Issue - items at meetings - Presentation on Digital Gaming

Presentation by Janita Bagshawe and Richard LeSaux.

Mr Richard Le Saux, Senior Keeper, Keeper of Local History & Archaeology gave a presentation on the archaeological review (for copy see minute book). He explained that the Collections Review was a formulaic process that assessed five principal areas: curatorial, use, significance, collections care and museum context.  He explained what each of these areas covered. The review was carried out by Dr Pope, an external specialist, with the help of the in-house subject specialists. Dr Pope had recommended that the flora and fauna in the Booth museum was included in the review. 

The Ice Age collections were fantastic and represented the fundamental questions of what it is to be human, the emergence of our species, and the extinction of other branches of the human tree. The artefacts in Brighton & Hove tell a global story.  Dr Pope had concluded that the Royal Pavilion and Museum holds regionally important collections with research potential. The Collections were locally relevant to the story of science in Brighton during 19^th Century and the emergence of public archaeology.  Mr Le Saux circulated a 420,000 year old axe for the Committee to see.

Following a question on the Amber Cup, Mr Le Saux informed the committee that it was in the British Museum on a temporary loan for the project with the BBC in ‘A history of the world in 100 objects’.

Ms Janita Bagshawe, Head of Royal Pavilion & Museums, informed the Committee that the review was funded externally by Renaissance funding and the Effective Collections fund (from the Museums Association).  The Egyptology room had also been externally funded by this.

A question was asked on what was planned after the review and Ms Bagshawe confirmed that the long term plan would be to get a proper display. It would be good to get the artefacts into the community like the micro museums.

Mr Le Saux explained how the ice age axe had been dated, through the use of typology. Similar had axes had been found in contexts that had been dated using oxygen isotope dating.  The axe looked the same as the dated ones, had been made using the same techniques and was found in similar geological context, so it was reasonable to suggest that it was the same age as the axes that had been dated.

A question was asked about school visits and Ms Bagshawe noted that the artefacts do not always fit with the school curriculum, for example, there are no Tudor exhibits here. As the curriculum becomes looser, there would be more opportunities.

After a question on regional comparators, Mr Le Saux informed the Committee that Maidestone had comporable flora and fauna, but not human exhibits.  Perhaps our Museums Service should act as a regional centre for ice age collections.

The Chair thanked Mr Le Saux for his fascinating presentation.

Presentation by Fred Hasson, Redbedlam.

50.1 Fred Hasson, the Executive Director of Redbedlam,  a small Brighton based start up company specialising in Massively Multiplayer Online Games and Virtual Worlds development and technology, gave a presentation on the digital gaming industry (for copy see minute book). He outlined his professional background which included founding the trade association for the industry, Tiga, and the European Games Development Federation (EGDF). He was currently involved in fundraising for Redbedlam in addition to being a voting member of Bafta and a member of the British Screen Advisory Group (BSAC).

50.2 The UK currently represented around half of all the games activity in Europe. The industry employed around 3,000 publishers, 1,000 distributors, 14,000 in retail, and 9,000 developers.

50.3 In Brighton, there were a number of companies including: 2 from Disney (racing games and club penguin), Second Life (virtual world company); Babel and Black Rock (translations of games for other markets); web agencies and shops. This accounted for around 1000 jobs. Both universities in the city carried out research into gaming, and on 12-14 July the national developers’ conference would be held in Brighton.  Brighton and Guildford were key clusters in the games industry, along with the West Midlands and the North West.

50.4 The average wage for developers was £30,000 and the global industry was worth $45bn. In the UK in 2009 the industry was worth £3.6bn, down from £4.1bn in 2008. However, this was hardware and software (£1.9bn) and not as much hardware had been purchased in 2009 as in 2008 after the original launch of hardware such as the Wii. The industry was largely recession-proof.  HMV had stated that the games industry had saved them from the recession. 80% of the above revenue was disc-based with 20% computer and phone based as platforms. The Wii and Nintendo DS had expanded the market with over 50% of homes with a games console.  Web agencies were now included in the games industry and internet sites such as Facebook especially was bringing in more internet players.

50.5 Mr Hasson outlined the issues facing the industry in Brighton & Hove. The lack of affordable good looking offices was a large problem. A recent national survey had also shown that 70% of developers would leave the UK, particularly to go to Canada. In Canada, they were offering many incentives: 40% of salaries for new jobs created were paid back in cash to companies: there was a five-year tapered tax break available for foreign nationals relocating; and the research and development tax credits advantages (defined in the same international way) were double those of the UK.  UK universities were too supply-driven and generalised games courses were not often relevant to the needs of development companies. There was also a heavy reliance on US and Japanese finance for making console games. Mr Hasson also raised the question of what would happen if, after the election, SEEDA was abolished.  How prepared were the Council to step in to help entrepreneurs?  Mr Hasson concluded by reminding the Committee that games skills in the future could be used in many different ways especially in traioning and education and information, for example to treat post-traumatic stress, or to help children visualise what was happening in their bodies during illness.

50.6 In response to questions, Mr Hasson told the Committee he had heard good things about the Universities in the city. However, universities needed to talk to companies and find ways to work together. The issue of office space and the need for high tech office space was discussed, including the future plans for New England House.  Mr Hasson noted that the Government had recently awarded £3.5m to Dundee and Salford for centres of excellence in the gaming industry and there was currently a question mark over whether there could be a third centre of excellence. He suggested that Brighton could be that third centre.

50.7 Following a question on what the Council could do to help the industry, Mr Hasson remarked that the gaming industry needed to feel appreciated. A symbolic gesture at the July ‘Develop’ conference would be helpful, for example, welcome signs or taking the Mayor around to visit studios.

50.8 The Chairman thanked Mr Hasson for his most interesting and informative session.