There is a new addition to the exclusive list of speakers at Europe’s most important game developer conference, GDC Europe. As GDC organizer UBM TechWeb Game Network announced, Hermen Hulst, managing director of Guerrilla Games will hold the keynote on 17th August 2010. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Guerrilla Games is one of the leading European game development studios. Founded in 2000, it was taken over by Sony Entertainment in 2005. Today, the company employs 140 developers from 20 countries. Its greatest success so far is the award winning action shooter Killzone for Sony Playstation, the latest sequel of which, Killzone 3 (scheduled for February 2011), is already keenly anticipated by the international fan community.
Hulst has announced several significant improvements such as levels ten times bigger than in Killzone 2 and gorgeous 3D graphics. "At the time we only used 60 percent of the capacity of PS3. In Killzone 3 we’re currently looking at 100 percent," explains Hulst. Moreover, the Dutch developer promises a completely new and overwhelming gaming experience: "We want to flood the players with stimuli in a positive sense. What we want to achieve is that the first thing you’ll have to do is catch your breath. We intend to have a lot of things happening at all times so there will be an incredible amount of information to take in, no matter whether you’re playing in 3D or 2D, and no matter what sound system you use."
Hulst’s talk at GDC Europe in Cologne will be located somewhere in the field of tension between hardware and software. In his keynote address he will discuss how the studio has matured, which obstacles had to be overcome and what some of the ingredients behind the success of the Killzone series are.
"We are excited to welcome to the GDC Europe stage such a prominent European developer and industry figure such as Hulst," said Frank Sliwka, GDC Europe Event Director. "The Killzone series and work produced from Guerrilla Games is exemplar of the ingenuity of European developers."
As managing director, Hermen Hulst is responsible for the company’s direction and oversees its day to day management. He gained his first experience in the games industry during his student years at Ubisoft in the USA. After finishing his Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management, Hulst started his career at Philips Electronics in Strategic Marketing. He worked as a management consultant at Andersen Consulting before returning to the games industry. Hermen has been the Managing Director of Guerrilla since 2001. www.guerrilla-games.com