What's next for gaming in the UK? | BBC News

Summary

Dundee, Scotland, is renowned as the birthplace of Grand Theft Auto and a thriving hub for the UK's gaming industry. Despite recent challenges, including job losses and investment scarcity, the city's studios foster a strong community. Political parties are now recognizing the sector's potential, with calls for funding and tax breaks to support growth. The industry, valued at £6 billion to the UK economy, seeks acknowledgment and support to maintain its global competitiveness.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Dundee is the birthplace of the highly successful video game Grand Theft Auto.
• 🏢 The success of Dundee's game industry has transformed its waterfront, including the Waters Edge building, into a major hub for the UK's gaming industry.
• 🤝 Dundee boasts a tight-knit community of game studios working closely together, contributing to a rich talent pool.
• 📈 Despite recent difficulties in the wider gaming industry, Dundee's studios continue to thrive, as exemplified by Greg's studio expanding after a viral game.
• 💸 The gaming industry has been facing challenges such as drying investments and reduced interest in risky ventures, leading to job losses.
• 📉 Thousands have lost their jobs in the gaming industry across the UK and globally due to cost-cutting measures by studios.
• 💡 The industry is calling for recognition and support, with the UK games industry estimated to be worth 6 billion to the economy.
• 🙏 There is a call for more funding for new studios and tax breaks to encourage studios to stay in the UK, led by the group representing gaming companies.
• 🏆 The gaming industry is seen as a potential economic and cultural growth driver, with the need for national political dialogue to include gaming.
• 🎉 Political parties are recognizing the importance of the gaming industry, with various commitments and strategies proposed in their manifestos.
• 🗳️ The upcoming Parliament is expected to be more video game friendly, with hopes for over 200 new MPs to support the UK's game makers.

Q & A

What is the significance of Dundee in the video game industry?

Dundee is the birthplace of one of the world's most successful video games, Grand Theft Auto, and has become a major hub for the UK's games industry with a concentration of talent and studios in a small area.

How has Dundee's waterfront been transformed due to the success of its gaming industry?

The success and subsequent investment in the gaming industry have transformed parts of Dundee's waterfront, with buildings like Water's Edge becoming a hub for game development studios.

What challenges are game studios currently facing in the wider games industry?

The wider games industry is facing challenges such as investments drying up, reduced interest in risky investments, and cost-cutting measures that have led to thousands of job losses across the UK and around the world.

What is the estimated worth of the UK's games industry to the economy?

The UK's games industry is estimated to be worth 6 billion to the UK economy.

What is the current situation regarding job losses in the games industry?

Over the past year or two, there has been a significant number of job losses in the games industry, with many friends of the interviewee losing their jobs.

Why are startups and university graduates struggling to get funding in the gaming industry?

Startups and university graduates with great ideas are struggling to get funding because games are not being recognized as a separate entity deserving of support, leading to a lack of funding opportunities.

What is the UK Games Group calling for to support the gaming industry?

The UK Games Group is calling for more cash for new studios and tax breaks to encourage them to stay in the UK, aiming to change the current funding landscape.

What are the political parties' stances on supporting the gaming industry?

Different political parties have varying commitments; the Conservatives include a commitment to wider creative industries in their manifesto, the Lib Dems are pushing for a new strategy to help the games industry, and the SNP want the UK to rejoin a European Union scheme that could provide cash.

What is the hope for the next Parliament regarding the gaming industry?

The hope is that over the lifetime of the next Parliament, there will be an influx of new MPs who are video game friendly, leading to upwards of 200 new MPs who will decide on how to support the UK's games makers.

What is the role of the next government in supporting the UK's games industry?

The next government will need to decide if and how to support the UK's games makers, considering the real strengths and future economic and cultural growth of the industry.

What does the BBC News report suggest about the current dialogue on the gaming industry within national politics?

The report suggests that the gaming industry is getting relatively little attention within national political dialogue, despite its potential as a global proposition and economic contributor.

Outlines

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🎮 Dundee's Video Game Industry Success

Dundee, known as the birthplace of the globally successful video game 'Grand Theft Auto', has seen a transformation in its waterfront area into a major hub for the UK's gaming industry. The city boasts a concentrated pool of talent with many studios working closely together, fostering a strong community. The narrative focuses on Greg, whose game studio went viral, allowing expansion and growth. However, the wider gaming industry is facing challenges with investments dwindling and a lack of risk capital, leading to significant job losses and studio closures. The industry, valued at 6 billion to the UK economy, is seeking recognition and support from the government.

📉 Challenges and Calls for Support in the UK Gaming Industry

The UK gaming industry is currently grappling with a downturn, characterized by a reduction in investments and a surge in job losses. This has led to calls from industry representatives, like Yuki, for increased financial support for new studios and tax breaks to encourage studios to remain in the UK. The gaming industry is not receiving the funding it needs, particularly startups and university graduates with innovative ideas. There is a push for the government to recognize the industry's potential for economic and cultural growth and to integrate it into national political dialogue.

🏛 Political Parties' Stances on the Gaming Industry

Different political parties in the UK have shown varying levels of commitment to supporting the gaming industry. The Conservatives have included a broader commitment to creative industries in their manifesto, while the Liberal Democrats are advocating for a new strategy specifically for the gaming industry. The Scottish National Party is interested in rejoining a European Union scheme that could provide financial support. The industry hopes that the next Parliament will be the most video game-friendly ever, with an influx of MPs who understand and support the gaming sector's needs.

Keywords

💡Grand Theft Auto

Grand Theft Auto is a globally recognized video game series known for its open-world design and action-adventure gameplay. In the script, it is mentioned as one of the world's most successful video games, highlighting Dundee's role as the birthplace of this iconic game, which underscores the city's significance in the gaming industry.

