Games industry faces heading to Brum for LAUNCH

BIRMINGHAM Science Park’s LAUNCH Conference will see a digital gaming company awarded £25,000 and the opportunity to develop its winning concept for PlayStation Mobile in conjunction with Sony.

The LAUNCH Future Gaming & Digital Conference is being held today and tomorrow at the science park and is expected to attract 300 games developers and some of the biggest names in the industry.

Speakers include Suresh Sudera, head of games at Vodafone Group, Dr Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE (UK Interactive Entertainment), Stephen Hood, creative director at Codemasters, Chris Southall, chief technical officer at Sega Europe and Philip Oliver, CEO of Blitz Games Studios.

This year’s conference will feature the five finalists of the PlayStation Mobile Prototype competition, with the winner of the £25,000 prize selected at the event. The funding is from Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Europe, Creative England and Birmingham Science Park.

The aim is for the selected indie developer and Sony to have the game ready for full consumer trial by summer 2013.

Science park CEO Dr David Hardman MBE said: “The UK games industry is the second largest in the world after the US and the West Midlands is home to 25% of the country’s total games workforce. 

“The LAUNCH Conference provides a wealth of knowledge and subject matter that is perfect for anyone in the gaming or digital industries.”