BAFTA's New Approach to Gaming

“Video Games Are As Important As Film and Television” – BAFTA

On the 8th March the British Academy of Film and Televisio (BAFTA) officially recognised the growing importance of video games.

In 2005 the UK spent a record breaking £1.35 million on games, making it the fastest growing entertainment medium. The PC was responsible for around 29% of the £1.35 million with continuing rises in unit sales. It’s partly because of this popularity that the BAFTA’s officially announced video games as their “third arm”.

With the announcement the BAFTA Games Committee was formed. The committee is made up of representatives from the largest publishers, developers and trade associations. This includes ELSPA, TIGA, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, EA, Ubisoft and many more. (A full list can be found at the end.) This organisation would appear to perfect then to judge games, set the benchmarks and encourage new and creative experiences.

Phil Jackson, head of the BAFTA Games committee, commented “BAFTA’s move to give video games equal status with film and television reflects games’ contribution to artistic innovation and new forms of story-telling.”

BAFTA’s chairman, Duncan Kenworthy, says “The British Academy Video Games Awards”, taking place at the end of the London Games Festival, “are a key part of our strategy to define, articulate and reward excellence in the sector, to the benefit of those who create games and those who play them”.


Full list of BAFTA Games committee members:

John Broomhall – Broomhall Projects Ltd
Ian Baverstock – Kuju / TIGA
Michael Cassius
John Chasey – Infospace
Rob Cooper – Ubisoft
Grant Dean – Timiani Ltd
Fred Hasson – TIGA
Mike Hayes – Sega
Paul Jackson – EA
Miles Jacobson – SI Games
Julian Jones – Ideaworks 3d
Sean Kelly – SCEE
David Lau Key - Renderware
Ian Livingstone – Eidos
Ray Maguire – SCEE
Sanjay Mistry – EA
Peter Molyneux OBE – Lionhead
Michael Rawlinson – ELSPA
Adam Roberts – Vivendi Universal Games
Jez San OBE
Luke Valentine – Eidos
Roger Walkden – Activision
Tim Wapshott – The Times