Conference by Northern dev agencies unveiled

The Northern Games Conference is aimed at the entire UK games industry and seeks to explore the variety of opportunities in the games industry, from casual games to digital distribution, that are opening up to developers thanks to the introduction of new consoles.

GameHorizon is the collaborative network for the games industry in the North East of England and members include Newcastle-based Reflections and Eutechnyx, Venom Games of Gateshead and Atomic Planet, based in Middlesbrough.

Carri Cunliffe, manager of Codeworks, commented: “GameHorizon and Game Republic have been working in close collaboration for a long time now. Our organisations have the mutual goal of bringing the best skills and resources to Northern developers. The Northern Games Conference will mark the collaborative spirit and united front of northern game development.”

Game Republic, meanwhile, is the independent trade alliance designed to support game development in the Yorkshire and Humber region. Members include Sumo Digital, Team 17, Revolution, Rockstar Leeds and Kuju.

Charles Cecil, founder of developer Revolution and co-founder of Game Republic, added: “It’s a very exciting time for the games industry at the moment. Not only with the recent launch of the three new generation consoles but also with the opportunities offered in digital downloads and distribution, casual gaming and converging technologies. This is the ideal subject to launch the inaugural Northern games conference.”