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ELSPA ADDRESSES LORDS INQUIRY ON VIDEOGAMES

Director General Michael Rawlinson highlights importance of videogames industry to British creative sector

Wednesday 10th June/...Michael Rawlinson, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association's Director General appeared, with other industry representatives, before the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications today (Wednesday). His address focused on the contribution of the videogames industry to the British economy as well as its culture; highlighting that both have been repeatedly overlooked compared to more established creative industries.

Rawlinson explained to the House that in 2008 the UK retail market for videogames software, hardware and peripherals totalled £4.03 billion; and that the UK's videogames market trailed just the US and Japan in sales terms internationally.

Some statistics apparently surprised those at the parliamentary heading - particularly the fact that official ISFE (Interactive Software Federation of Europe) research placed the average age of UK gamers at 33.

Rawlinson's comments were well received and the committee appeared to show a reasonable grasp of the industry and the issues put before them, such as age classification, educational skills needed by the industry and Intellectual Property problems.