welcome to click. it was exactly one year ago that i stood on this beach, looked into that camera and said some pretty improbable—sounding things. first of all, click had been on airfor 20 years. secondly, the world was going into lockdown. and, thirdly, because of that, we didn't know whether we were going to be able to continue

making the programme. and then, of course, the next week, wejust forgot to stop. and now, 12 months on, the vaccines are offering us a way out and that is thanks to science and technology. and also, i am still pretty much in one piece as a human being, and that is thanks in part to the person who i am so glad canjoin me on the beach today. hiya! oh, thank you! i have tried my best. we have spent a lot of time on zoom! yes, we have. but not today. it is great to be here in real—life and isn't this absolutely beautiful? yeah. every bit of normality feels so special right now, but as we edge towards the lives we once knew, work could have changed forever. many businesses have closed, people have lostjobs and for some, this mayjust be a time to change career. but some industries are thriving and hiring. home delivery outfits, streaming entertainment and video games.

and marc cieslak has been spending some time with the uk games developers who are part of this growing industry. young or old, hardcore or casual, the pandemic has seen an explosion in the amount of people playing games. the size of the uk market has led to increased investment and growth for lots of video games development studios. the brains behind the football manager series, sports interactive, is based here in east london's olympic park. as a studio, we have been going forjust under 30 years, originally started in two kids�* bedrooms in shropshire. since then, we have grown very organically over the years to a team of 35, then to a team of 100, then to 150, and in the last year, we have grown to 200. so far, as a studio, we have sold 33 million games around the world, mainly

football management titles. this is sumo digital�*s studio in sheffield. they most recently launched sackboy: a big adventure for the ps5 and are working on a medieval multiplayer heist game hood, slated for release later this year. we make video games for all consoles and mobile. we have many studios in the uk, from newcastle in the north down to brighton in the south. in the last two years, of which the pandemic has formed 50% of that, we have grown. we've added anotherfive studios to sumo digital. the group's headcount has grown 36% in 2020, so it has been a year of growth. these are both games companies producing blockbuster titles who have experienced recent expansion. during the pandemic, obviously, it has been really hard for everyone. we have been very lucky in that our revenue hasn't stopped, as it has for some companies. but making games is hard. and making games when you're

distributed around the world is even harder. and we were determined to still release games last year, so we actually ended up going on a bit of hiring drive last year. we have accelerated our growth plans, so the growth we were expecting in the next three years we have done in one, and went up from 150 people to 200 in the last year. sports interactive�*s growth means the company is moving to new, bigger offices just around the corner from its existing base. games are already the most successful entertainment medium in the world and the pandemic has resulted in huge numbers turning to them as a means of entertainment or connection with friends and family. this has led to massive financial success. last year, the uk games market generated £7 billion, up nearly 30% on the year before. but is this growth sustainable post—pandemic? being realistic, i do not think

that that growth rate is going to continue, but i also don't think it's gonna taper off completely. i think a lot of people have discovered games in the last year that are going to carry on being gamers, being gamers forever. a short distance from the olympic park on brick lane, we find a company making different kinds of games. it is notjust the blockbuster studios that have been experiencing growth — the indie development sector is expanding, too. so we've been around for about three years now and we make games for teenage girls. these days, 84% of teenage girls play video games. it is actually more popular of a hobby than shopping. loveshark has developed a mobile title called mochi. follow the action on screen to achieve a better score, as demonstrated by the game's developer rosa here. my own attempt to play is perhaps the strongest evidence i will ever need that a stint on strictly is not for me.

during covid, gaming has seen a huge boom and that has meant that more and more investors want to invest in the space. we have been able to build more games, develop faster and also expand our team, so we have doubled the size of our team in the last year. so games companies big and small are crewing up as a result of market growth and investment. as the jobs market is left reeling from the effects of the covid—i9 pandemic, could a career in video games beckon for many? but are people about to enter the world of work or those thinking about a change in career equipped with the skills necessary to work in video games? the unfortunate reality is that there is a skills gap in the uk, which is going to be difficult to fill — particularly in the areas of programming, but it is not just programming, there are other roles as well. there are lots ofjobs that people could retrain to be looking to do. becoming a programmer

is something that i would encourage anyone at school and any parent that's watching this as well to encourage their children to get into. a source of entertainment and employment — video games are a truly successful 2ist—century combination of art, commerce and technology.

laser factory works by cutting out slices of acrylic, pending circuitry with liquid silver and picking components up and sticking them down in the right time and in the right place. it in the right time and in the right lace. , . , ., place. it is a unified design and fabrication _ place. it is a unified design and fabrication pipeline _ place. it is a unified design and fabrication pipeline for- place. it is a unified design and fabrication pipeline for creating i fabrication pipeline for creating functional devices and robots. so ou functional devices and robots. you can functional devices and robots. sr you can actually fly something off the production line?— you can actually fly something off the production line? exactly so that was one of the _ the production line? exactly so that was one of the main _ the production line? exactly so that was one of the main goals. - the production line? exactly so that was one of the main goals. we - the production line? exactly so that. was one of the main goals. we wanted to fabricate _ was one of the main goals. we wanted to fabricate something that required no human_ to fabricate something that required no human intervention to actually -et no human intervention to actually get it_ no human intervention to actually get it off— no human intervention to actually get it off the ground. that is

