PCGA Demonstrates Growth with New Member Cloud Imperium and Launches Countdown to Innovative Contest Providing End User Insights to Industry

Industry-driven consortium showing increased momentum with new member and an exciting contest with great prizes for both PC gamers and developers.

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The PC Gaming Alliance is pleased to announce today that it welcomes Cloud Imperium Games as its newest member.

Cloud Imperium Games is a new independent, crowd-funded game studio. Under the leadership of industry veteran Chris Roberts, creator of PC classics such as Wing Commander and Freelancer, Cloud Imperium is committed wholeheartedly to the PC platform. Their flagship title, Star Citizen, returns to the space-faring simulator genre for which Roberts is known.

“The PC has always been the gaming industry's best staging ground for innovation, both in gameplay design and in technology,” Chris Roberts said. “I've come back to creating games because I feel that the technology is finally capable of keeping up with my vision for the experiences I've always wanted to create. I'm thrilled to make something which will not only be exciting for fans of my older titles, but which will inspire and intrigue a new generation of space-sim fans. The PC Gaming Alliance is a perfect fit for me – they share my confidence in the PC's ability to push the envelope, and I'm looking forward to sharing that mission with them.”

The PCGA offers its members a wide variety of benefits, including research, marketing, networking, and business development, all with the purpose of expanding the PC gaming market and unifying the sector under an organized banner.

“There are an estimated 546 million PC gamers in the world today. These gamers represent an incredible market of almost 20 billion dollars in the gaming hardware market in 2011, approaching $30 billion by 2014,” said advisor to the PCGA board, Dr. Jon Peddie, of Jon Peddie Research. “The PC Gaming Alliance ensures that the PC gaming industry continues to evolve and embrace emerging technologies, keeping the PC platform the best choice for the best experience in gaming.”

Technology visionary and PCGA consultant Erik Noreke added: “Since the introduction of the PC in 1982, the gaming experience has been the strongest single force in driving computer technologies forward. This is still true today. The PC Gaming Alliance is committed to ensuring that the industry can continue to deliver an ever intensifying gaming experience. I look forward to what Cloud Imperium's energy can bring to the PCGA, to the industry, and to the gaming consumer.”

Of the PCGA's member growth, Matt Ployhar, PCGA President and Senior Product Planner at Intel, said: “Cloud Imperium is a proud addition to our roster. They demonstrate a strong belief in the platform, and will provide a distinct frame of reference to help drive our consortium. The PCGA has been taking massive strides forward in recent months – stay tuned for more announcements very soon.”

Game United Contest

The PCGA also launches the Game United contest today – a far-reaching community outreach project soliciting entries from both game industry professionals and PC gaming enthusiasts. Developers are encouraged to submit entries to the PCGA site's wiki, a resource designed to enable the exchange of tips and tricks of the trade between developers in all areas of the PC gaming world. Meanwhile, gaming enthusiasts may submit YouTube videos on the topic of PC gaming – why they value it, and what issues they would like to see the PCGA address. In both categories, the creator of the best entry will win an Intel Ultrabook.

“Ultimately, the PCGA is about amplifying all the talent in the industry and directing it towards good causes,” said Ployhar. “We also want to start tapping into all the unrecognized reservoirs of that talent – to give a voice to the enthusiasts, the modders, the students, any one of whom could someday be the next big developer. With this contest, our aim is to empower everyone out there to speak up, and to provide a centralized place for this dialogue.”

About the PCGA

The PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) is a not-for-profit corporation helping to drive the continued growth of gaming on Personal Computers, the world’s most popular platform for gaming. The PCGA provides an open forum that enables companies to cooperate to develop and promote solutions that drive the PC gaming industry forward, exchange information and views to promote PC gaming, and share promotional activity designed to grow the PC gaming industry.

Additional information about the PCGA and its role as the voice of the PC gaming industry is available at www.pcgamingalliance.org.

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For Sales Email: membership@pcgamingalliance.org

PCGA and PC GAMING ALLIANCE are trademarks of the PCGA Inc. All other product names, trademarks, and/or company names are used solely for identification and belong to their respective owners.