Under the banner Games London, a cash injection of £1.2m has been promised over three years, with the ultimate aim being to position London at the centre of the global games industry, which is worth around £57bn.
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The program will look to build on recent growth in the video game sector, which generated £2.8 billion ($3.95 billion) in revenue in 2015, by capitalizing on the appeal of video games tax relief to create more jobs, boost skills and training, and generate roughly £35 million ($49.5 million) in additional revenue.
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.
The plan was announced via an in-game press conference featuring Boris in Minecraft, one of the biggest and most popular video games in the world. I remember when living in Glasgow being repeatedly frustrated by large events only ever seeming to take place in London, and Gaming development is very much a sector that’s spread in hubs across the entirety of the United Kingdom so we hope the other development hubs won’t be forgotten and lose out on investment by the spotlight of the event being placed on the capital.
“London is already a star player when it comes to games and interactive entertainment, but worldwide competition is fierce and we need to ensure our city can compete with our global gaming rivals”, said Johnson. “For businesses of all sizes, access to finance is key, and The London Games Festival will deliver these opportunities”.
The London Games Festival is a brand new event that’ll take place each April, starting this year from 1-10 April 2016.
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“Games London will also celebrate and shift perceptions of games as a vital cultural medium, an important art form, and a key cultural industry”. However, the feeling is that with its development talent and financial reputation, the United Kingdom is not fulfilling its potential as a creative force.
