BERLIN, May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Game Developers Conference(R) Europe today welcomed a new member,Avni Yerli, managing director of Crytek GmbH, to its advisory board. WithYerli, the advisory board gains the expertise of another well-known andhighly experienced game developer. In 1999, Yerli co-founded Crytek GmbH,which today is the largest independent game development company in Germanywith approximately 470 employees in six countries.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090522/SF21463)

Released in March 2004, Far Cry was the first game developed by Crytekand became an enormously successful title which sold 2.6 million copies. Itssuccessor, the equally successful title Crysis, was released in November 2007and followed by Crysis Warhead in September 2008. Crytek's proprietaryCryENGINE game development solution is regarded as one of the leadingtechnologies in the world, winning various awards.

"I am flattered to have joined the GDC Europe advisory board and amlooking forward to working with a talented group of advisors," said AvniYerli, Managing Director of Crytek. "Together with their strong opinions andvision, I am confident that the advisory board can create a conference thatwill hit the industry's nerve."

"It is great to welcome Avni Yerli on board of GDC Europe," said FrankSliwka, Vice President European Business Development of Think Services. "Heis definitely one of the leading personalities in the European games industryand I am sure that his knowledge can elevate the conference to a whole newlevel."

GDC Europe will be held in conjunction with gamescom, the leading gameindustry European event for consumers, publishers, and trade professionals.GDC Europe takes place August 17-19 at the Cologne Congress East Center inCologne, Germany, and will host more than 80 sessions addressing the needsand opportunities for developers and business professionals throughout Europetoday. Learn more about GDC Europe at www.gdceurope.com.

About Crytek GmbH

Crytek GmbH ("Crytek") is one of the world's leading independentdevelopment studios for interactive entertainment with its headquarters inFrankfurt am Main (Germany) and additional studios in Kiev (Ukraine),Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seoul (South Korea) and Nottingham(UK).

Crytek is dedicated to creating exceptionally high quality video gamesfor the PC and next-generation consoles, powered by their proprietary cuttingedge 3D-Game-Technology CryENGINE(R).

Since its foundation in 1999, Crytek created the multi-award winning PCtitles Far Cry(R), Crysis, awarded best PC Game of E3 2007 and BestTechnology at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards and Crysis Warhead(R),awarded Best Graphics Technology at IGN Best of 2008 Awards.

Crytek, Crysis, Crysis Warhead and CryENGINE are registered trademarks ortrademarks of Crytek GmbH in the USA, Germany and/or other countries.

About the Think Services Game Group

A core provider of essential information to the professional gameindustry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, anddrives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event andresearch products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, GameDeveloper Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com,GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz, GameSetWatch.com, GamesOnDeck.com,SeriousGamesSource.com, the Game Developers Conference(R), the GameDevelopers Conference(R) Austin, the Game Developers Conference(R) Europe,the Game Developers Conference(R) China, the Game Developers Conference(R)Canada, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festivaland Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visitwww.tsgamegroup.com

About Think Services, a division of United Business Media

Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide usingeducational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, andinnovative media. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learnfrom, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strongbrands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with itsproducts and services. The division's flagship products include the GameDevelopers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developermagazine, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and HDI.Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global media andmarketing services company with a market capitalization of more than US$1.6billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

        MEDIA CONTACT:                        Simon Wondracek, Gerriet Ohls, Europe                        +49(0)251-7481123                        sw@fragster.de, go@fragster.de                        Ben Veechai, North America                        +1-415-947-6280                        bveechai@think-services.com    GDC EUROPE CONTACT:                        Frank Sliwka, VP European Business Development                        +49(0)171-1288898                        fsliwka@think-services.com