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Dates have been confirmed for this year’s Edinburgh Interactive – and with them a new focus on the how the television and video games industries can work together has been revealed.
Edinburgh Interactive takes place on Wednesday, August 25th and Thursday August 26th.
Thanks to a partnership with Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival – which takes place immediately after from August 27th to 29th – the event will now widen its remit to look at how the two sectors are working together.
The last day of Edinburgh Interactive will kick things off with sessions designed to bring together decision makers from the fields of games and TV.
The two will even ‘swap’ keynotes, with a TV leader presenting a headline Edinburgh Interactive speech, and the MGEITF Futureview Keynote to be presented by a major name from the games industry.
Later on a Creative Masterclass will be held at the Media Guardian event to bring together games developers and TV creatives to discuss the development process and explore what the opportunities may be for co-development of interactive TV and games formats.
Organisers of both think it’s a natural extension for the games industry, which has become closer aligned to the TV would through technology and content licensing in recent years.
“Games have had a significant effect on the use of the television in the home," said Chris Deering, chairman of Edinburgh Interactive.
"Over the last 12 months this has moved on dramatically with recent research showing that 10 per cent of all BBC iPlayer requests are being driven by games consoles. The debate between the two industries has not yet begun; it will begin in August at Edinburgh Interactive and MGEITF.”
Deborah Turness, Editor of ITV News and Advisory Chair of the MGEITF Advisory Committee, added: “This is an exciting opportunity to explore joint format development between television and games and is a natural evolution driven by major advances in technology. In bringing together executives from these two entertainment industries to discuss, network and share ideas, we place both Festivals at the centre of a new global debate in Edinburgh.”
