NYAF announces video game tournaments
Norwalk, CT, December 3, 2007: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced a partnership with NYC-based media communications company NEW YORK - TOKYO to bring their talent, knowledge, and skill to the inaugural New York Anime Festival, December 7-9 at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan in the form of an arcade featuring the latest games from Japan's biggest game designers and a series of competitive video game tournaments.
The New York Anime Festival, from the creators of New York Comic Con, is a celebration of anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture, and it has teamed with NEW YORK - TOKYO to greatly increase the strength and reach of its video game programming. Video games are one of the most explosive areas of Japanese pop culture and technology today, and NEW YORK - TOKYO, host of a monthly event series in New York titled "Gamers Nite Groove", has the resources to present a massive selection of games from over 25 publishes, some of which have yet to be released in the United States, including: Culdcept Saga, Soul Calibur Legends, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warloads, NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, Neves, and many more. All games can be played free of charge at the NEW YORK - TOKYO Video Game Room at NYAF on Sharp Aquos HD screens.
In addition, each day of NYAF, NEW YORK - TOKYO will host three fighting game tournaments where participants battle head to head on three games which have defined the modern fighting game genre: Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection, and The King of Fighters XI.
These tournaments are open to NYAF attendees of any skill level, with 32 players maximum per tournament fighting in a best-2-out-of-3 format. Winning players will advance to the final rounds where the best of the best will compete for prize packages containing games from Japan's largest publishers. Players can learn more and sign-up for the NEW YORK - TOKYO tournaments at http://www.nyanimefestival.com/en-us/489.cfm.
"Our first event in New York City was in 2001, and in all the years since, we haven't stopped believing that anime and games are the ultimate inspiring art media, and because of this, we are joining the first annual New York Anime Festival," Taeko Baba, founder of NEW YORK - TOKYO said. "We want to make the New York Anime Festival something that inspires New Yorkers to say cool!"
"We are very proud to be working with NEW YORK - TOKYO," NYAF Show Manager John McGeary stated. "NEW YORK - TOKYO's Gamers Nite Grooves are the place to be for gamers in New York City, and we're anticipating very big things at NYAF from Taeko and her team."
The New York Anime Festival is from the creators of the New York Comic Con, which sold out of Weekend and Saturday passes at its 2007 event earlier this year. NYAF recommends attendees purchase their tickets now from newyorkanimefestival.com or at one of its Official Ticket Vendors (Forbidden Planet, Image Anime, Jim Hanley's Universe, Kinokuniya, Midtown Comics, and St. Mark's Comics) to ensure entrance in December.
ABOUT NEW YORK - TOKYO:
Started in 2001, NEW YORK - TOKYO (NYT) is a NYC-based media communications company, which taps into the vibe between New York and Tokyo through Anime, Games, Music, and Lifestyle (from Personal Robots to Street Fashion) projects. In addition to a portfolio of collaboration programs with clients, NYT is currently hosting its own events, including the monthly Gamers Nite Groove (GNG), Monthly Director Series (MDS), and annual NEW YORK - TOKYO Music Festival @ Central Park.
ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:
The New York Anime Festival takes place December 7-9, 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival will showcase the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival will feature exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explore the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life.
The New York Anime Festival is sponsored by ADV Films, Anime Innovation Tokyo, Anime Insider, Anime Network, Anime News Network, AnimeNEXT, BookExpo America, Diamond Book Distributors, Entertainment Consumers Association, FUNimation Entertainment, ICv2, ImaginAsian, Kinokuniya Bookstores, License! Global, Manga Video, New York Comic Con, NEW YORK - TOKYO, Newtype USA, Publishers Weekly, Starz Media, THINK Corp, TOKYOPOP, Video Business, VIZ Media, Wedge Holdings, Wizards of the Coast, and the World Cosplay Summit.
The New York Anime Festival's Guests of Honor include Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Kobun Shizuno, and Aimee Major Steinberger. The New York Anime Festival's musical guests include HAPPYFUNSMILE, UNICORN TABLE, and Voltaire.
Further information and tickets can be found at www.newyorkanimefestival.com.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS:
The New York Anime Festival is operated by Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading events organizer. In 2006, Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today, Reed events are held in 34 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and organized by 37 fully staffed offices.
Reed organizes a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses, and meetings. Its portfolio of over 460 events serves 52 industry sectors, including aerospace and defense, building and construction, design, electronics, energy, oil and gas, entertainment, food and hospitality, gifts, healthcare, IT/telecoms, jewelry, manufacturing, marketing and business services, pharmaceuticals, property, publishing, security, sport and recreation, transport and logistics, and travel.
Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations, and government departments, Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.
Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2005, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of £1,002 million on turnover of £5,166 million.
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