It seems that a new gaming conference has managed to muscle its way into ECTS's stomping grounds--merry old London. Both Acclaim and Ubisoft today confirmed that they will be figuring prominently at the brand-new Game Stars Live (GSL) event this year. Those two companies join a list of other heavy hitters in the game industry including Electronic Arts, Atari, Nokia, Eidos, and Nintendo already on board. GSL is scheduled for September 1-5 in London. GSL draws its pedigree from the annual Game Stars television program Brits have been watching for years.

　　The five-day GSL event will center on a live broadcast from the main stage area, where all the big companies are expected to make an appearance. Other features are the European Online Gaming Championships, which will be held live during the event, and Get Into Gaming, a careers and education zone for aspiring game developers.

　　Also scattered around the exhibition site will be the curiously named Bear Pits, where attendees can compete in the latest games. A full rundown of the event, including ticket information and a list of exhibitors, can be found at the GSL Web site.

　　Taking place along side the GSL (at London's ExCeL conference center) is the European Games Network. Running from September 1-3, that event is marked by a keynote to be delivered by ESA president Doug Lowenstein. And in addition, a conference program produced by TIGA is also taking place at ExCeL. The European Developers’ Forum will consist of two days of conference sessions plus a third day that will focus on mobile entertainment. That event also runs from September 1-3.

　　Interestingly, GSL will overlap with ECTS 2004, which will run in London September 1-3. While a number of the same companies are confirmed for both shows, the long-running ECTS still has quite a few big-time exhibitors, including Microsoft and VU Games.

　　GameSpot will provide more information about all three shows as September draws closer.