VIDEO games conference Develop Liverpool returns this week with a mission to focus on the independent sector.

Liverpool is a hotbed of small video games firms, many of them started by developers who used to work for Sony or for collapsed Speke firm Bizarre Creations.

So next Thursday’s Develop Liverpool, a spin-off of the annual Develop event in Brighton, will include an “Indie Dev Day” showcasing some of the UK’s most successful small games companies.

Speakers will include Ben Ward, co-founder of Liverpool developer Hogrocket, who will give a talk called: “How to create your own indie games studio”.

The keynote speaker will be Philip Oliver, chief executive of the award-winning Blitz Games Studios, who will talk about “strategies for survival in the games industry”.

The main Develop Liverpool event, which will run alongside the indie day at Liverpool’s Hilton Hotel, will feature speakers from organisations including Sony, Electronic Arts, Intel and Oxford University.

Andy Lane, managing director of organiser Tandem Events, said: “We introduced the indie-focused content at Develop in Brighton to reflect the recent huge growth of indie developers and micro studios producing great games, and we were overwhelmed by how popular the Indie Dev Day was.

“Because the North West of England has always been a hotbed of creative talent and there’s currently a growing community of indies emerging in this region, it’s perfect timing to bring Indie Dev Day to Liverpool with dedicated content focused solely on the needs of the indie.”