The festival has long been supported by the Mayor of London
“You know, I was responsible for Rezzed [when Lilley was head of events at ReedPop from 2019-2020] and W.A.S.D. is just a natural progression from that. “If there was a chance that there wasn’t going to be
an event at Tobacco Docks, then we had to step in and put one on.” Much like its spiritual predecessor, W.A.S.D. will be
a welcoming space to games of all sizes. “You can bring anything,” says Lilley. “We just
announced that we’re doing curios which is a collection of independent products curated by David Hayward. It’s a chance for smaller indie devs just to come and show their wares. “Plus, we’ve got the more mainstream people with
the likes of Devolver, Thunderful, Team17... those kinds of brands. The London Games Festival needs that kind of play at the heart.” We know we certainly can’t wait to wander around
Tobacco Docks once again, and we’re surely not alone in that, judging by the excitement around the event. “I think that’s the proof though,that people really
enjoy events when they can go to something and they’re safe,” adds French. “And I think that venue specifically, Tobacco Docks, people have become quite attached to it. It’s one of the hearts of the London Games Festival. “Events like W.A.S.D, they’re destination events. People will travel to these things, when they’re good
28 | MCV/DEVELOP March 2022
and when they matter. The festival is good, it all matters. One of our other motivations is to encourage people to come to the city. People were coming to our old events in the before times, and treating it like a trip. I think they’ll do the same with W.A.S.D” That isn’t all that’s going on at this year’s festival, of
course. The wide array of events means that Games London can represent the different faces of the industry – working under a realisation that games can mean a great number of different things to different audiences – and indeed, expand the recognition of games as an art form. “There’s another event in the schedule called Now
Play This, which has been running since the festival was founded. It’s very different to an event like, for instance, W.A.S.D. It’s much more about artistic and playful experiences.” Now Play This, described as a ‘festival of
experimental game design,’ is taking place at Somerset House from April 8-10th. The event is themed around the relationship between games, play and democracy – and will feature both on-site and digital exhibitions, as well as a design camp. “A lot of global games art practitioners go to Now
Play This. It just reaches a very different audience. People who might visit Somerset House, but wouldn’t necessarily go to a games event – and suddenly realise they understand the potential of games.”
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