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Background to the Computer Games SectorThe global computer games market is reported to have been worth $17.7 billion in 2000, and is forecast to grow to $26.7 billion by 2005. In the UK, the games sector is vibrant and growing at approximately 10-12% each year. In addition, the UK has an excellent talent base of games developers and publishers. Console games (Playstation 2, Xbox, GameCube, etc.) dominate the global computer games market with an estimated 57% of sales. PCs and hand-helds represent around 22% and 21% of the market. As console games appeal to an ever larger audience, it has become apparent that customers are becoming more sophisticated, demanding games that take longer and cost more to develop. The United Kingdom is recognised as a world player in the games development industry, with only the U.S.A and Japan creating more games. A typical game takes 1-2 years to complete and is funded in a similar way to books: with the makers of the Game (the Developer) receiving advances as they make progress. These advances are recoverable against royalties which are due to them from the sale of every copy of the game. The advances are normally paid by the publisher of the game and are typically of the order of £1 - 2 million. This is a risky business, and with the cost of developing new games rising, publishers have become very conservative in the type of game they will commission. Fund4Games offers an alternative approach to games development, by providing an intermediary in the classic developer/publisher relationship. Using project management and games sector expertise, Fund4Games reduces the risk carried by publishers whilst offering more secure funding for developers.
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