4th Annual Mobile Game Conference on July 13-14, 2006 in Seattle to Focus on Design, Construction and Potential; Conference Focuses On The Critical Elements That Make Great Mobile Games Possible.

SEATTLE -- The Game Initiative, the leading producer of conferences for professionals in the computer and video game industry, today announced the fourth annual Mobile Game Conference, taking place July 13-14, 2006, in Seattle, Wash. With speakers from leading operators, developers and publishers worldwide, Mobile Game Conference focuses on three key themes: Design, Construction and Potential. Attendees will walk away having shown, discussed and seen state of the art innovation in the mobile games industry.

As the fastest growing segment of the videogame industry, understanding the areas of innovation for mobile games and applications is crucial for all industry players. Mobile operators are keen to see the next hit content brought to their network first. Publishers need to differentiate their catalog from their competitors. Handset makers and hardware providers are increasingly looking for new content to show off their technology. And, of course, developers want to put their next great game in front of the people who can bring it to market. Mobile Game Conference brings the industry together, fostering interactivity, generating substantive discussion and getting business done.

"Increasingly, talented developers and designers are turning to mobile as a testbed and a playground for their most interesting ideas," said Matthew Bellows, General Manager & Vice President of Marketing for Floodgate Entertainment, and co-Chair of this year's Mobile Game Conference Advisory Board. "While some of these experiments will fail, some of the ideas and products will set new directions for this dynamic industry."

"With U.S. mobile game sales having flattened from mid-2005, the industry has begun to support innovation -- in distribution, in technology, in marketing, and in game development -- as a business priority," said Eric Goldberg, Managing Director, Crossover Technologies and co-Chair of the Mobile Game Conference Advisory Board. "As massive marketing spending that most industry players can't afford is the only clear alternative to ensure revenue growth, innovation is not only a necessity; it's good, cheap, and fun."

Online registration is open and attendees can save $200 by taking advantage of the early bird registration -- only $295 until June 16, 2006. Online registration after June 16, 2006, is $395 and onsite registration is $495. Registration information and conference details are available on to http://www.MobileGameConference.com.

The Mobile Game Conference is sponsored in part by Microsoft Casual Games, home to MSN(R) Games, Messenger(R) Games, mobile games, Windows(R) XP Games and Xbox Live(tm) Arcade. By offering a variety of casual single-player and multiplayer games, Microsoft Casual Games provides consistent game play experience across multiple platforms. As casual online gaming reaches new heights of popularity, Microsoft Casual Games prides itself on its loyal community of active users and remains committed to offering innovative content and exciting all-around game experiences.

About the Game Initiative and Mobile Game Conference

The Mobile Game Conference is produced by The Game Initiative, the leading producer of conferences and events for game industry professionals. Mobile Game Conference was established in 2003 and ran concurrently with the Austin Game Conference from 2003 to 2005. The Game Initiative's 11 game focused conferences in 2005, attracted almost 4,000 game industry professionals from around the world as speakers, attendees, sponsors and exhibitors. The Game Initiative supports the growth of the industry through events, public awareness and programs that serve the needs of companies and people involved in producing interactive entertainment software and hardware for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers and the Internet. Game Initiative events include the Mobile Game Conference, Austin Game Conference, Casual Games Conference, Game Audio Conference, Game Writers Conference, Game Marketing Conference, Advertising In Games Forum, Game Technology Association Meetings and the How to Break into the Game Industry national conference series. More information about The Game Initiative can be found at http://www.GameConferences.com.