Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps to Keynote 2011 Game Developers Conference Europe

BERLIN, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Michael Capps, president of Epic Games, developers of the mega-hit Unreal and Gears of War game franchises, will give a keynote address at the 2011 Game Developers Conference™ Europe (GDC Europe). The keynote, titled "Size Doesn't Matter: How Epic Brings AAA Attitude to Every Game, from Gears of War 3 to Infinity Blade," will provide attendees with insight into how Epic has delivered fun, successful triple-A experiences of all kinds: console blockbusters, mobile games, experimental Internet shareware, and legendary PC shooters. GDC Europe 2011, presented by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, brings the pan-European game development community's premiere forum for learning, networking and inspiration back to the Congress-Centrum Ost Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany on August 15-17, 2011.

In his keynote, Dr. Capps will enlighten attendees on the distinct similarities between the production of all of Epic's projects, even when team sizes and budgets on various projects can differ by a factor of ten or more. The talk will cover some of the key learnings to be taken from the similarities in production methodology and pipelines from shared staff and infrastructure, using the upcoming Gears of War 3 as a driving example. Dr. Capps will also analyze how Epic strives for quality, and how company culture reinforces those values to ensure that every game, every time, regardless of size or platform, is triple-A. Finally, Dr. Capps will discuss how the most important shared factor is a team's attitude: their passion for the game, their desire for the team to be successful, and their pride in the positive response from fans.

Dr. Capps is an advisory board member of the Game Developers Conference® (GDC) and serves on the boards of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Prior to entering the game industry, Dr. Capps worked as a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He specialized in defense and entertainment collaboration, virtual reality, and computer graphics.  A departmental honoree in mathematics and creative writing, he graduated summa cum laude from University of North Carolina. He holds master's degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina and MIT, and a doctorate in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School.

"Epic's name is one of the few that resonates just as much with the game makers as it does the game players – having brought to market arguably the most successful game engine of all time, alongside major game franchises such as Gears of War. Dr. Mike Capps is a true industry stalwart, leading Epic Games to AAA hits time and time again," said Frank Sliwka, Vice President of European Business Development and Event Director GDC Europe. "GDC Europe attendees will take away many valuable lessons from Dr. Capps and leave with new insights on how best to maximize resources."

Dr. Capps' talk joins the previously-announced keynotes by Richard Garriott, legendary creator of the genre-defining Ultima series and founder of social media games developer and publisher Portalarium, and wooga founder and CEO Jens Begemann.

GDC Europe takes place August 15-17, 2011; for more information on the Dr. Michael Capps keynote or GDC Europe, visit http://www.gdceurope.com.

About the UBM TechWeb Game Network

A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the UBM TechWeb Game Network – formerly known as the Think Services Game Group – offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include the Game Developers Conference®, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com and network of sites, the Game Advertising Online ad network, the Game Developers Conference® Online, the Game Developers Conference™ Europe, the Game Developers Conference™ China, Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Game Career Seminars and GameCareerGuide.com, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. Visit www.jointhegamenetwork.com

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands includes: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

Visit: www.ubmtechweb.com

Epic, Epic Games, Gears of War, Gears of War 3, Infinity Blade, Unreal, Unreal Engine and UE3 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Brian Rubin
fortyseven communications
(212) 391-4707
brian@fortyseven.com

Dieter Marchsreiter
+49 89 519 199 42
gdc@marchsreiter.com

Dana Cowley
Epic Games, Inc.
dana.cowley@epicgames.com

GDC EUROPE CONTACT:

Frank Sliwka, VP European Business Development
+49 (0)171 1288898
frank.sliwka@ubm.com

Ben Veechai, Sandra Lew, North America
+1-415-947-6280, +1-415-947-6232
ben.veechai@ubm.com
sandra.lew@ubm.com

SOURCE UBM TechWeb Game Network