Mayor Ken backs London Games Week
The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has backed the London Games Week later this month with a message of goodwill, saying that it has "a major role to play in developing industry".
London Mayor Ken Livingstone has sent a message of goodwill to London Games Week, which incorporates the Game Developers Conference Europe, ECTS, the Develop Awards, the Game Charity Ball and the PlayStation Experience.
"Trade shows and conferences like London Games Week have a major role to play in developing industry, creating an environment where deals can be done and new ideas are generated," he said on Friday.
The Mayor also paid tribute to the games industry in general.
"Creative industries like the games sector contribute enormously to the buzz that attracts people to our city, and are also London's second biggest earner after financial services. The computer games and software sector alone employs around 64,000 people in challenging and stimulating jobs."
Mayor Ken also indicated that he has plans to try and help invigorate the industry further, acknowledging "some difficult times recently", but stressing that "there is huge potential for growth and the Creative Industries Commission at the London Development Agency will report to me soon on the ways that the public and private sector can work together to support the creative industries as a whole."
"I hope London Games Week will be a fruitful and enjoyable event," he added. We hope so too, although if we have to queue too long for Mario Kart: Double Dash then it might be a frightening and horrendously violent event.
CMP's Andy Lane said it was "great to get support from the Mayor's office", reacting warmly to the Mayor's comments, and added that "it's further proof that, by combining the many events that take place during the week under one banner, we're able to achieve greater presence for the industry as a whole."
London Games Week kicks off on August 26th with the Game Developers Conference Europe, followed by ECTS (August 27th-29th) and the PlayStation Experience (August 28th-31st), with other events going on throughout the week.