Amid fanfare and ceremonial pomp, the giants of the world’s gaming industry collected their annual dues in this month's 3rd Bafta’s Video Game Awards.
The event was marked by the runaway success of Sierra’s Half Life 2, which attendees say could be the driving force to push gaming towards the level of exposure enjoyed by other creative industries. Despite video gaming being worth an estimated £2bn a year in Britain alone, industry voices are concerned its media coverage is limited to scare stories about the latest video game ‘nasty.’
The Baftas and its victors of Half Life 2 - which won best animation, best art-direction, best PC game and best multiplayer – are billed as one solution to fix the poor perception of the sector, when compared to Bafta areas like TV & film.
Mike Rawlinson, deputy director general of the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, said it would take time before game creations were accepted on artistic merit. He indicates that some of the industry’s efforts to break into the mainstream could be bolstered by Government support, similar to that seen in Japan, where games creators are hailed as creative geniuses.
“You also see that in other emerging markets such as South Korea,” Mr Rawlinson told the Guardian.
“The government has worked tirelessly to create a games industry and has made huge inroads in making gaming a cultural asset.”
His comments reflect the many disgruntled voices in the UK which accuse the government of a poor performance when trying to boost UK gaming, especially when compared to the £700m a year in lottery funds set aside for the film industry. In contrast, British games firms receive nothing in finance.
Meanwhile, the traditional age of the average gamer has a tendency to be the 20-something, suggesting the population if not the authorities are moving with the times. Glen O’Connell, a spokesman for Electronic Arts, which won best Sony PS2 game for Burnout 3: Takedown, said the Bafta acknowledgement was crucial to boost the industry’s profile.
“Bafta recognising video games increases our profile as Hollywood professionals,” he said.
“Before Sony got involved 10 years ago, it was essentially a child’s industry. Gaming is not just for children any more. Now the average consumers are in their 20s.”
He added that with Microsoft and Sony both developing the next–generation versions of their Xbox and PS2 models, the creativity potential of the industry can only improve. An acknowledgement from Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry, also may serve as a boost to gaming, after she commended the £220m worth of game exports brought to the UK. The minister compared the influx of cash with the negative export value of the country’s film and television industries. Similarly, the amounts of money commanded by one game – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – has also grabbed media attention, following sales of £24m in the first weekend of its launch. The title’s creators, Rockstar Games, were given a special Bafta award for the company’s founding members.
The awards ceremony further revealed a possible drive from computer games makers to appeal to the bottom end of the market – the youngsters. For this task, Nintendo won an award for new hardware in the shape of Donkey Konga Drums while Sony’s Eye Toy device was likewise spotlighted, as a sure way to widen industry appeal. The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association said their future desire is for “games to be reviewed alongside music, books, films theatre and not be confined to the techie pages.”
The group concluded that such video game titles “are about entertainment, art and culture.”
