Game on? Not so fast, Prince William! Between his royal duty and diaper duty, the Duke of Cambridge has precious little time for recreational activities. And though he might enjoy sitting around for hours playing video games, his wife, Kate Middleton, would probably prefer otherwise.
During an event for BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) on Monday, Nov. 18, the 31-year-old heir to the throne had a chance to test out the new Playstation 4 game console, which sold 1 million units within 24 hours of its release on Nov. 15.
“It’s very addictive,” the Duke said of the gaming system. “I’d like to get one, but I’m not sure how my wife would feel about it!”
The new dad (to Prince George, nearly 4 months) also tried out a few of the games created by the winners of the BAFTA Young Game Designers competition. The first, Dan Pearce’s Hamster World Domination, involved Prince William trying to rescue a princess — unsuccessfully. The second, Charlie Hutton-Pattemore’s Vacuum Panic, required him to clean at least 70 percent of a messy house within a given amount of time. His results?
“Fifty-two percent clean,” he said, laughing, after his turn. “Not that clean, really.”
The Duke also tried his hand at Smiley Dodgems, by 14-year-old Christopher Purdy. Asked how he fared in that game, he joked, “Terrible.”
William, who is the president of BAFTA, was at the organization’s headquarters in London to help launch its “Give Something Back” campaign, which aims to help young movie, TV, and gaming professionals develop their skills.
“Today, more than ever, young people and career-starters need nurture and support to achieve their potential and to succeed,” he said in a speech at the event. “This includes the chance to learn from and work side-by-side with the best in the business. Give Something Back is a special opportunity for our supremely talented professionals to offer a small amount of their time, or money, to contribute to BAFTA’s learning program.”
“The U.K.’s game industry is one of the strongest in the world,” he added. “Our developers are more in demand than ever before, so I hope the young people take inspiration from today’s workshop and get a taste for what a career in games might be like. I know that I, for one, look forward to playing the weird and wonderful games which these young people dream up in the future.”
