Okay, so you've got your agenda finalized. What's the next thing to do? Why, it's to announce the All-Star Speakers, of course.

Evergreen Events, the organizer of the 2008 ION Game Conference, has done precisely that. It's mentioned four important names to take note of. Find out who these four people are after the jump.

Take-Two Interactive Software, the distributor of Grand Theft Auto 4 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) and other games, has given word that it is planning to expand into Asia Pacific markets. The company has tapped an experienced senior executive to help them establish a foothold in Asia. For more information, don't hesitate to click on the "read more" link below.

Fans of Sega Sammy will be sad to know that its Korea subsidiary will be closing its doors soon. This is pretty bad news for gamers in the said regions since this may affect both arcade and video game distribution in the area. In case you want to find out more about this, head on over to the full article by clicking on "read more" link below.

During the first ever Games Convention Asia Conference (GC Asia Conference) held in Singapore, many countries proved how the industry is also strong in Asia outside Japan. Singapore, known as a big market for MMORPGs, even took a step forward to announce that they're ready to become a games industry center of excellence.

Minister for community development, Vivian Balakrishnan, revealed that around US$ 330 million (SG$ 500 million) of government funds went to research and development in the digital interactive sector.

A student exchange program called "GAMBIT" is also under way for Singapore and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to share their expertise.

Other parts of South East Asia expressed interest in the industry. A memorandum that "signifies the recognition of each other as ideal counterparts for future collaboration and co-operation in this region for the benefit of the games industry" was signed by ten Asian game developers associations from various countries like Japan, Korea, Australia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Asia-Pacific is expected to contribute 40% of gaming industry's US$ 39.8 billion annual revenue by the end of 2008, and Singapore wants a piece of the cake. "Singapore intends to be part of the action," said Balakrishnan.

The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) has recently released an official announcement ticking off the need-to-know facts of this year's Tokyo Game Show (TGS). The freshly wired press release claimed that an anticipated 168 exhibitors will strut their stuff on 1,708 booths over eight spacious halls in Makuhari Messe, Mihama-ku, Chiba City starting September 20, 2007.

 

From 2007 onwards, the TGS will serve as a essential part in Japan's International Contents Festival (CoFesta). And while it will serve as a bid for major publishers towards the end-of-year season of software releases, it will also bring mobile telephony forward to the tech-savvy masses, courtesy of special sponsor NTT DoCoMo.

TGS2007, extending its show to four days for the first time, will also be introducing new exhibitors from around the world, including companies from The Netherlands, Sweden and Thailand, adding to the 51 international participating exhibitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.

The business leg of the event is also stretched to two full days, a conclusion of which is succeeded with open exhibition to a targeted gathering of 180,000 attendees on September 22-23. The first two days of the Nikkei co-organized event will be open only to attendees with business in mind, touting a TGS Forum 2007 program keynoted by none other than Kazuo Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment's (SCE) president and group CEO.

Need to know more? Then head on over to the full article, right after the jump!

(From the Editor: Another week, another issue of the QuickJump QuickPeek for all of us! The gaming community was pelted with hard hitting updates the past seven days, fortunately for you guys our hardworking writers from various teams managed to squeeze in some time for this awesome issue. This ish is extra beefy since it marks the first month since our weekly compilation of heaps of gaming info was initialized. To celebrate that, we're once again showcasing a comment from one of our more in/famous regulars. Last week it was Mister Common Sense, I wonder who it'll be this week? Read the whole article to find out!)

Whoa! It's really hard to keep track of time especially when you've been deeply absorbed by the gravity of your current undertaking. Hmm, "gravity". That sounds a pretty good word to describe the week's recent events. Gravity's synonymous to "implications", and the things we're about to report will surely eat up our time figuring out what the backlash will be. Surprised? Try imagining what will happen to Microsoft after the resignation of Peter Moore. Or imagine the possibilities opening for the PlayStation Portable with a super team of hackers reportedly working on another custom firmware. You could also try to figure out what kind of new PS3 controller, announced by Kaz Hirai, Sony and Immersion could come up with. Brain juices oozing with possibilities? Read on to find more:

The full issue awaits after the jump!

