5.
Game Stars - The "Brit Awards" of the Computer Games Industry
LONDON, April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- ATTN EDITORS: The following script is to accompany a Video News Release from PR Newswire which will be available to all UK broadcasters as follows:
DATE: FRIDAY APRIL 16, 2004
TIME: 1030-1045 BST (0930-0945GMT)
ORIGIN: PA Broadcast, London
LOCAL ENDS AT BT TOWER, LONDON: BBP A 81
STORY: GAME STARS AWARDS PREVIEW
LOCATION: LONDON, UK
DATE SHOT: APRIL 3 AND 13, 2004
TOTAL DUR: 7'57"
STORY:
It was 25 years ago this year that the world first started playing Space Invaders. Today in the UK we spend more on computer games than we do going to the cinema - over two billion pounds every year, making us the third largest games country in the world. And Britain has produced many of the most successful games, including world best-seller Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Harry Potter. The industry is a significant contributor to our balance of payments.
This weekend (17 April) the industry is celebrating with the 2004 Game Stars Awards. They're billed as the Brits of the computer and video games industry, and will present awards in ten categories, including Action, Adventure, Racing, Sport, Multiplayer and Pocket Games. Game Stars will also be searching for the best player in the UK, who will win a trip to Japan to meet the creator of Space Invaders.
Games are big business - since 1995, the global leisure software market has almost tripled in value. More than 32 million consoles were sold around the world in 2003. And may of the best games are developed in the UK. The biggest selling game series in the world, Grand Theft Auto, was developed and produced in the UK by Rockstar North. The video games industry is a big employer - it's by far the largest software employment field in Europe. It employs 20,000 people in the UK alone. And games are good for you! According to a Home Office five-year research study, those who play computer and video games regularly are more likely to enjoy academic success.
Games have made staggering technical advances in the three decades of their existence. Once we used to huddle round a black and white screen in a pub. Today's best seller, 'James Bond Everything or Nothing', has state-of-the-art graphics and even includes specially recorded dialogue from actors Pierce Brosnan and John Cleese. That game is a contender for an Award in the Action category. Among the other finalists are Mario Kart, Grand Tourismo 4, Lord of the Rings and Eye Toy.
Two contestants will be playing for the title of UK's Greatest Gamer. 16-year-old Thomas Kingston from Walsall and Michelle Homewood of Gravesend reached the final from a field of more than 28,000 entrants. The pair secured their places in the final at playoff heats held on April 3 at ExCel in London's Docklands.
The event will be broadcast on Saturday 17 April ITV1 at 12.30pm. (with repeats on ITV2 at 6:00pm and 11:00pm). The show will be presented by Iain Lee and Holly Willoughby. A galaxy of stars are lined up to present the individual awards, including Katie Price (Jordan), Major James Hewitt, comedians Simon Pegg and John Thomson, Jessica Taylor of Liberty X and many more.
SHOTLIST:
LONDON, UK
1. Opening graphics for Game Stars
2. Opening sequence of Game Stars programme - presenter Iain Lee arriving on stage, comedian Simon Pegg announcing nominations for Best Racing Game
(April 13, 2004)
3. Exterior Game shop in London
4. Interior customers in shop, customer paying at till
5. Set-up shot Roger Bennett, Director General, ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association)
6. Soundbite (English): Roger Bennett, Director General, ELSPA, speaking about size and growth of games industry
7. Best-selling games on rack in shop - left to right Tomb Raider, FIFA 2004 and Grand Theft Auto
8. Soundbite (English): Roger Bennett, Director General, ELSPA, explaining that games sector contributes to UK balance of payments
9. Set-up shot Tim Clark, Games Journalist, Official PlayStation 2 Magazine UK, in hop
10. Soundbite (English):Tim Clark, Games Journalist, saying Britain has world-beating design and developing talent
11. Soundbite (English): Roger Bennett, Director General, ELSPA, saying computer games industry originated in the UK
12. Clip from old Space Invaders game
13. Soundbite (English):Tim Clark, Games Journalist, saying games content has undergone quantum shift
14. Clip from new James Bond game, "Everything or Nothing"
(April 3, 2004)
15. Contestants taking part in playoff heats for "UK's Greatest Gamer" competition
16. Tilt up shot of Michelle Homewood, one of the two finalists, taking part in the heats
17. Finalist Michelle Homewood playing in heats
18. Soundbite (English):Michelle Homewood, Finalist, UK's Greatest Gamer, speaking about her hopes for the competition
19. Soundbite (English):Thomas Kingston, Finalist, UK's Greatest Gamer, speaking about his hopes for the competition
20. Soundbite (English): Ben Hinchliffe, UK's Greatest Gamer 2003, speaking about his hopes for this year's contest
21. Presenter Holly Willoughby doing piece to camera
(April 13, 2004)
22. Soundbite (English): Iain Lee, Presenter, Game Stars, with co-presenter Holly Willoughby, saying this year's show is bigger and better than last year's
23. John Thomson, presenter of one of the wards, signing celebrity auction t-shirt
24. Soundbite (English): John Thomson, Actor, listing the games he has owned
25. Soundbite (English): Harvey of So Solid Crew (and presenter of a Game Stars award) listing his favourite games
26. Soundbite (English): Jessica Taylor of Liberty X (and presenter of a Game Stars award) saying her favourite was Sonic the Hedgehog
27. Soundbite (English): John Fashanu, former footballer (and presenter of a Game Stars award) saying playing games is like playing football
28. Soundbite (English): John Thomson, actor, saying he liked the game Asteroids
29. Soundbite (English): Simon Pegg, actor (and presenter of a Game Stars award) listing the games he used to play
30. Soundbite (English): Suranne Jones, Coronation Street actress (and presenter of a Game Stars award) saying she was just beaten by James Hewitt
31. Soundbite (English): Major James Hewitt, presenter of a Game Stars award, describing how he played Game Boy while in the Army
32. Soundbite (English): Katie Price (Jordan), presenter of a Game Stars award, saying she's there to present an award
33. Clip from Game Stars showing James Hewitt announcing nominations for Best Sports Game
34. Soundbite (English):Tim Clark, Games Journalist, saying Game Stars is important to get recognition for the games industry
35. Closeup of James Bond game on TV, pull back to wide of games shop.
― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Thursday, 6 November 2008 14:19 (seventeen years ago)