their support for the three-day public event and conference which takes place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre between Sunday 10th and Tuesday 12th August 2008.

The Festival this year offers a huge range of games titles, screenings, exclusive material and experiences and some consumer content that can only be acquired at the festival.

Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed they will be offering some exclusive game material for the screening sessions and showcasing Little Big Planet. Adding to an already huge array of new titles Codemasters® will offer the festival some of its most prestigious titles, including Race Driver: GRID™ and Rise of the Argonauts™. Presentations will include an insight into the EGO™ Engine, Codemasters Studio’s award-winning technology, and its current deployment in the development of Operation Flashpoint™2: Dragon Rising. Codemasters Online will showcase future MMO content including The Lord of the Rings Online™: Mines of Moria™ and Jumpgate Evolution.
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The UK’s leading games media company, Future are bringing the hugely popular and influential EDGE Awards to the Festival again, as well as offering their support through publishing the official Interactive Festival guide. The guide will be available in all Gamestation stores across Scotland along with consumer tickets for the three-day event. Gamestation will also have a large on-site retail presence at the Festival, selling a range of games consoles, games and other exclusive merchandise. Consumers at the event will also be privy to some fabulous in-festival promotions and discounts.

Jon Brook, Head of Marketing at Gamestation said; “We are very excited to be involved in this year’s Edinburgh Interactive Festival. For the first time we will have our own retail area within the site - allowing us to showcase the Gamestation experience to all Scottish gaming fans! In addition, all 25 of our stores in Scotland will be giving away tickets and guides to the event for free! We feel that the festival culture provides a perfect partnership for us and our customers.”

Now celebrating its sixth year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is powered up to showcase the continued popularity, growth and influence of video games. And this year, the Interactive Festival is more synchronised with the world famous Edinburgh Festival than ever, appealing to the press, public and professionals from film, television and interactive media backgrounds alike, offering a bigger event for delegates, more consumer focusing – an overall spectacle for all.

New to Interactive Festival 2008 will be Features, Exhibition and Recruitment areas specifically tailored to cater for the public - allowing them access to the latest games and job opportunities in games.

As ever, the three-day Interactive Festival wouldn’t be complete without the cornerstones of conferences, keynotes, panel sessions, debates, games screenings and even more people than ever jostling to get through the doors.
Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2008Edinburgh International Conference Centre
150 Morrison Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EE

Sunday 10th August
Game Screenings
Dare ProtoPlay
Public games area and retail site

Monday 11th August
EIF Conference
Game Screenings
Dare ProtoPlay
Public games area and retail site
Conference Networking event

Tuesday 12th August
EIF Conference
Game Screenings
Dare ProtoPlay
Public games area and retail site
Digital Interactive Symposium

Edinburgh Interactive Festival will also play host to the Digital Interactive Symposium, the games event aimed at academics and games industry professionals. It takes place on the afternoon of Tuesday 12th August.