Speech by Mr. Stephen Mak, Deputy Government Chief Information Officer for "Opening Ceremony of Game On Exhibition"
19 July 2007

Nick (Yang), Neil (McConnon), Ruth (Gee), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon! It's my pleasure to join you at this opening ceremony of "Game On" exhibition, its first presence in Asia to showcase electronic game culture and development.

In recent years, the popularity of electronic games has been fast growing and they have become one of the most popular channels for digital entertainment among people in Hong Kong, regardless of gender and age. While many enjoy playing electronic games, there's little chance for the general public to understand what lies behind the scene, the development of electronic games and their culture. We are very pleased to see Cyberport bringing in this very unique exhibition to Hong Kong, providing a platform for the public to understand more about the history, technology and culture of the creative electronic gaming industry.

Among the 15 zones of interests, the Hong Kong zone is a specific one for exploring the game culture in Hong Kong. With this establishment, "Game On" also provides an excellent opportunity for Hong Kong's game talents to showcase their innovative electronic game products to the public. As a result, the public's awareness on the latest development of local digital entertainment industry and the associated technologies and innovations will be increased. More importantly, I believe that this exhibition will also help strengthen Hong Kong's position as a leading digital entertainment hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

On behalf of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, I would like to congratulate and thank Hong Kong Cyberport, Barbican Art Gallery, all sponsors and supporting organizations for bringing such a great international exhibition to Hong Kong. I wish the exhibition every success, and hope you can derive much joy and inspiration from it.

Thank you very much.

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