Understanding the business models of the gaming industry.

This event takes place in the British Library and will be simultaneously live streamed on the British Library platform. Tickets may be booked either to attend in person, or to watch on our platform (online) either live or within 48 hours on catch up. Viewing links will be sent out shortly before the event. 

In a world driven by innovation and customer engagement, businesses are constantly seeking fresh approaches to captivate their audience and elevate their performance. As an industry that has always harnessed the power of technology, the recent growth of tools such as artificial intelligence and increased online connectivity have contributed to the growing influence the gaming industry is having on the business world. 

From the creative minds behind engineering, designing and developing games, to the gamification of business tools for customer acquisition and marketing, the integration of gaming with the business world has reached new heights of significance and legitimacy. 

On the day, guests and attendees can expect to join an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion where they will:

About our panel:

Elz the Witch, presenter & radio host 

Elz is a gaming expert, YouTuber and presenter. A gamer from a young age, Elz gained a large following when she started uploading “play-throughs” of games onto YouTube. These would include favourites such as Final Fantasy 7, Zelda Ocarina of Time, GTA San Andreas and The Sims.

Elz has a degree in computing and over four years’ experience in the tech industry and her expertise has led her to a career in Sports and eSports, music and entertainment presenting. The last few years have seen her co-host the FIFA E-World Cup final at The O2 Arena, appear on E4’s Gamesmaster and host the Velo Globals gaming series, Discovery Mode! Elz also hosts a weekly show on KISS Fresh as well as her own podcast, Citizen Game. 

King Jae, professional gamer and content creator

Justin Nelson Stennett, known online as King Jae is a professional fighting game player, content creator and pro player in the e-sports world. He is known for being a top player for popular games Tekken and Street Fighter, teaching his audience both how to play and conducting reviews of new products.

King Jae has been streaming for 7 years, initially alongside other jobs before pursuing streaming full-time. Since then, he has been the face of brand deals for companies such as Twitch, YouTube, Alienware and Red Bull. He became one of the first fighting game streamers to become a Twitch Ambassador and was a part of the #YouTubeBlackVoices Creator Class of 2021, a grant program dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black creators. 

David Molyneux, creative Director, and game developer

David Molyneux is an engineer, writer, filmmaker and game developer.  He wrote The Seven Chambers mobile app game and has produced its development to date.  He approaches game development as a writer, seeking to create stories that can translate into game development documents. David has worked with game development companies such as Unity and Fortune Cookie.  As an engineer, he has worked on Industrial Control Systems and this has helped him develop his understanding of the coding process behind game development.

Sara Kenney, founder of Wowbagger Productions

Sara Kenney has worked as a writer, producer and director for over 25 years, first in TV and science engagement and more recently in comics and games. In 2011, she set up Wowbagger Productions to explore how collective working, art and storytelling can improve science and health outcomes for all. Sara is currently writing and producing two comics and a digital escape game exploring OCD and anxiety disorders. The game has been co-designed with young people for whom this is a lived experience, psychologists, historians and sociologists. 

Rich Metson, co-founder of Semaeopus

Rich Metson is the co-founder of Semaeopus, one of Creative England’s CE50 Top 50 creative and innovative companies, and a UK Games Fund’s Smart Studio award winner. Rich began his career welding sculpture for renowned artists before working as a technical artist in post-production and VFX houses. Rich moved into games as a freelance technical artist and Unity developer, going from BBC Worldwide Games as an Associate Producer, to co-founding Semaeopus - a unique and innovative videogames studio, specialising in prototyping and R&D services and developing original IP.

Moderated by:

Marie Foulston, curator and creative director

Marie Foulston is a leading curator and creative director of exhibitions, installations and experiences that specialise in videogames, play and digital culture. Previously she was Curator of Videogames at the V&A where she lead the curation of the headline exhibition ‘Videogames’, was guest director of experimental games festival ‘Now Play This’ at Somerset House and co-founded the UK alternative videogame collective the Wild Rumpus. Across her career, she has worked alongside a host of international organisations and leading cultural institutions including the Smithsonian, ACMI, PlayStation, the Design Museum, Netflix, Channel 4 and Nintendo.

Half price tickets available for British Library Members, students, under 26s and other concession groups. 

If you’re attending in person, please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event.

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