As we stand on what feels like a tipping point for
the industry, it’s an encouraging sign to have BAFTA’s gaming efforts spearheaded by someone with the kinds of hands-on experience and an understanding of the market that comes from half a decade at Ukie. “BAFTA is making the decision to double down on
its efforts in games, and recognises that games deserve to stand shoulder to shoulder with everything in the film and TV world in terms of the craft and the art of creating games,” says Hebblethwaite. “I think BAFTA has taken a look at its work over the
last few years and taken the decision to refocus on games again, as much as it did 20 years ago when it started having its own independent games awards for the first time. This has been another moment of reflection, to point ahead of games and steer that change to modernise BAFTA’s engagement with the industry, its engagement with the public. To speak to that modern industry, an industry that is ever changing, ever growing new technologies, new crafts, new job types, and an ever changing workforce as well. “You know, we see in the data that we see about the
games industry workforce – look at the Ukie census and the data in there (see p32), you know, it speaks to a whole range of people that work within the game sector. BAFTA’s role as a charity in that sector is supporting and nurturing talent, and giving people the opportunity to achieve the best things they can achieve, to create great content and great games. It’s our role to support, grow and then champion those people when they become the heroes of their day.”
FROM UKIE TO BAFTA And as BAFTA has that moment of reflection, they’ll be sure to make good use of their new head of games’ experience in the sector. “I think the head of games role is providing two
things,” says Hebblethwaite. “One, it’s a catalyst for BAFTA to focus its efforts around. It’s someone who can open those doors and get those things moving, that otherwise might have been a bit trickier. “But it’s also about bringing that insight about
where our efforts are best targeted. To understand the kinds of industry issues that are happening right now, and the direction of where the industry is going. It’s to understand, to some extent, the games audience – although I’m a little older than much of the games audience, it evolves faster than I can! But that’s the exciting part, it’s an industry where you’ve got to adapt. Any industry issue, any new technology, the way we talk about games… You know, in five years time we’ll be talking about something completely different, the
industry will have moved on. “So I think having my
experience at Ukie, having dealt with an environment very much like that, is super helpful and really sort of critical to change the way of working here. Not in the sense that we were ever not delivering things of value, but the need to constantly adapt and grow as the industry develops.” The appointment is
certainly well-timed too. It’s all well and good to celebrate the successes of the industry, as we reap the benefits of this period of growth. But with that success comes increased attention, and a reminder of our responsibilities as an industry – especially in our need to diversify, as highlighted in the recent Ukie census. “I think as the industry’s matured over the last 5-10
years or so, the conversations the industry’s been having with itself have become very different. I think as businesses become ever-larger, they start to live in the real world a little bit more, rather than being this industry that was off doing its own thing. “As the industry steps into the limelight in a cultural
way, it’s coming to understand that it comes with a lot of responsibility and that, as a globally active industry producing content for people all over the world, that the people who create that content are essential. If everyone at your company thinks the same way, it’s going to be much harder for you to create content for people who aren’t like you. I think businesses are understanding that. BAFTA is here to help celebrate that and celebrate where games achieve new things, break new ground and tell new stories.”
BLACK TWITCH UK That need for further diversity brings us nicely to BAFTA’s partnership with Black Twitch UK, a platform that promotes the voices and content of black streamers and content creators in the UK. Taking place on the 31st of March, the partnership saw the inaugural ‘BAFTA Games Challenge, in which two teams of six women from Black Twitch UK competed live on BAFTA’s Twitch
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