Video game coaching 'like being a football manager'

A man who coaches video game players for tournaments says his job is like being a football manager.

The Bafta Games Awards honoured "outstanding creative achievement" in the video game industry on Tuesday, with some of the biggest games from the past year nominated and picking up awards across several categories.

James Thomsen from Hempsted, Gloucester, turned his childhood video game passion into a career and has coached teams in London and abroad.

"There's loads of different ways that people can get into the video game industry and it doesn't just revolve around playing games," Mr Thomsen said.

Mr Thomsen added his dad was a gamer and he followed suit, spending "plenty of time" playing on his PC.

He now coaches teams in person and online to play League of Legends, an online multiplayer battle arena game which is one of the most popular in the world.

Players compete in tournaments for money and status, Mr Thomsen said.

"I've coached in person in Twickenham Stadium for a couple of months, I've also coached in Spain, so it's great when you can get people together to make a lot of progress that way, but it's also done online. It's like being a football manager."

While some people may not have heard of the Bafta Games Awards, Mr Thomsen said the video game industry is "a huge part of our daily lives".

He added Bafta recognition could make a "big difference" to developers, especially independent ones, in addition to being a sign of "excellence".

"Recognition from Bafta could lead to somebody discovering an indie game that couldn't afford huge advertising," Mr Thomsen said.

"It obviously makes a big difference to them and I'm sure all of these companies want to do well at an event like this."

Helldivers 2, Astro Bot, and Thank Goodness You're Here! were among the games that picked up awards on Tuesday night.

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