Gaming in Asia is often associated with Japan, South Korea and China, but the region as a whole is catching up to the growing industry as evidenced by more events being organized to forge cooperation and spread new knowledge on the field.

Games Convention Asia Conference (GCAC) is among the first of such large scale events outside the three aforementioned nations. It's the equivalent of Europe's GCDC and this year, Singapore is hosting it.

The event is none-business in nature and more oriented on talks which seek to impart insights on the state of the industry. However, such conferences have been known to be venues where parties interested in starting commercial ties get acquainted and start partnerships in the long run.

Speakers from Europe, North America and Asia are in the roster of those who will be taking the stage as facilitators of discussions. Bob Bates, story writer behind Unreal Tournament II, will be there, as well as Steve Schnur, EA's Worldwide Executive for Music and Audio.

Local stalwart Chris Natsuume will also be among the first to speak in the events. He was largely responsible for the creation of the game Far Cry. Frank Sliwka, GCDC Project Manager, commented on the new event, stating:

We are confident that the GC Asia Conference will establish itself as the leading platform for the game development community in Asia. The program we put forward will provide attendees with the kind of practical knowledge and numerous networking opportunities for which GC development conferences are well known.

The Games Convention Asia Conference will commence September 6 and last for two days, although no particular venue in Singapore has been named as of press time.

The Entertainment Software Association has applauded the recent forging of a free trade agreement between the US and South Korea which will not only make it easier for publishers to bring games to and fro, it also helps fight software piracy.

According to the USA, opening better trade relations with one of the most economically-successful countries in Asia will result in "non-discriminatory and duty-free treatment for all digital products." This means that both countries will enjoy equal opportunities in the market to sell their wares.

This also means, according to software publishers, that the campaign against piracy has been bolstered because intellectual rights will be safeguarded whether they're in retail stores or up for sale in the internet.

Both the US and South Korea have populations where gaming is a big business. They also have extensive broadband connections among the citizenry to make them two of the world's most wired nations. Business opportunities abound as the game makers in the regions are innovative and successful at what they do.

Nintendo's machines- the handheld DS and Wii console- are all that's keeping the game retail business alive in Korea, according to an article published by site 4 Color Rebellion.

The article says that the country's Yongsan Toad Market retailers have the full view on exactly what the gaming scene looks like in the country, and by far, Nintendo has catered to the Korean pulse better than any other manufacturer.

"Without DS lite, we’d have virtually no income at all, and it’s been this way for months," says one retailer. "Our little market alone (Toad Market) moves over 200 units a day, and while we don’t make any profit on the system itself, we make money off of the games. We also sell a good deal of imported Wiis on a daily basis."

According to the source, Nintendo is winning the battle not only with its attractive content and price point, but is also pulling out the stops when reaching out to consumers with advertising. Celebrities like Na-young Lee are all over TV endorsing the machines.

The Yongsan retailer also painted a sad picture for Nintendo's competitors, saying "nobody’s really buying 360s, the PSP is as good as dead, and PS3’s too expensive."

 

CMP - the folks responsible for organizing the Game Developers Conference has recently confirmed that they will host a Korean GDC come September this year.

Ah, Korea, land of awesome kimchi, mass-produced MMOs - no offense to the really good ones that came out, cyber athletes/celebrities, the World Cyber Games, and female MMO gamers who sell their virginity for uber in-game items. (A Ragnarok Online myth that's yet to be confirmed, quick, call Jamie and Adam!)

Anyhow, GDC Korea is set to take place from September 13th to 5th at the Bexco Convention Hall in Busan, South Korea. The event is said to capitalize on the country's "fast growing" games community. (What? It's still growing?)

The event is said to consist of a two-day conference on the 13th and the 14th, and an Expo that will run for the full three days. The event is said to also be organized in part by Busan Metropolitan City. For more details on the event, feel free to click our read-link below. It should lead to the official site.