wooga CEO to Discuss How Europe’s Largest Social Game Development Studio Takes Games-as-Service to New Heights

The 2011 Game Developers Conference™ Europe (GDC Europe) will feature a Business & Marketing track keynote by wooga founder and CEO Jens Begemann. The keynote, titled “Playing is a Core Human Desire – How Social Games Change the Entertainment Industry” will offer GDC Europe attendees insight on the methods behind the development of high-quality, free-to-play browser-based games for Facebook. Begemann is uniquely poised to give this keynote, as leader of Europe’s leading social game development company, which currently has the third largest number of active users on Facebook worldwide. GDC Europe 2011 is presented by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, and takes place at the Congress-Centrum Ost Koelnmesse August 15-17, 2011.

Groundbreaking Platform Empowers Users to Create Personalized Avatars and Additional Custom Content

Image Metrics, a leading provider of facial animation technology, today announced the availability of PortableYou™, a groundbreaking new platform for developers as well as online and mobile entertainment, social network and communications companies.

PortableYou provides end-users with the ability to instantly generate customizable 3D avatars from facial photos. Users can then add and share avatars seamlessly across enabled third-party applications, including social networks and other connected platforms.

The launch of PortableYou supports Image Metrics’ mission to provide both professionals and consumers with products for end-to-end character creation and animation across all digital media.

“With the growing demand for more immersive customizable online experiences, creators of digital media are seeking ways to provide users with increased creative control over their own identity and content,” said Robert Gehorsam, CEO of Image Metrics. “PortableYou creates a unique platform for developers to meet these growing demands head-on and in a cost-efficient manner, while creating a brand new catalog of virtual goods to offer users.”