The UK Games Fund is offering a top prize of up to £25,000 to UK games developers who hold the potential to create the next big video game.
The Government has dished out £1.3 million worth of grants so far to 50 fresh, talented developers nationwide, expediting their games to whole new levels – and you could be the next lucky developer to gain from the scheme!
“The UK is a world leader when it comes to making video games”
The video game sector plays an integral role within the creative industries, which brings in an astonishing £84 billion to the UK’s economy, and the UK Games Fund wants to ensure its prevalence remains.
Making the virtual a reality
The Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Matt Hancock MP, explains why the government invests so generously in this scheme, “The UK is a world leader when it comes to making video games, and we’re determined to make sure this continues long into the future.
“Our UK Games Fund has already helped many young games companies turn prototypes into a reality. Together with the Government’s video games tax reliefs, this shows how we’re supporting this dynamic sector to attract further investment and new talent.”
“We’re really excited about this funding round, given the high demand and the quality of projects we’ve seen so far”
The gaming sector is well worth supporting as the global games market is expected to grow from $91.8bn in 2015 to $118.6bn by 2019.
The Fund was established to help developers who have the ideas but lack the finance to promote and accelerate their game to the heights it deserves. The head of the UK Games Fund, Paul Durrant, adds, “We’re really excited about this funding round, given the high demand and the quality of projects we’ve seen so far.”
Beast of Balance by Sensible Object
Sensible Object was triumphant in the first round of the UK Games Fund, and now its game ‘Beast of Balance’ (part-developed at Bristol’s Pervasive Media Studio) is set to hit the shelves at John Lewis and other renowned retailers.
“The UK Games Fund is a very timely form of support for those that hope to grow and succeed”
Beast of Balance sees the confluence of the board game and digital interactive games. Players stack beast shaped characters onto a tower that is synced with an electronic device. You can then watch as your magical world evolves, but careful not to collapse the tower otherwise a volcano is disturbed that destroys it all!
Alex Fleetwood, Sensible Object’s founder, remarks, “Launching any venture is fraught with risks, but creative businesses like game companies come with even more challenges and the UK Games Fund is a very timely form of support for those that hope to grow and succeed in that area.
“The fund is well-run, straightforward to apply for, and clear in its decision-making, making it a valuable asset to game companies like ours and the industry as a whole.”
So, if you’re a developer with an idea why not apply now! Applications close 23 November 2016. You can find out more information about the competition on the UK Games Fund’s website, or give them a follow on Twitter to keep up with their latest news: @ukgamesfund
Shona Wright
Shona covers all things editorial at TechSPARK. She publishes news articles, interviews and features about our fantastic tech and digital ecosystem, working with startups and scaleups to spread the word about the cool things they're up to.
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