Government backs games at sold-out LGC

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey will reiterate Government support for the games industry later this week.

In front of a full house at BAFTA’s Princess Anne Theatre, Vaizey will use the London Games Conference to discuss the crucial areas of future revenue and skills creation.

He will also formally close this year’s series of business, consumer and cultural events that have gone under the London Games Festival banner.

Over 225 leading execs will attend The London Games Conference: Survival and Profit in a Changing Industry, which runs from 4.15pm until 11pm on Thursday November 4th.

Companies represented on the day include (A-L): 1C, Advance A/S, Activision, AGI, APP Generation, Arete Research, AtomBlock, Bad Management, Bastion, BBC, Beatshapers, Bigpoint, Bossa Studios, Brand Culture, Bright Black, BT, Brunel University, Buongiorno UK, Canadian High Commission, Capcom, CD Team, Centaur, Ciklum, Codemasters, Datascope, Descargas Online, Digital Chocolate, Direct2Drive, Disney Interactive Studios, Doublesix, Easy (EA), Ecofilmes, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), EON Productions, Eurogamer TV, Exient, Fancensus, Fidelity Growth Partners Europe, Focus Multimedia, Forfas, Freeform.Digital, Freeform.London, Freshminds, Future Publishing, Gaikai, Game, GameStop, Gameshastra, Gem, Geomerics, GFK Chart Track, GOG (Good Old Games), Green Man Gaming, Harbottle & Lewis, HMRC, IGN, InComm, Intent Media, Interactive Selection, Invest Quebec, Kemp Little LLP, Koch Media, Konami, Korner, Kuju, Liemur and London Venture Partners.

The roll call continues (L-Z) with Marjacq Man, Metaboli, Metro, Microsoft, MPG Universal, Multiplay, Natural Selection, NCsoft Europe, Nexway, Offerpal, Olswang, OM UK, OPM Response, OverGame, PAN Vision, Parker Consulting, Playfish, PlayJam, PlayReplay, Power Challenge, Q Entertainment, Rightscale, Sony Computer Entertainment, Screen Digest, Sega, Shardan, Sheridans, Sitel, Sky, Sony DADC, Southpeak Interactive, Spikeyty Publishing, Spil Games, Square Enix, TalkTalk, Tapjoy, Telenet, Teliasonera, Tern Television, Testronic Labs, The Games Chief, The Games Tribe, The Guardian, The Hut Group, The Independent, The Virtual Policy Network, THQ, Tower Studios, Two Way Media, Ubisoft, UKIE, Virgin Media, Virgin Gaming, Vivid Games, Vodafone, Warner Bros, Westminster University, Wiggin, Zoe Mode and Ztorm.

"We’re delighted to have the Minister for Culture speaking at LGC and bringing the curtain down on an excellent London Games Festival, which started so well with the Eurogamer Expo consumer event at the beginning of October," said Stuart Dinsey, managing director of LGC organiser Intent Media.

"Along with our partner Bastion, we have put together a very strong conference that will offer a wide range of different viewpoints during a period of rapid change for the industry."

Codemasters CEO Rod Cousens and Playfire chief Kieran O’Neill recently joined a speaker line-up including keynote Heiko Hubertz, who is the CEO of Bigpoint, plus Playfish general manager John Earner, Gaikai’s David Perry, Q Entertainment CEO Shuji Utsumi, Capcom’s European boss David Reeves, and key execs from GameStop, IGN and Screen Digest.

LGC is the final event within this year’s London Games Festival. It will examine the challenges in an industry that is being driven more than ever before by digital distribution, online play, social networks and the concept of ‘games as a service’ rather than just boxed products heading into the High Street.

Screen Digest will also be presenting exclusive new data at the conference. Session hosts include MCV editor-in-chief Michael French, former Sony Worldwide Studios boss Phil Harrison and Eurogamer TV’s Johnny Minkley.

The event is supported by platinum sponsor IGN, and gold sponsors The Hut, AGI, InComm, Virgin Gaming, Multiplay and freeform.London.

LONDON GAMES CONFERENCE 2010: THE AGENDA

5:00 Welcome
Stuart Dinsey – Managing Director, Intent Media

5:02 The Keys to International Success with Online Games
Heiko Hubert – Founder & CEO, Bigpoint

Half of all the internet traffic is already generated by online game sites. Revenues are soaring and companies in the sector are growing exponentially. Being successful with online games means developing a widespread portfolio of Browser Games, Casual Games, Mobile Games and more – as well as offering new possibilities like real-time cross platform multiplayer gaming.

Heiko Hubertz will point out the key differences and similarities between Europe and North America and how to achieve global success. The future of online games depends not only on creativity and technology but very much on an excellent business model.

5:25 The Shape of Clouds to Come

A panel of industry leaders and innovators discuss the impact of social networks, online play, advanced mobile devices and cloud technology on the future of the games industry.

Panellists: Shuji Utsumi, CEO, Q Entertainment; Ben Cousins, General Manager, Easy (EA); Kristian Segerstrale, CEO, Playfish; Floris Jans Cuypers, Business Development Director, Spil Games Chairman: Phil Harrison, Co-Founder & General Partner, London Venture Partners;

6:05 The Evolution of Retail alongside Digital Distribution and Online Gaming
Ben Keen – Chief Analyst, Screen Digest

New data from specialist research firm Screen Digest will reveal the impact of digital distribution on boxed product sales and a look ahead to predicted trends over the next few years.

6:20 Comfort Break/Coffee

6:35 Different Ways to Play, Different Ways to Pay

How traditional bricks and mortar retailers, digital distributors, developers and publishers are all discussing new ways to find, sell to and retain consumers.

Panellists: Chris Petrovic, Senior Vice President & General Manager, GameStop; Rod Cousens, CEO, Codemasters; Ian Chambers, International Vice President, IGN; Simon Osgood, European Product Development Director, InComm
Chairman: Michael French, Editor-in-Chief, MCV

7:10 Sharpen your Skills: Livingstone-Hope Skills Review
Ian Livingstone

The Government has asked Eidos life president Ian Livingstone to head a review into the skills and training models needed to establish the UK as the destination choice for games production

7:20 The New Power Base
Choosing a platform for content used to be relatively straightforward.

Now there are myriad options, and a host of major new players offering audiences measured in millions or more. An in-depth look at some of the most interesting and potentially profitable ways to think outside the box(es).

Panellists: David Reeves, COO, Capcom Europe; Dave Perry, Co-founder & CEO, Gaikai; Jasper Smith, Founder & CEO, PlayJam; Kieran O’Neill, Co-founder & CEO, Playfire
Chairman: Johnny Minkley, Eurogamer TV

8:00 – The Government and the Games Industry
Ed Vaizey – Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries

The Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative industries closes both LGC 2010 and London Games Festival.

8:13 Closing Remarks
Stuart Dinsey – Managing Director, Intent Media

8:15 Networking & Dinner