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The newly-announced Games London campaign will provide a healthy boost to UK development.
That’s according to Ukie and Film London, which have launched the programme with £1.2 million in backing with the London Enterprise Panel – the chair of which is London mayor Boris Johnson.
As well as incorporating existing calendar staples such as the British Academy Games Awards and EGX Rezzed, Games London will include a completely new annual networking event called the London Games Festival. The first LGF will be held from April 1st to 10th in an effort to attract investment to British games firms.
As part of the event, a Games Finance Market will be held. Adopting the structure used by film companies during the London Film Festival, the Market will attempt to match up local talent with partners from across the globe.
Building on 2014’s introduction of video games tax relief, Games London will also launch international trade missions to promote the UK as a fertile ground for development around the world.
“London’s games industry is a hotbed of creative talent with a huge amount of potential to expand and grow,” commented Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission.
“By partnering with Ukie and expanding our remit we hope to encourage investment, boost the city’s economy and help open up new pathways and business opportunities.
“This is a really exciting time, and I’m looking forward to helping cement London’s status as a world leader in games development in the same way we have for its film, television, animation and VFX sectors – all booming industries which share much with games in terms of immersive storytelling, unbridled creativity and technical innovation.”
Ukie CEO Dr Jo Twist added: “The UK is home to some of the best and most experienced games talent in the world and is already responsible for the most successful, innovative and creative global titles.
“This welcome backing from the Mayor of London for Games London will celebrate and highlight London as a key business hub for creativity and innovation in the UK, providing a crucial spotlight nationally and internationally to the games and interactive entertainment sector to those who may not realise what opportunities for investment there are in games.
“Games London will also celebrate and shift perceptions of games as a vital cultural medium, an important art form and a key cultural industry."
