Nick Poole takes the helm as Ukie CEO (2024)

Nick Poole officially starts as Ukie CEO: We are thrilled to share that Nick Poole has formally stepped into his role as CEO of Ukie, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Ukie. Nick brings over two decades of experience leading transformational change for professional and trade associations in the cultural and creative industries.

We are looking forward to supporting Nick and our members to help secure the recognition, investment and regulatory support that this fantastic industry deserves, now and for the future.

Ukie speaks to Sky News FYI: Special Projects Lead, Dan Wood, spoke to Sky News FYI about the positive impact of games, and what we are doing to support young kids and parents set healthy habits around playing video games. The investigation took a balanced look at the pros and cons of playing video games, as well as the impact it has on children. They spoke to parents, children, and experts including Ukie about how we can support children and parents to navigate the world of video games safely.Check out the full segment here.

In the news

🎮NME:Digital Schoolhouse teamed up with Xbox to launch their new educational initiative. Xbox Field Trips offer a chance for kids to explore fantastic in-game worlds whilst developing important life skills and learning new topics.Check out the first episode here.

🎁The Guardian: Covered the latest developments in loot box regulation after a series of complaints were made to the Advertising Standards Authority.Ukie affirmed its commitment to addressing these concerns seriously. Last year, we formed a Technical Working Group with the DCMS and endorsed 11 principles aimed at improving player protections and transparency. These principles, backed by the Government, are being implemented over a 12-month period and supported by our members.

💥ENUK: London Games Festival 2024 begins tomorrowwill get underway with a special invite-only Rocket League esports showcase event. LGFis the UK’s biggest celebration of video games and interactive entertainment. The festival brings investors to London to find new games, showcases upcoming talent from around the world, and creates a platform for the best qualities of games

Stories from industry

See Also

Poole to leave CILIP in March 2024Dr. Colin Poole, MD - Orthopedic Surgery Specialist in Meridian, ID

🚀Sumo Group launches new leadership career programme:Evolve is based on Sumo’s successful internal emerging talent programme and will provide fundamental leadership and management skills needed to help people take their next career step into leading others. The programme will be delivered through a series of virtual workshops run by the Sumo Group Learning & Development team, as well as experienced Sumo developers in leadership positions. Evolve is open to people with five years of game development experience who don’t have access to learning and development opportunities. Find out more.

🗓️Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council and the Warwickshire Games Collective, launchInteractive Futures:Some of the biggest names in video games will make an appearance at this year’s Interactive Futures conference in Leamington, otherwise known as Silicon Spa.Prestigious studios including Third Kind Games, The Sumo Group, Ubisoft and Playground Games will be exhibiting and talking all things games, careers and skills at The Royal Spa Centre on Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11. Friday will see the return of an ‘Industry Day’ aimed at connecting developers and like-minded creatives based locally and right across the UK. Find out more.

🌹 Labour Party's strategy for revitalising the Creative Industries: Unveiled at their Creative Conference, which Ukie's attended and participated in a panel with Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the plan includes a shared concern over the scarcity of creative skills. Labour has committed to enhancing the educational curriculum to include a broader spectrum of creative subjects, thereby enabling every child to access these learning opportunities. Moreover, Labour proposes to change the current apprenticeship levy into a more adaptable Growth and Skills Levy, aiming to nurture a skilled workforce ready to meet future challenges. Read more about the plan here.

Industry events: April

London Developer Conference:Come along to the number one conference for video games development in the capital. 11th April 2024, Savoy Place, London, right at the heart of London Games Festival. LDC is a great opportunity for industry experts, expand your network and learn more about the future of game development.

GET YOUR GAME ON: Is an in-person VO conference and it is the only event that is dedicated to voice acting in video games. #GYGOLondon24 is focused on promoting great voice acting in video games! Hosted by The VoiceOver Network, GET YOUR GAME ON London 2024 will take place on Friday, April 19th 2024.

Ukie’s Games Demo Day:Ukie have partnered with Barclays, to create another opportunity for UK game developers to showcase their unsigned games to potential audiences and investors.The Demo Day will take place in April, where 6-8 successful developers will showcase their unsigned games on a virtual platform.