amazing _ get it off the ground. that is amazing. and this is the device. it amazing. and this is the device. attaches to amazing. and this is the device. it attaches to a commercial laser cutter and transforms it from a 2d machine to a three d assembler. the detail on a project like this is mind blowing. for example, in this toy drone one of the census has become disconnected. just one. i know it does not work properly. it just bumped into a wall. i'm going to try to fix it. there are so many steps involved in building electronic so how do programme the machine to do everything? we electronic so how do programme the machine to do everything?— electronic so how do programme the machine to do everything? we had to build these planning _ machine to do everything? we had to build these planning algorithms - machine to do everything? we had to build these planning algorithms to i build these planning algorithms to make _ build these planning algorithms to make sure that the objects you are picking _ make sure that the objects you are picking up— make sure that the objects you are picking up and depositing do not collide _ picking up and depositing do not collide with each other. so there's 'ust collide with each other. so there's just a _ collide with each other. so there's just a lot — collide with each other. so there's just a lot of— collide with each other. so there's just a lot of moving parts we had to

combine _ just a lot of moving parts we had to combine in— just a lot of moving parts we had to combine in order to get off the ground — combine in order to get off the ground and working. the _ ground and working. the inspiration for this like so many devices comes from science fiction. in this case, it is the replicators from star trek which can make everything from tea, earl grey, hot, to more complex engineering components. hot, to more complex engineering components-_ hot, to more complex engineering components. these replicators like ou see in components. these replicators like you see in star— components. these replicators like you see in star trek _ components. these replicators like you see in star trek where - components. these replicators like you see in star trek where they - components. these replicators like i you see in star trek where they have these _ you see in star trek where they have these really— you see in star trek where they have these really crazy machines, they use them — these really crazy machines, they use them to create anything from teddy— use them to create anything from teddy bears to drinks, to feel, display— teddy bears to drinks, to feel, display ships. and so this idea of having, _ display ships. and so this idea of having, like, a single compact desktop— having, like, a single compact desktop machine that can print you like, desktop machine that can print you like. i_ desktop machine that can print you like. ithink— desktop machine that can print you like, i think that is a really powerful— like, i think that is a really powerful idea.— like, i think that is a really powerful idea. like, i think that is a really owerful idea. ~ , ., powerful idea. well, it is time for the moment _ powerful idea. well, it is time for the moment of— powerful idea. well, it is time for the moment of truth. _ powerful idea. well, it is time for the moment of truth. 0h, - powerful idea. well, it is time for the moment of truth. oh, it - powerful idea. well, it is time for the moment of truth. oh, it sort| powerful idea. well, it is time for i the moment of truth. oh, it sort of works. back to the soldering iron for me. and it is back to the mit

lab for martin. he is hoping a future iteration of laser factory could help augment cutters, turning them one day into proud robot parents. them one day into proud robot arents. ., , them one day into proud robot arents. . , ., , ., parents. that is it for the short cut of click. — parents. that is it for the short cut of click, 21st _ parents. that is it for the short cut of click, 21st birthday. - parents. that is it for the short cut of click, 21st birthday. are | parents. that is it for the short i cut of click, 21st birthday. are we getting the key to the door? not yet, you cannot come in. after a few months hopefully you can. the full—length version of this programme is waiting for you right now on iplayer. and as ever you can find the team throughout the week on social media, youtube, instagram, facebook and twitterat youtube, instagram, facebook and twitter at bbc click.— twitter at bbc click. thank you for watchin: . twitter at bbc click. thank you for watching. thank _ twitter at bbc click. thank you for watching. thank you _ twitter at bbc click. thank you for watching. thank you for _ twitter at bbc click. thank you for watching. thank you for coming i twitter at bbc click. thank you forj watching. thank you for coming to twitter at bbc click. thank you for - watching. thank you for coming to my place. it has been brilliant. we will see you soon. hello there.

by the end of this easter weekend, the weather will have changed drastically to something much colder. but today it has not been too bad, particularly where there has been some sunshine. however, some spots have been hanging onto the cloud. this was eastbourne earlier. some of that cloud really did struggle to break up. further west and north, that is where we have the best of the sunshine and the highest temperatures. but we take those clear skies and overnight, it pushes further southwards, and under those clear skies at night, that is where temperatures are able to drop, so there will be a touch of frost in some spots, even in the centre of birmingham, for example. some places in the countryside, a little below freezing. so it will be a cold but dry start for most on easter sunday, with high pressure stilljust about in charge. but that big change will come courtesy of this cold front which will be drifting in from the north. for many places, it is going to be a fine day, but northern ireland will cloud overfrom the north, scotland as well, we will see some rain as the front comes into northern scotland, and behind the front, the air starts to turn colder.

just to the north of the chart, you can see some splodges of wintry showers, that is a sign of things to come. on sunday night and on into monday, this front, the cold front, comes southwards, and behind it, this is a true arctic blast, and it is going to feel like it. you can see the deep blue colours spreading right across the map, a much colder day on monday, even where we see some sunshine. there will be some showers, even down towards the south, they could be wintry down towards lower levels. across higher ground in scotland, it could be up to 15 centimetres of snow. and the wind could be up to 70mph in northern scotland. factor in the strength of the wind,

it will feel more like this... while it won't stay quite that cold through the coming week, temperatures will remain a little below average, nothing particularly warm on the horizon.

this is bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak. the headlines at seven. new rules for care home visits in england. two people as well as babies and young children will be allowed indoor visits from 12th april. a woman who died after being attacked by two dogs who got into her garden through a hole in the fence has been named as lucille downer, a great—grandmother from the west midlands. thousands of people are in central london protesting against the government's police, crime, sentencing and courts bill. france has just entered its third national lockdown. non—essential shops and schools across the country are now shut after a dramatic rise in coronavirus cases. calls for peace tonight, after a night of riots in south belfast.

15 police officers were injured and eight people were arrested.