The Mayor of London chose a striking way to announce a £1.2 million funding boost to help make London the world's video game capital - by entering the world of Minecraft to meet his videogame double.

Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday (January 19) the launch of Games London, a new programme to make the city the games capital of the world, tapping into a market that globally is worth around $81bn.

The three-year programme will reportedly capitalise on the Video Games Tax Relief, which was introduced in 2014.

It will attract investment to the UK and help London games companies businesses generate £35 million in new revenue, adding nearly £10 million to the capital’s economy, as well as creating hundreds of jobs and boosting skills and training.

The plan was announced via an in-game press conference featuring Boris in Minecraft, one of the biggest and most popular video games in the world.

The capital was faithfully recreated in the blocky world of Minecraft and used as the backdrop for the mayor's speech.

He said: “London is already a star player when it comes to games and interactive entertainment, but international competition is fierce and we need to ensure our city can compete with our global gaming rivals.

“Through Games London we are supercharging an increasingly important sector for our economy, one that exemplifies the capital's reputation for creativity and innovation.

"From design to banking and civil engineering to film, games technology is being used in a host of different sectors.

“We are investing in a dynamic and constantly evolving industry to take London to another level as a world-leading capital for games and interactive entertainment.”

'Creative industries in the UK are world class'

The Games London programme will also deliver a new annual London Games Festival - with the first taking place in April 2016.

The 2016 London Games Festival takes place April 1 to April 10, and will include 15 official events across 10 different venues in the capital.

Andy Payne, chair of Games London and The London Games Festival, said: “London is the global capital of finance and can now be the global capital of digital creativity and interactive entertainment.

“The creative industries in the UK are world class, and the UK games industry is a key component of this winning sector.

“The London Games Festival with the financial backing of the LEP will shine the light on the UK’s talent pool and help the financial community understand the massive commercial and communal opportunities on show.

“For businesses of all sizes, access to finance is key, and The London Games Festival will deliver these opportunities.”