The London Games Festival is set to return for its fourth consecutive run this year beginning on October 24th, 2009. Lead organizer ELSPA has revealed the details of the event, promising "something for everyone." And by everyone, they do mean EVERYONE. Even your parents.

The London MCM Expo accomplished what it set out to do this year, which was to set a new world record for most video game cosplayers under one roof. The recently-concluded Movie Comic Expo at the ExCel Center made its gaming side headline-worthy once again, and this one is literally heading for the books.

Let's take a quick breather from all the drama and seriousness of those LittleBigPlanet and interlaced PSP-3000 news items, shall we? For now, we celebrate gaming as a whole! To usher in the London Games Festival, we hear that Sonic the Hedgehog* was crowned king of video game characters, leaving the likes of Mario, Lara Croft, and Niko Bellic in the dust.

*Disturbing photo-ops of Sonic running around London included!

Big news coming in for Europe, as we announce that preparations are underway for this year's London Games Festival. Wondering exactly when 2008's celebrations begin? Visit the full article for the rest of the details!

The London Games Festival is on its way back after a year and organizers are touting it to be the biggest series of gaming events the city has ever seen as it spans four days and more than 40 activities spread across different locations.

The expansion from last year's game extravaganza is geared towards catering to all possible audiences from the casual crowd to hardcore game enthusiasts. It's backed by industry heavyweights like Activision, Atari, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega and Ubisoft, all strutting their wares to make the experience one to remember.

The London Game Festival starts on the 22nd of October and comes to a climax on the 26th. Headlining the festival are the British Video Game Academy Awards which honors the elite in the industry, Videogames Live which is a concert for 2,000 people and The Virtual Worlds forum that gives a lecture hosted by the industry's masters.

Exhibits will also be on hand to provide gamers stuff to drool over. The Science Museum: Quantifying Immersion in Games is one such exhibit and it features pieces of gaming history so that today's gamers can learn more about the roots of their beloved games. The European Careers Fair will have a leg in the event to orient and try to find people with the drive and the skills to break into the business.

"We are delighted by the response to this year’s festival," says Keith Ramsdale, Chairman of the event. "This event is a celebration of one of the world’s most exciting industries, designed to facilitate artistic and cultural recognition, as well as raise awareness of the games industry as a whole."

If you're interested to participate, Simon Watts on 020 7307 3100 or Duncan Best on 020 7534 0584 will be more than happy to help you. You can also check out www.londongamesfestival.com for more details.

 

The London Games Festival, a significant success last year, will be returning for a repeat performance with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) as its primary focus this year. The event will begin October 22, 2007, reports Games Industry, and will continue for four more days to October 26, with an invite to all gamers from MMOs and PCs to consoles and handhelds.

Aside from several game-related forums which tackle legal issues and corporate opportunities, a Video Games Live concert will also be held at the Royal Albert Hall, while the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) plans to discuss the perception of gaming. The Science Museum will also host a study of immersion in video games, and the London Game Career Fair will be offering aspiring game developers a chance to enter the UK game development scene.

It appears that the Europe will be celebrating more than just an Oktoberfest come late fall (or early winter) as the GameCity Interactive Entertainment Festival, or simply the GameCity Festival, will also be partially coinciding with the London Games Festival, on October 24-28, 2007, in Nottingham, England. More details on these two events, including participating companies and studios, as they come in.

We've previously introduced to you guys the London Games Festival, we've told you what it's designed for, what it's about, the goals of the thing, and so on, but now that the event is getting closer, we think that we better start giving you guys some more details regarding the London event. Here's just some of the public events that attendees can look forward to as the First London Games Festival opens its doors to guests by October 2.

October 5 to 7, HMV Games Showcase, 12:00-6:00pm
HMV - Oxford Circus 150 Oxford Street, London Z1D 1DJ
The London Games Festival 2006 kicks off here. This stage of the event will bring together well-known figures from the world of video games throughout the week and the event will feature celebrities (gaming and real world celebrities) competing against each other in a series of high profile tournaments, with the winners crowned the kings of the gaming world.

October 2 to October 7, at HMV main stage, Oxford Street, 7:00-9:30pm
October 3, Lizard's Lair, Visit London 2 More London, Riverside, London SE1 2RR
This event is free but it requires you to pre-register. The Lizard's Lair is open to anyone who has a great idea for a video game and wants the chance to pitch it to the top people in the industry. So if you want to sell your idea to people from Eidos or other such developers, this is the place to be.

October 5, The BAFTA Video Games Awards, 6:30pm-1:00am
The Roundhouse Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
The special thing about this event is that this is the first time that the winners of the Video Game Categories will get to sit side by side with the winners of more socially-recognized events. A definite elevation of status in the field of electronic entertainment don't you think?

October 6 to October 8, World Series of Video Games, 10:00am-10:00pm
London Trocadero 7 - 14 Coventry Street, London, W1D 7DH
Free if you've registered, otherwise a fee of £1 will be charged at the door. The event basically features professional gaming tournaments in Counter-Strike 1.6, Quake 4 and Warcraft III: Frozen Throne. Attendees of the event can compete in these tournaments or watch the world's best gamers as they battle for over £40,000 in cash and prizes.

November 25, Video Games Live, 6:00pm-12:00am
Hammersmith Apollo Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH
The event is all about Video Games Live coming to London to provide stunning orchestral and choir renditions of some of the most memorable and popular tunes in gaming, which highlights how games have embedded itself in our art and culture. Many of the classic tunes from gaming’s past and present are featured, including themes from Sonic, Mario, Zelda, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy and God of War. With over 50 different games included, it promises to be a musical night you will never forget.

London Games Festival! Festival London Games! Games Festival London! Games London Festival! Festival Games London!

It doesn't matter how you place the words, because it's still going to rock.

That's the hope of its many organizers and sponsors as the First London Games Festival opens its doors for consumers and trade from the 2nd to the 7th of October. They hope to show that London is a place where you can buy Fish and Chips AND Frag people in a deathmatch, showcasing the talent and ability of both game makers and the businesses that get these games out for the public.

Not only that, but they want to cater to the tastes of everyone, a far cry from the now-dissolved Electronic Entertainment Expo's penchant for attracting only the big fans of gaming in all its forms. As they mention on their website,

The London Games Festival is designed to engage and immerse everyone wanting to be a part of this modern cultural and entertainment experience. Events will be tailored to appeal to different audiences, from families and children to the hard-core gaming communities.

In addition to the usual game previews and show-stopping events planned, the LGF 2006 site also mentions a London Game Career Fair, which will probably something that every gamer aspiring to work in the very field he loves will be waiting for. There will also be a Video Games Awards hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA, and what will probably be film showings of game videos or games adapted into movies, if the title Playing Films, Watching Games is any indication.

All in all, it's looking to be a jolly good show.

You can check out their website for more information, as well as the locations of specific events.