[1]The Montreal International Game Summit [1] (MIGS), presented by the Canada Media Fund [2], opens its doors today to 1,500 professionals from the video game industry, representing all four corners of the planet – and our @EmilyClaireAfan [3] is there! Contact her via Twitter (or ‘hunt’ her down in the halls) if you’d like to get some coverage on Village Gamer. Follow hashtag #MIGS2011 [4] for the latest goings-on from the conference.Taking place at the Hilton Bonaventure of Montreal and now in its eighth year, MIGS will feature over 85 sessions, an exhibition zone and a Business Lounge dedicated to nurturing partnerships. The event also features a D3D competition, a career fair, a Montreal Shines Art Gallery, a Sketch Duel and a range of social activities.
Richard Lemarchand, lead designer for Naughty Dog, will give the opening lecture before a packed room showcasing, among others, his company’s latest game, Uncharted 3, available in North America as of today. Throughout the two-day event, close to 90 experts will follow suit, taking to the stage to reveal the latest in industry innovations and trends. (currently being live-tweeted by Emily, too.)
Specifically, experts will provide MIGS attendees with the latest in the gaming industry’s six main disciplines:
- art & visual effects
- audio
- business
- design
- production
- technology
Independent development, mobile platforms and social gaming will also be addressed. In order to step up the excitement at the 8th annual MIGS, organizers have introduced a number of new features, including:
- Being featured for the first time, audio is now one of MIGS’ key themes. Presented by Yamaha Canada Music and Steinberg, events centred on this theme are slated for today only.
- The Montreal Shines Art Gallery will see students and independent artists showcase their works in the exhibition zone. Photos of Quebec’s own game studios will also adorn the walls of the Hilton Bonaventure of Montreal.
- The first edition of Sketch Duel will be a ruthless test of talent between eight of Montreal’s best artists in the video game industry and will take place tomorrow in the exhibition zone.