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BAFTA and DCM release star-studded cinema trailer to celebrate the art of video game storytelling
- Actress Susan Wokoma stars alongside Baldur’s Gate 3 duo, Samantha Béart and Neil Newbon, Doug Cockle (Witcher 3), Jane Douglas (games presenter), and Sir Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop.
- The trailer launches in cinema ahead of the 21st BAFTA Games Awards on Tuesday 8 April.
- Research conducted by BAFTA found young adults say video games are important to their wellbeing and a form of social connection (YouGov)
BAFTA and DCM (Digital Cinema Media) have teamed up with award-winning actress Susan Wokoma to create a national cinema advertising campaign that promotes and celebrates the art of storytelling in video games. It’s the third campaign delivered by the partnership and is releasing in cinemas ahead of the 21st BAFTA Games Awards on Tuesday 8 April 2025.
The 105 second trailer was produced by Common People Films and DCM Studios, with Jennifer Sheridan directing the film. Susan features alongside famous faces from games – such as Samantha Béart and Neil Newbon from Baldur’s Gate 3 – who share their love for video games with cinema audiences nationwide.
Jeremy Kolesar, Creative Director, DCM Studios, “We’ve seen a flourishing intersection between games, film and TV in the UK. Whether it’s a franchise-inspired series or film, a narrative-driven game, or an engaging acting performance, each medium strengthens the other. We’ve tried to capture this in our third cinema campaign with BAFTA, which draws from the diverse UK games industry to inspire the next generation of talent with an adventurous cinematic experience.”
World-renowned for its annual Film Awards, BAFTA has been celebrating the craft, skill and creativity of the games industry for over 20 years, spotlighting the best games and talent in its annual Games Awards ceremony.
The cinema trailer explores the connectivity between film, games and TV, highlighting the depth of video game storytelling and the many varied games that captivate audiences worldwide.
Tony Roberts, Founder/ EP, Common People Films: “This is the second time BATFA and DCM have asked us to bring their brand and message to life and we’re incredibly proud of the work we deliver for both of them. Having a diverse roster of talent, it was exciting to get our directors to write with a focus in games this time round and we think Jennifer has captured something very special. The games industry is a jewel in the crown of British industry and should be celebrated. Another great collaboration.”
BAFTA and YouGov research
As an arts charity, BAFTA supports the next generation of screen talent through various initiatives, bursaries and scholarships. Three alumni of BAFTA’s programmes were given paid roles on the production of this trailer – Jade Fabiyi (camera), Reece Grant (Art Department) and Shona Hart (Stagehand).
This ethos is reflected in the UK cinema placement of the campaign, which targets 16-34 year-olds during the preshow for multiple blockbuster releases. This includes the new A Minecraft movie, based on one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.
Recent research conducted by BAFTA with YouGov found that:
- Adults aged 18-34 consider video games as important to wellbeing, with a third (31%) citing video games as a form of self-care (higher than Film – 28% or TV – 27%) and 39% of 18-34s consider video games as a form of social connection (compared to 30% Film/TV).
- Over half of UK adults see games as ‘a form of entertainment’ (54%). However, only 1 in 5 consider games as great storytelling (20%) and there is lower awareness that games contain meaningful messages about today’s world (9%) compared to TV (33%)
- Over half (53%) of 18-34s would trust the quality of a game that has been nominated or won a BAFTA Games Award.
- Two thirds (62%) of UK adults were not aware that some of the world’s most celebrated games are made in the UK, and 1 in 5 would be more likely to play a game made in the UK (21%).
Donna Mathews, Executive Director of Engagement, Marketing and Communications at BAFTA said: “BAFTA is known for celebrating excellence in the screen arts and games are no exception. Our members recognise the craft, skill and creativity that goes into making every game and our Awards showcase the incredible variety of games on offer. Like TV and film, games are a way to explore stories and learn about the world around us and young adults see games as more than a form of entertainment, with many considering games important to their wellbeing and social connection. The UK games industry is a world-leading creative force, with talented people making games up and down the country, so with thanks to DCM and Common People Films we are putting games on the big screen to share our appreciation of this art form with audiences nationwide too.”
Susan Wokoma said: “Film, TV and games are connected by the passion of the people who make it. It takes so many people to make these things and seeing people really take ownership of their story and their passion, that’s the thing that threads throughout all of those mediums.”
Jennifer Sheridan, director, said: “What makes gaming so captivating is its ability to fully immerse you in the story. It invites you to engage with the narrative interactively. The beauty of storytelling in games lies in how your experience can be completely unique, even if you’re playing the same game as someone else. This film celebrates that diversity and the incredible journeys that games can take you on.”
