Games companies, investors and gamers are participating in 12 days of events as part of the London Games Festival 2019.
The London Games Festival 2019, which runs from April 2 to 14th, features agenda-setting summits, galleries, demo zones, international pavilions, networking spaces and more.
During the Festival, Ukie, the games industry body, published new data showing the UK market for games grew by 10 per cent in 2018 to reach £5.7bn, when revenues from games software, hardware, and games-related culture and events are added together.
Significant growth was recorded in the industry's digital and online revenues which rose 20.3 per cent to £2.01bn, with mobile games also reporting a buoyant 8.2 per cent rise in income, compared to the preceding year.
The Festival period also coincided with the 2019 BAFTA Games Awards, celebrating the industry's best work. Leamington Spa-based Playground Games, which is part of Microsoft Studios, won the British Game category for 'Forza Horizon 4' .
The mythology-based 'God of War', produced by Santa Monica Studio, was the biggest winner of the night, collecting five BAFTAs including Best Game.
Other Festival initiatives attracted international participants to support investment and development of talent in the games sector.
The 2019 Games Finance Market – the UK's only event connecting games creators with funders from around the world – includes participation from developers, start-ups, investors and publishers. The Games Finance Market is open to 60 games companies and 60 investors, publishers and media funds.
And for the fourth consecutive year at the London Games Festival, WIN provides a networking event for women working in or interested in games, tech, and related creative interactive industries.
Why the UK Games Sector?