Guildford.Games launch confirms town as 'The Hollywood of Video Games’
The Guildford.Games committee has decided to make their initiative a more formal affair after three successful years of presenting the G.G Festival and Awards and running live events under the banner.
Given that it is home to more than 3,000 highly qualified programmers and 60 game developers, Guildford has long been referred to as 'The Hollywood of Video Games'. Understandably so - the gaming industry in Guildford is thought to be worth more than £90 million.
The non-profit organisation was set up by a group of people all enthusiastic about the Guildford games developer community and aims to promote the local sector, create enduring relationships amongst companies and attract international notice.
The industry, supported by a well-established and highly regarded local network of business and academics, has attracted over £1 billion in foreign direct investment to date and is rapidly expanding.
The group, made up of representatives from the global legal firm Liquid Crimson, Charles Russell Speechlys, UKIE (UK Interactive Entertainment) and others, has been organising and hosting events for regional developers and the larger gaming community in their own time since 2019.
Head of Comms at Liquid Crimson, Lauran Carter, said this about what's happening: “Guildford is an incredibly important place for video game development, and we are privileged to work alongside its talented development teams. Those of us involved in G.G are driven by our pride for Guildford game developers - past and present - and we hope to continue to work with local studios, putting them in the spotlight, for many years to come."
"Many of the G.G committee forged our career direction within Guildford studios. With G.G initiatives, I hope we can inspire blossoming game developers to start their career in one of the many Guildford games studios, as I did.”
Rebecca Burford is a Non-Executive Director at Guildford.Games. She says this about the news: “Guildford’s reputation and legacy within the gaming sector is unrivalled, and the industry continues to develop at pace."
"Having been a major advocate for the Guildford Games Hub for several years with many clients in the sector, the team at Charles Russell Speechlys were delighted to have a pivotal role in advising the Guildford.Games committee on the formation of Guildford.Games Ltd. We look forward to witnessing and being a part of further growth and innovation in the sector.”
Main pictures courtesy of Guildford.Games Ltd
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