Games Industry Stars To Attend Wales Games Development Show

Welsh games designers and enthusiasts will get the chance to meet global industry experts and gaming professionals at the annual Wales Games Development Show being held at Cardiff’s Tramshed venue on Saturday, June 18. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Celebrated games designer Catherine Woolley – a University of South Wales graduate – whose credits include games in the Harry Potter series, heads up an extensive guest speaker programme at the event. Catherine, who was recently recognised as a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit will present the inaugural BAFTA Cymru Dewi Vaughan Owen keynote speechat the Show. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Also speaking are Antony Johnston, creator of popular video games Dead Space and Shadow of Mordor and Byron Atkinson-Jones who has worked for Sega Sports Interactive, Lionhead Studios and EA Canada. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Wales Games Development Show is held annually to showcase and celebrate Wales’ thriving games industry. The event is sponsored by the Welsh Government, Creative Europe, University of South Wales and the BBC and is supported by BAFTA Cymru. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This year’s Show features a packed programme of talks, presentations and hand-on workshops on all aspects of game creation and development. Highlights include Minecraft and BBC micro:bit workshops, an interactive Game Zone featuring retro console games and a series of one-to-one business surgeries with experts on funding, legal and accounts on hand to advise new games companies and start-ups. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The event will also include the British Academy Cymru Games Award ceremony, which celebrate and commend games developers and producers in Wales across a range of disciplines including Best Game, Artistic Achievement Gameplay Design, Technical Achievement and Sound & Music. The Awards are sponsored by Games Dev and Wrexham Glyndŵr University, SEGA, Ubisoft, Working Word, Spiros and Tiny Rebel Games. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

More than 400 people attended last year’s Wales Games Development Show held at Cardiff’s City Hall and the organisers hope that this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever before. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

They are particularly keen to get young gamers and games enthusiast involved and are offering discounted family tickets which can be purchased now through Eventbrite. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Wales Games Development Show is coordinated by Games Wales and is funded and sponsored by the Welsh Government, Creative Europe Desk Wales, University of South Wales as well as Microsoft and games development platform Unity. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​