the lifeblood of the industry as part of the family
What we can bring to this ecosystem is precisely what I have spent my first 100 days thinking about. I have talked to everyone I can to understand what you need, how we can help you grow, how we can best promote you to those with funding, to the decision makers, and to the world.
There is lots of common ground but there are of course different demands from different people at different stages of business. How we, as a relevant, open, agile trade body deliver on these needs has dictated what my vision for UKIE is and I will be revealing more of my plans over the coming weeks. The cornerstones of the strategy are simple however: to support, grow and promote all parts of the UK games and interactive industry.
SHOWING SUPPORT
Support can mean supporting talent and improving skills for the whole industry – instilling a cradle to grave approach to talent. It can mean creating the right environment for young start-ups who are experimenting with innovative business models and ways to play. It includes established SMEs who need to accelerate to the next stage in their growth and it means helping large multinational-businesses to understand the transitions they may need to make into new markets with the right talent and right insight for their work to flourish. Our ‘always on’ work continues to be promoting the industry by influencing high level policy debates to create a supportive ecosystem for UK interactive entertainment businesses – not least by responding to the consultation on tax breaks on behalf of our members and
UKIE NEWS
UKIE TEAMS WITH GAMETRACK The trade body is the exclusive sales and marketing partner for the UK for GameTrack, ISFE’s quarterly market sizing and trends report. UKIE will be making the report available to any UK businesses with an interest in video games and will be offering the GameTrack report to its members for a special rate.
DEV MOVIE SET FOR BRIGHTON Indie Game: The Moviewill be shown at Develop in Brighton, courtesy of UKIE. The screening will take place at 8:45pm on July 10th at the Odeon Brighton, a mere two minute walk from the Hilton Metropole where Develop Conference is taking place. Doors open at 8.15pm with drinks available before and a networking event after the film.
UKIE HAILS ACTIVISION STUDIO Jo Twist has praised Activision's new mobile studio in Leeds. The UKIE CEO said: “Activision’s creation of a studio in this exploding new space is a great boost for the UK games industry and clear recognition of what this country now has to offer to the world. The recent tax breaks have given a clear sign to major investors.”
ROBERTSON JOINS UKIE UKIE has enlisted family gaming expert Andy Robertson to run parent resource website askaboutgames.com. Robertson – who runs Family Gamer TVand writes for Wired– will be bringing his experience of helping families get more out of video games to the website. It’s part of UKIE’s wider Control.Collaborate.Create campaign.
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presenting the games industry’s view of how we can help the economy grow to politicians and other policy makers.
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As part of our PEGI campaign we will re- launch the
askaboutgames website.
Jo Twist, UKIE
PEGI PROMOTION We’re nearly there with PEGI. The latest date for implementation is July 23rd. Although we are not expecting any further hold ups, it is technically possible for this date to change because of the legislative processes. In the meantime we are having briefing sessions to make sure that games businesses are fully aware of what the changes mean. Another of our key jobs is to positively promote the industry in all its forms to people and we are about to kick-off a national consumer and media campaign to coincide with the UK launch of PEGI that will promote the positive aspects of game playing to parents.
As part of this campaign, we will re-launch the askaboutgames.com website to be an on-going consumer and industry resource. The site will play an integral part in delivering information and tips for parents and showcases of how playing games is a collaborative and creative experience. Another area where we continue
to make great strides is in calling for rigorous computer science to be taught in England’s schools through our Next Gen Skills cross industry campaign, with UKIE Vice Chair Ian Livingstone at the helm.
Good news for the campaign came last week, when the government published its response to a review of the ICT curriculum. The Government has decided to ‘disapply’ ICT as it is currently taught and develop a fresh approach to teaching creative technology in schools for 2014. This leaves the door wide open to teach a rigorous computer science course. We’re also hard at work giving new start-ups and indie devs (UKIE members and non) the chance to learn from experts more about key topics like access to finance and how to get your game your games discovered at our very popular Thursday@3 sessions. They are great mixer events, too, with beer. And don’t forget we’re offering anyone in the industry discounted access to Europe’s biggest trade fair, Gamescom and GDC San Francisco. Drop sam.collins@ukie.org.uk a line to find out more.
I am so proud of what we have been doing for the games industry, but I am even more excited about what we are about to do. More research, more events, more chances to truly and tangibly support you as we continue to show every other industry why games are the most awesome. I am honoured and humbled to be part of it.