This international seminar provides an opportunity to learn more about best practice in the interactive entertainment industry, from both UK and international perspectives. The global computer and video games market has grown rapidly since it emerged some 20 years ago. In the UK, receipts from video games overtook those of cinema and video rental some time ago, reaching a high of over £2 billion in 2002, prompting many in traditional media to predict that video games are the entertainment medium of the new century.

The seminar examines the success factors for creating products leading to high returns. It will move beyond what is happening today and look at the potential for growth associated with new technologies and developments and ask: what are the risk factors and tipping points in the context of such growth?

This will be set in the context of two crucial success factors. Firsty, issues in education and skills development, and secondly, how the creative industries contribute to local and regional economic development. Topics covered at the seminar will include:

• computer games as entertainment: setting the context
• success factors in the interactive entertainment value-chain
• providing the workforce: educational and skills development issues for the computer games industry
• local economic development and the creative digital industries.

Participants may also submit proposals for short (20-minute) presentations on related topics, which may include the following:

• case studies from outside the UK
• games industry development challenges
• the skills challenge.

It is also hoped to include visits to relevant companies and research centres in the programme.

The seminar will take place in Dundee, the hub of one of the UK’s most vibrant clusters for interactive entertainment with close links between industry and academia in the sector.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE
This seminar will be of value to participants who have an interest in growing and developing the interactive entertainment industry from a wide range of perspectives. A typical delegate will be interested in local economic intervention and support, trade development or be involved in education and training from either a funding, curriculum development, industry, HR development or academic delivery perspective.