£50m target for BBCs games plan

BBC Worldwide says its move back into video games is like ‘growing a new limb’ and that it could become a 50m business for the firm.

The statement comes as the company reveals its first self-published games for iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad, which are Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time, Top Gear: Stunt School and Teletubbies: My First App.

The first titles come less than 12 months after the broadcaster told MCV it was making a dramatic return to the gaming space – with games for all platforms, online and offline.

Digital directors Daniel Heaf and Claude London say digital revenues should account for more than ten per cent of BBC Worldwide’s total turnover by 2012.

Games are massive in this. 1973 was the year we started out in our magazines business and it was as if we had a new limb,” said London.

So why wouldn’t gaming be a 50m plus business for us over the next few years?”

And he reckons the BBC’s brands can even rival gaming’s biggest products.

I would argue that Call of Duty is akin to a movie blockbuster,” said London.

Gaming, films and TV are all about content, and in that respect Top Gear is just as important and as relevant as Call of Duty.”