London Welcomes Games Festival As Industry Ties With BAFTA

Wednesday 8 March 2006/... ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) and TIGA (The Independent Games Developers Association) today announced the creation of the London Games Festival, a week long cultural and business celebration of computer and video games. Created in partnership with the London Development Association (LDA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) , the London Games Festival will combine key events throughout the Capital from Monday 2nd October 2006.

ELSPA, TIGA and BAFTA will all be contributing events to the Festival, with other media, government and games publishing organisations expected to confirm additional business and consumer facing events shortly. ELSPA and TIGA are organising two business events: the London Games Summit will take place on the 4th and 5th October; whilst the Content Market will run for two days on the 3rd and 4th.

The growing importance of computer and video games to entertainment culture will be recognised as part of the Games Festival by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), which has elevated the sector to become an equal to those for Film and Television. Champions of the moving image, BAFTA seeks to reward artistic and creative innovation within video games as one of the principal contemporary art forms.

This newly defined status means The British Academy Video Games Awards are set to confirm their position as the most independent and valued awards in this arena; they move to October to climax the London Games Festival.

Roger Bennett, director general of ELSPA, said: "London Games Festival will be an exciting week of activity that will become a focus for the International reputation of the UK. The alliance between ELSPA, TIGA, the LDA and BAFTA provides the games industry with a perfect opportunity to build substantial trade and consumer activity that will firmly establish games as the entertainment phenomenon of the 21st century."

The London Games Festival will build critical mass and awareness of the initiative around the three primary events, inviting other interested parties and organisations to contribute ideas and events to the Festival.

Fred Hasson, CEO of TIGA added: "The festival has the potential to become the 'Cannes' of the games industry, fittingly so since the UK is the most important centre for the games sector in Europe in both consumer and business terms. London Games Festival 2006 will be predominantly trade focused, but it is foreseen that cultural, artistic, educational and consumer elements will evolve as part of the activities in the future."

Support for the week long event has attracted strong interest from companies across the games industry.

Andy Payne, chairman of ELSPA and managing director of Mastertronic, said: "I think the idea of the industry coming together in London for a week is one that is well overdue. But rather than one exhibition company wanting to coral all and sundry into one event or series of events, we now have the two trade games associations (ELSPA and TIGA) who are providing the impetus and creating a halo around which every company with a vested interest in computer and video games can do their thing. BAFTA's statement of intent heralds the dawn of a new age, and is the signal for those talented individuals who make games to be recognised on a world wide basis."

Ian Baverstock, chairman of TIGA and business development director of Kuju, said: "This festival offers the games development sector a perfect vehicle through which to showcase what a vibrant and dynamic creative talent base the games industry has in the UK."

Paul Jackson, VP and managing director Northern Europe, Electronic Arts, said: "We're incredibly excited by London Games Festival. It is something that is grabbing the industry's imagination. The hope is that it captures for games what an event like Cannes captures for film. We'll be looking to see how we can be involved in the London Games Festival in ways that best reflect the EA brand and our games."

Rob Cooper, managing director Northern Europe and Export, Ubisoft UK, said: "With publishers, retailers and developers staging their own events throughout the year, it is clear that our industry needs an event that brings all aspects of it together in a forum that really shows video games at their best and that the UK is still a world leader in this market. The London Games Festival will allow new ideas and opportunities to flourish, and will also allow the industry, in conjunction with BAFTA, to show its recognition and respect to those who have achieved great results over the year."

Adam Roberts, EVP Europe and UK managing director, Vivendi, said: "London Games Festival is a remarkable way of carrying the message that games are central to modern culture and entertainment. And from an industry perspective, it's fantastic to see ELSPA, TIGA, BAFTA and the London Development Agency working together."

The London Games Summit will take place at BAFTA. The Content Market will take place at the Café Royal.

For further information please contact:

Roger Bennett/Michael Rawlinson

ELSPA

Tel: 0207 534 0580

Fred Hasson

TIGA

Tel: 01273 605053

EDITORS NOTES:

About ELSPA - http://www.elspa.com

ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK.

About TIGA

TIGA (The Independent Game developers Association) is the trade association which represents the business and commercial interests of the UK's Independent game developers - i.e. those that are not controlled by publishers and whose principal business is the development of games. Launched in March 2001, by DTI Minister TIGA has more than 90 member companies that collectively represent expertise from right across the industry. TIGA works to raise the bargaining power of the UK developer community promoting communication between developers and publishers and those that provide services to them: TIGA aims to benefit its members' businesses and creative interests by encouraging a better climate for investment in games, best business practice, dialogue and favourable terms with publishers and by lobbying for government support to the industry.

www.tiga.org

About BAFTA

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. BAFTA is best known for its film and television awards, but the academy has also been recognizing the best in video games since 1997. The BAFTA Video Games Awards give the creative and technical specialists the recognition they deserve; it is their craft which has made the Games business the fastest growing form of entertainment today.

Issued by: Barrington Harvey, Troopers Yard, Bancroft, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1JW, UK