The post BAFTA and DCM release star-studded cinema trailer to celebrate the art of video game storytelling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition
London is a city built on institutions that never needed to announce themselves. The law firms on Chancery Lane, the private clubs in St. James’s they endure not through attention, but through trust accumulated over decades. Quietly. Consistently. Without a rebrand every two years. Which makes London an interesting backdrop for the affiliate industry’s annual conversation with itself. Because iGaming, by contrast, has mastered the art of attention.Conference floors are fluent in volume: oversized visuals, stacked merchandise, account managers with pitch decks and a practiced sense of urgency. Every programme is premium. Every stand is exclusive. What it rarely produces is what the spreadsheet actually needs: long-term ROI, partner retention, relationships worth more in year three than month one.
The Market Learned to Perform Premium. It Forgot to Practice It.
When an entire market adopts the same vocabulary premium, VIP, exclusive, top-tier the signal stops carrying information. The gifting mechanics follow the same logic: items chosen for the photograph rather than the relationship. With this approach the partner is the audience, not the counterpart.
The structural problem is this: markets that compete on noise attract partners who respond to noise, and lose them the moment a louder offer comes along. Attention is not loyalty. Activation is not retention.
High-performing affiliate partnerships share a different architecture: predictability over promises, honest communication over promotional language, consistency whether a relationship is new or years old. Strong partners don’t leave for marginal CPA improvements when the relationship itself has value they’d be giving up. That dynamic reduces churn, extends LTV, and compounds over time in ways no single activation can replicate.
Manor as Model: The Economics of Restraint
PlayamoPartners’ presence at iGB London stand H-60, 1–2 July operates on this logic. The Manor concept takes the British manor as its central metaphor: not a venue, but a model of relationships. There is an etiquette, a code, standards that everyone inside understands. Membership implies alignment.
The aesthetic is restraint. The underlying logic is economic. Trust, in this industry, has a measurable ROI that most programmes never stop to calculate because they’re too busy announcing it.
The Code of Honor: Giving the Industry Its Memory Back
At the centre of the Manor experience is a physical book not a lookbook or catalogue, but a Code of Honor: partner feedback, written by partners themselves, accumulated across events and years. A physical record implies that what partners say is worth keeping in a form that persists that the relationship has a history worth preserving.
The iGaming industry has become extremely efficient at forgetting. Campaigns replace campaigns. Account managers cycle through. Programmes pivot quarterly. The Code of Honor is a deliberate counter to that tendency. It treats reputation not as a marketing asset but as something that grows through repeated honest interaction. An archive of trust, built over time.
Recognition Over Raffle
Partners who contribute to the Code of Honor become eligible for recognition items including a MacBook Neo 13, iPhone Air, and iPad Air. Come by on 02.07 at 14 o’clock and collect your prize.
The framing matters. These are not raffle prizes. Recognition is relational: you are who you are, and that is acknowledged. One is a CPA model applied to gifting. The other is how relationships between people who respect each other actually function.
The partners the Manor is designed for are not the ones who show up for a giveaway they’re the ones who show up to engage, to leave something of their own behind, to participate in the ongoing record of what this programme is.
Continuity of Standards
This approach isn’t new for PlayamoPartners. Past recognition has included Samsonite, Hugo Boss, TAG Heuer, Cartier, YSL. At iGB London, partners at H-60 will find Cartier wallets and MacBooks among the acknowledgements.
Premium gifting delivered consistently, to partners aligned with programme standards, across multiple years and conferences, reads differently from a one-time budget line. It signals a stable set of values with no particular need for an audience.
What Remains After the Conference Floor Clears
Rates, tools, tracking platforms are table stakes. Any serious programme can match them within a quarter. What cannot be quickly replicated is culture: honest communication, payments that arrive without chasing, account managers who know your business well enough to have an opinion about it.
Manor of PlayamoPartners arrives at iGB London not as an activation, but as a position. Behind it: a system, a reputation, a code of conduct that predates this event and will outlast it.
Stand H-60 | 1–2 July | iGB London
Contact the team:
- Edgar @Nertevics — CEO, PlayamoPartners
- Slava @AMOSLAVA — Affiliate Manager Team Lead
- Anna @anna20bet — Affiliate Manager
- Andrey @Andrey_playamo — Affiliate Manager
- Barbara @BarbaraPlayamoPartners — Affiliate Manager
The post Loud Launches, Quiet Exits Why Partner Culture Outlasts Partner Acquisition appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Asia
PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026
PhilWeb Corporation has reinforced its position as a technology-driven company at SiGMA Asia 2026, highlighting its continuing transformation through digital innovation, scalable platform solutions and strategic technology investments aligned with the rapidly evolving digital economy in Asia.
