BBC could be "perfect ambassador" for UK industry
BBC Worldwide "super interested" in using brand to promote UK talent
BBC Worldwide EVP Robert Nashak has said that the broadcaster is actively looking at how it can use the BBC brand to champion the cause of UK games development.
Speaking with Eidos life president Ian Livingstone during the Game Horizon conference in Newcastle today, Nashak said the corporation is open to suggestions about how it can work closer with the independent developer community and help promote the UK scene to a worldwide audience.
"We're super interested in that," commented Nashak. "We are the perfect ambassador for indie game development in the UK and around the world, so we're looking at ways to do that.
"Imagine the BBC for the games world represents the best and the brightest from the UK and promotes the industry, and the good contribution we can make."
BBC Worldwide currently works with independent games developers on a number of educational and entertainment branded titles for online and mobile formats.
One of those companies, Reloaded, told GamesIndustry.biz that it hopes to convince broadcasters and educators to think more as a publishing company rather than just as a brand licensor, in-turn helping the independent and social games scenes grow.
"That can work for brands and educators, and we feel like we've done it pretty successful on Channel 4 Education, and we're working with another couple of clients trying to do the same thing," said Preloaded's Phil Stuart.
"The idea of being able to engage an immediate audience directly through games portals or via iTunes or Xbox is a really exciting thing for them, because it used to be just a few triple-A game studios - but now they can come to us and say 'we want reach this audience around this piece of science' and we can reach them through loads of different channels. "
Nashak also said that he didn't feel there was a wider problem at the BBC with the service accepting of a games agenda even if it's not necessarily reflected in wider entertainment programming.
"We only get into issues around the exploitation of games, where the commercial value lies. That's a sticky problem but it’s a reasonable one to have. In general it's been a good relationship so far."
I would have pictured Channel 4 being a little better but maybe it's just me.
Maybe this will help good ole George to sit up, and realise Gaming, and thus Entertainment is UK's mainstream bread and butter, with no UNION strikes to ever worry about. We just want to work and produce great products internationally.
I can see the BBC taking the gaming industry in the wrong direction. As was said, the only shows on BBC channels are about how addicting they are or how violent they are.
BBC for ambassadors to the games industry!! Am I the only one who thinks that is an extremely BAD idea and will only end in tears?
We all know that interactive media will replace the standard passive television/movies, it is inevitable IMO.
Let us not forget that the games industry directly threatens the TV industry, namely the BBC and the very stable licence fee they get off millions of UK residents.
Has everyone forgotten how the BBC treated the games industry up to now on their shows? I say 'Piss off BBC, stick to ruining your own industry.”
The folk who cover Click are more clued in, however trying to get further authorization that gaming is mainstream will face some obstinate resistance (my own conjecture here btw)
eg. a summary of information soundbyte that may be useful, that 2011 is a era of :
- Minecraft
- Zynga - social casual spending spree
- Diminished AAA scene, but a more focused smaller cartel of FPS/adventure/action blockbusters
- Online gaming - predicted to spike to another £20bn (out of a £30 bn pie)
- Social gaming: quality products are being made everyday - both parts educational, escapist, stimulating and non violent
- Tablet and Portable gaming heats up
- Apps Apps Apps (this one they seem to partially understand - hence Beebs purchase of an extortionate loads of ipads...but I wonder what parts is because it looks convenient, sexy and cool rather than daily practicality, without prior public consultation)
Only critique is: BEEB doesn't always know best, and as such larger introduction of independent advisory board may be required
No offence to any companies that have developed stuff for them in the past, but nothing so far has been likely to set the gaming world on fire...
I also think that a documentary or something on the process of game development ( by anyone, not just the Beeb ) would set quite a few people straight on how hard it can be to actually make a game and the amount of effort that goes into it, and may even show that developers are mature, artistic and professional people* rather than the image that most people outside the industry have of us.
...provided I ever end up on camera... :P
*I accept that there may be some exceptions to this....
Edited 2 times. Last edit by Nik Love-Gittins on 29th June 2011 10:12am
OTOH I'm pretty damn sure they have clout regarding properties such as the Dr Who MMO, and it certainly would have been nice if it hadn't been offshored without even trying to find a UK dev.