Just when we thought we'd seen it all, the world of games goes and proves us wrong. Just going to show that anything can happen in games, this week a press conference took place in the world of Minecraft, which featured Boris Johnson as a Minecraft character. Boris said being rendered into the popular game was "probably well up there" as one of his proudest achievements.
The Mayor of London used his newfound Minecraft character to announced a new initiative to boost the UK's games industry, entitled Games London. The initiative will include a £1.2 million investment, intended to make London - and presumably the rest of the UK - the game development capital of the world, and will include a two-week games festival taking place at the beginning of April 2016. The first London Games Festival will take place all over the city, including an exhibition at Somerset House, a number of discussions at the British Film Institute and even a London Games Fringe of smaller bits and bobs. Two already popular events will be taking place also in the form of the indie game gathering, Rezzed, and the annual Bafta video game awards.
Johnson called London a "star player" in gaming and interactive entertainment, but noted that international competition is fierce. It's hoped this new investment and festival will ensure London can compete with its global gaming rivals.
Now that *would* be a terrifying monster to come out at night!
Games London is being organised by games trade body UKIE and Film London. "We're covering everything and anything in games," said UKIE chairman, Andy Payne. "The mayor's office involvement opens lots of doors and creates opportunities that simply wouldn't have presented themselves before." He also noted that the games industry is bigger than ever in the UK with £2.8bn in revenue last year, which makes it larger than both the film and music industries.
Will this benefit others in the UK gaming industry, or just those in the capital? UKIE believes that by boosting the capital then the rest of the UK's gaming industry will get an increased awareness attracting inward investment.
Games are no longer thought of as something for kids and teenagers and now are viewed as a legitimate competitor to movies and television. In fact some of the biggest and best games are from British gaming companies, from mega blockbuster smashes like the Batman series, the LEGO games and Football manager, through to indie hits like Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and Her Story.
"The UK is home to some of the best and most experienced games talent in the world," said Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE. "Games London will celebrate and shift perceptions of games as a vital cultural medium, an important art form, and a key cultural industry."
Let's hope this festival and investment will ensure that the UK continues doing what it's always done - making some of the best, most exciting, and most ground-breaking games in the world.
