Category Archives: LGF 2008

God. A total of 342 cosplayers have beaten the world record for getting as many of their “kind” in one place, congregating in London to beat a record set in Germany last week.

It’s London Games Festival for the next week. Event boss Duncan Best said: “It was a bit touch-and-go for a while but the gaming community really stepped up to the challenge.”

The Germans managed a paltry 337.

Get the full freakshow through the link.

London mayor Boris Johnson apparently has trouble remembering what he’s said: the politician today praised the UK games industry, following previously writing a diatribe against games in general in the Telegraph in 2006.

Boris today, speaking on the EA Trafalgar Square event during the LGF later this month: “I’m delighted that the London Games Festival is back in our city for its third year. It demonstrates the creativity and range of the gaming industry, which, as an important part of London’s creative sector, makes a vital contribution to the economy as a whole. With events across the capital, the festival has something for everyone and illustrates the popularity of this thriving form of entertainment.

“I am pleased to see EA’s BE THE ONE event is returning to Trafalgar Square. It was an undoubted highlight of last year’s festival, which reinforces London’s position at the centre of one the most fastest-growing creative industries in the world.”

Boris in 2006, writing in the Telegraph in an editorial titled, “The writing is on the wall – computer games rot the brain”: “Some children have it bad. Some are miraculously unaffected. But millions of seven- to 15-year-olds are hooked, especially boys, and it is time someone had the guts to stand up, cross the room and just say no to Nintendo. It is time to garrotte the Game Boy and paralyse the PlayStation, and it is about time, as a society, that we admitted the catastrophic effect these blasted gizmos are having on the literacy and the prospects of young males.”

You utter, utter clown, Johnson.

EA press release after the link. Thanks, GI.

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EuroClash is to publish the London Games Festival guide, the venture’s announced.

The week-long event takes place in October.

EuroClash’s Simon Tapscott said, “We’re delighted to have been selected to produce this year’s official London Games Festival Guide. The combination of the vibrancy of the Festival, Eurogamer’s editorial credibility, the sheer diversity of events and the great experience of our customer publishing team means that we will create a superb Guide offering real value to consumers and publishers alike.

“We’re looking forward to supporting the Festival and helping it become the essential UK games industry event.”

Press release after the link.

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