“Games are good for you,” declares London Games Festival as it unveils its programme for the 2020 festivities.
The annual gaming festival, delivered by Games London, an initiative from the capital’s screen industries agency Film London, in partnership with the association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), is celebrating its fifth year as it prepares to welcome 100,000 attendees to over 40 events across the city.
Taking place from March 26 to April 6, gaming fans and professionals in the industry are invited to attend a myriad of celebrations from the free Trafalgar Square festival to the Games Finance Market, which connects studios with investors and publishers.
Speaking about this year’s festival, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “The London Games Festival is a great showcase of our booming games industry and the significant investment and jobs it brings to our capital. Across 12 days, it brings together professionals, businesses and games fans from across the world to celebrate this thriving sector and provide opportunities for our creative talent.
“I’m delighted that this year’s event will be delivering a positive message to the industry, as we show the world that London is open to business and innovation.”
The theme of this year’s festival, Games Are Good For You, comes amidst regular attacks on gaming despite benefits such as reducing stress, improving coordination and decision-making skills, as helping people to make social connections through the rise of multiplayer games. However, the industry is regularly under attack for being addictive and encouraging gambling through features such as loot boxes, which is when gamers spend money on a “digital grab bag” without knowing what is inside.
As a result, LGF is keen to showcase the positive sides of the gaming industry, from the benefits of playing games to the money it generates for the UK economy – the festival alone has created 550 jobs since 2016 thanks in part to the connections made between investors, studios and publishers at events such as the Games Finance Market.
“Video games and interactive entertainment are a valuable part of the UK’s creative and digital industries. Games provide billions of people around the globe with entertainment, ways to connect with friends, and compelling stories, worlds, characters and themes,” said Ukie CEO Dr Jo Twist. “For 12 days across the city, the London Games Festival will showcase the creative excellence, the talent, the scaling innovative businesses and the positive impact games have in people’s lives."
Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission, added: “It is fantastic to see the London Games Festival expanding its reach and ambition, building on the success of last year's festival and doubling our presence in Trafalgar Square, bringing games to life in the centre of London and celebrating work from around the world, drawing on the creative clusters outside of the capital and reflecting the terrific success of the UK industry.
“Creative industries are the big success story of the UK and London economies and the games industry is a key, cutting-edge component of this success."
Here are eight great events to have on your radar for London Games Festival 2020.
Must-see events at this year's London Games Festival
Ensemble: March 26 – onwards
Tobacco Dock and then various locations
An acclaimed exhibition focused on BAME game professionals will be highlighted at different events across the festival.
EGX Rezzed: March 26 to March 28
Tobacco Dock
Europe’s biggest showcase of indie PC and console games.
Games Impact Summit: March 30
Somerset House
Dedicated to examining how games positively influence lives.
Hollywood XP: April 1
Strand Palace
A brand new event for 2020 examines the crossover and connections between video games and other screen industries.
Now Play This: April 3 -5
Somerset House
A key part of LGF since it started, showcasing creative installations and interactive experiences.
Trafalgar Square Games Festival: April 3 – 4
Trafalgar Square
LGF takes over the iconic Trafalgar Square for a free celebration of all things gaming.
Cosplay Parade: April 4
Trafalgar Square
What’s a games festival without cosplay? This family event takes place during the Trafalgar Square games event.
Power UP: April 4 – 19
The Science Museum
The Science Museum's retro games showcase starts during the final weekend of the games festival.
The Evening Standard is the official media partner of the London Games Festival.