MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced yesterday that a further £1.2m will be invested in Games London, securing three more years of London Games Festival.
Thanks to this new investment, Games London will also be able to facilitate networking events to attract investors to UK game development and trade missions such as the one taking place at Slush in Helsinki every year (which resulted in a $10m investment for Bossa Studio in 2017), as well as organise more training initiatives for UK game devs.
That’s all on top of the London Games Festival itself of course, and this renewed three-year programme is set to generate over £35m and 270 jobs in the game industry.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries commented: “London’s creative industries are vital to our success as a global city. That’s why I am delighted that the Mayor has committed a further £1.2m to Games London. This deal will ensure the capital’s reputation as an international games centre will continue to grow and will provide a boost to jobs and investment in the city’s creative sector.”
Chief executive of Film London (one of London Games Festival’s partner) and the British Film Commission, Adrian Wootton OBE, added: “Creative industries are the big success story of the London and UK economies and the rapidly expanding global Games industry is a key component of this success.
“London is a major player and I am delighted that the Mayor has recognised the importance of supporting the games industry, both within the newly launched Cultural Strategy and through the further investment into Games London to continue driving this cultural and economic success. It is a hugely exciting time and we are committed to cementing London’s status as a games leader and look forward to celebrating the sector’s achievements and talent at the London Games Festival in April.”
Ukie’s CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE said: “The Mayor’s continued support for the Games London programme is critical in maintaining and building on our global reputation as the capital for games and interactive entertainment. As an important part of the Mayor’s Cultural Strategy, the Festival celebrates the significance games play in an inclusive, diverse culture for all, and the investment programme is crucial in driving economic success for our innovative businesses making cutting edge experiences and technologies.”
The London Games Festival 2018 is running from April 5th to April 15th across the capital and expects over 50,000 attendees across the various venues, hosting more than 40 events for both consumers and professionals of the games industry. Over 400 games will be showcased during the festival, which also includes EGX Rezzed and the BAFTA Games Awards as partner events.
