Lara Croft gets Magna gaming festival under way

A FESTIVAL of British video gaming had its star-spangled opening at Magna with a special guest appearance from Lara Croft herself.

A model dressed as first lady of consoles abseiled on to a floodlit stage to introduce author and computer games pioneer Ian Livingstone, who officially kicked off the week-long Games Britannia event.

The festival gathers computers and software from across four decades of the medium in Magna’s main exhibition hall.

Developers from Europe and Japan, including Crytek and Namco-Bandai, have come to show off their newest games.

Sheffield-based studio Sumo Digital also have a stand where visitors can preview their latest title—Sega All Stars Racing: Transformed—for the very first time.

Schools from around the UK will visit Magna for five days of workshops aimed at bringing fresh talent into a booming, multimedia industry, before the public is invited in to enjoy the wealth of gaming treasures, old and new.

Organiser Mark Hardisty, a teacher at Brinsworth Comprehensive School, said: “We’ve got workshops on game design, music, storytelling and how the player interacts with the computer.

“We will have about 1,500 children here during the week—all of the workshops are full. The kids seem to be having a lot of fun.”

He added: “Seeing some of this old kit is good for them. It shows them the importance of playability—Sonic the Hedgehog is just as playable now as it was in 1991.”

Timeless children’s show Blue Peter will visit Magna on Friday to film a television segment on the inspirational event.

For more information visit www.gamesbritannia.com or www.visitmagna.co.uk

READ MORE