As one of the Philippines’ established technology and platform providers, PhilWeb participated in SiGMA Asia 2026 to showcase its long-term vision centered on digital infrastructure, operational scalability, customer engagement technologies and future-ready platform development. The company’s presence at the international event reflects its broader strategy of strengthening its role within the growing technology, digital entertainment and fintech ecosystem in the region.
With more than 25 years of operational experience, PhilWeb continues to evolve alongside changing market demands and technological advancements. Over the years, the company has steadily expanded its capabilities through investments in platform modernization, integrated digital systems, payment technologies and data-driven operational tools designed to support scalable and efficient business operations.
As industries across Asia continue to undergo digital transformation, PhilWeb sees increasing opportunities in technology-enabled ecosystems where connectivity, automation, customer experience and operational efficiency play increasingly important roles in long-term business growth.
At SiGMA Asia 2026, the company highlighted initiatives focused on strengthening its digital ecosystem through improved platform capabilities, enhanced payment integration infrastructure and technology solutions designed to support seamless experiences across both physical and digital customer environments.
PhilWeb also emphasised the growing importance of integrated platforms and scalable digital operations as consumer behaviour continues to shift toward more connected and technology-driven experiences. The company continues to adapt to these evolving trends by exploring innovations that improve accessibility, operational flexibility and customer engagement.
Participation at SiGMA Asia 2026 also provided PhilWeb with opportunities to engage with international technology firms, fintech companies, digital infrastructure providers, payment solutions companies and regional business partners as it continues to strengthen its long-term growth strategy.
Beyond technology expansion, PhilWeb continues to prioritise governance, compliance-driven systems, operational transparency and sustainable business.
The post PhilWeb Showcases Technology-Driven Growth Vision at SiGMA Asia 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Balkans
Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC
NOVOMATIC concluded a highly successful participation at Belgrade Future Gaming 2026, further reinforcing its strong presence in the Southeast European market. Throughout the exhibition, the company welcomed a steady stream of visitors to its stand, providing an excellent platform for strengthening existing partnerships, establishing new business contacts and discussing future opportunities with customers from across the region.
The comprehensive product showcase featured a broad selection of NOVOMATIC’s latest gaming innovations. Among the highlights were Impera PROLINK 2 and the internationally successful XTENSION LINK series, including Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as XTENSION LINK Ultimate, all of which attracted strong interest from visitors thanks to their proven performance and engaging feature mechanics. Visitors also explored VISION LINK, NOVOMATIC’s latest multi-feature linked progressive concept, alongside the versatile GAMINATOR X5, renowned for its flexible game mix and customization options.
A particular highlight for the regional market was the Impera Line HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special, which generated significant interest thanks to its carefully selected game mix tailored specifically to local player preferences.
Taking center stage was the award-winning DIAMOND X QUATTRO 1.55J, whose striking design and immersive player experience made it a standout attraction on the show floor. The portfolio was further complemented by a premium V.I.P. X setup, including the V.I.P. X Royal 1.85 and, for the first time at a Balkan trade show, the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65, both showcasing NOVOMATIC’s commitment to delivering high-end gaming experiences for modern casino environments.
As in previous years, NOVOMATIC’s successful cooperation with long-standing partner FAZI contributed to a strong exhibition presence, while the popular ADMIRAL Bet Pub catering concept once again provided a welcoming atmosphere that encouraged networking and business discussions in a relaxed setting.
“The positive response we received throughout the show was truly outstanding. Belgrade Future Gaming remains one of the most important industry events in Southeast Europe and provides an excellent opportunity to engage directly with our customers and partners. We were delighted by the strong interest in our product portfolio, particularly the Impera Line
HD Edition 10 – Balkan Special and the first presentation of the V.I.P. X Galaxy 2.65 in the region. The many valuable conversations and promising business opportunities generated during the event once again demonstrated the strength of the Balkan market and the value of close collaboration with our customers. I would like to sincerely thank all visitors, customers, partners, and our dedicated team for contributing to another successful edition of Belgrade Future Gaming,” said Miloš Pejić, Regional Manager SEE at NOVOMATIC.
With a comprehensive portfolio of internationally proven products, regionally tailored solutions and premium gaming innovations, NOVOMATIC once again demonstrated its ability to meet the diverse requirements of the Balkan market. The successful outcome of Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 further highlighted the company’s strong momentum across Southeast Europe and created a solid basis for future growth and collaboration with customers and partners throughout the region.
The post Strong Customer Response Marks Successful Belgrade Future Gaming 2026 for NOVOMATIC appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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