💡Dundee

Dundee is a city in Scotland that has become a hub for the UK's games industry. The script emphasizes Dundee's transformation due to the success of games like Grand Theft Auto, which has led to significant investment and the creation of a vibrant community of game studios in the city.

💡Water's Edge

Water's Edge is a building mentioned in the script that symbolizes the transformation of Dundee's waterfront into a major hub for the UK's gaming industry. It represents the physical manifestation of the city's growth and the concentration of game development studios in a specific area.

💡Investment

Investment in the script refers to the financial backing that has fueled the growth of Dundee's gaming industry. It is highlighted as a key factor in the establishment of game studios and the creation of successful titles like Grand Theft Auto.

💡Game Studios

Game studios are the companies that develop video games. The script discusses the concentration of these studios in Dundee, indicating a collaborative community that contributes to the city's reputation as a gaming hub.

💡Viral

In the context of the script, 'viral' refers to a game that has gained widespread popularity and attention online. Greg's studio experienced this success, allowing them to expand and take on more projects, illustrating the impact of digital word-of-mouth on the gaming industry.

💡Games Industry

The term 'games industry' encompasses the entire sector of companies and individuals involved in the creation, marketing, and distribution of video games. The script discusses the challenges faced by this industry, including job losses and financial struggles, emphasizing its importance to the UK economy.

💡Job Losses

Job losses in the script refer to the significant number of people who have been laid off from their positions in the games industry due to financial difficulties. This highlights the precarious nature of the industry and the impact of economic downturns on creative sectors.

💡Creative Industries

Creative industries are sectors that focus on the creation of intellectual and artistic content, including video games, music, film, and more. The script mentions the Conservatives' commitment to supporting wider creative industries, indicating a recognition of their economic and cultural value.

💡Tax Breaks

Tax breaks are incentives offered by governments to encourage certain types of economic activity. In the script, the group representing games companies calls for tax breaks to support new studios and keep them in the UK, suggesting a strategy to foster growth within the games industry.

💡European Union Schemes

The script refers to European Union schemes as potential sources of funding for the UK's games industry if the country were to rejoin such programs. This highlights the international dimension of economic support and the potential benefits of collaboration within larger political and economic blocs.

💡Manifesto

A manifesto in the political context is a public declaration of policy and aims, often issued by a political party. The script mentions the Conservatives' manifesto, which includes a commitment to the wider creative industries, indicating the party's stance on supporting the games industry and related sectors.

💡Parliament

Parliament is the legislative body of the UK, responsible for making laws and representing the interests of the people. The script expresses hope for a 'video game friendly' Parliament, suggesting the desire for political representation that understands and supports the interests of the games industry.

Highlights

Dundee is the birthplace of the world-renowned video game Grand Theft Auto.

Dundee's Waterfront has been transformed into a major hub for the UK's games industry.

There is a concentrated pool of talent and studios in Dundee, fostering a strong community.

Greg's studio, which made a viral game, is expanding and moving into new offices.

The wider games industry is facing challenges with investments drying up and job losses.

Thousands have lost jobs in the UK and global games industry due to cost-cutting measures.

The games industry is not being recognized as a separate entity deserving of funding and support.

Yuki, the group representing games companies, is calling for more funding and tax breaks.

The incoming government needs to consider the games industry's contribution to the UK economy, estimated at 6 billion.

There is a call for the games industry to be recognized and supported within national political dialogue.

The Conservatives have included a commitment to creative industries in their manifesto.

The Lib Dems are pushing for a new strategy to support the games industry.

The SNP wants the UK to rejoin an EU scheme that could provide financial support to the industry.

There is hope for an influx of MPs who are video game friendly in the next Parliament.

New MPs will need to decide on the level of support for the UK's games makers.

The report concludes with the need for the next government to consider the games industry's potential for economic and cultural growth.

Transcripts

it's the birthplace of one of the

world's most successful video games

Grand Theft Auto no not LA or Miami but

dunde it's just one of the Blockbuster

titles to come from the city and it's

that success and subsequent investment

that's transformed parts of Dundee's

Waterfront like this building at Water's

Edge into a major hub for the UK's games

industry and there's an incredible pool

of talent here there's a lot of studios

in a very small area that all work

together and sort of build a bit of a

community Greg's moving into one of the

offices here after a game his Studio

made went viral online he's been able to

expand and take on more stuff it's busy

here at the studios in Dundee but in the

wider games industry things have been

tough recently Investments drying up

there's not as much interest as putting

money away for risking it and a lot of

studios are suffering heavily because of

that already this year thousands have

lost their jobs in the games industry

across the UK and around the world as

Studios look to cut costs but at this

there's been very little said about how

the next government might support a

struggling industry estimated to be

worth 6 billion to the UK economy it's

definitely scary out there know I mean

over the past year two years there's

just been so many people losing their

jobs and I've had so many friends lose

their jobs the games industry is is a

great thing now I do think um we are

suffering from games not being

recognized as their own kind of separate

thing and startups and people come at

the University with great ideas and not

getting the funding that they need it's

something Yuki the group representing

games companies wants to change calling

for more cash for new Studios and tax

breaks to encourage them to stay in the

UK any incoming government is going to

have to look at the real strengths what

what is our future economic and cultural

growth going to be built on and you know

we have a new Hollywood right on our

Shores here we we have the makings of a

truly Global proposition um but it's

still getting relatively little AirPlay

within the the kind of national

political dialogue says it wants to

focus on gaming as a way to create jobs

and will boost training for it the

conservatives include a commitment to

wider creative Industries in their

Manifesto and the libdems are pushing

for a new strategy to help the games

industry meanwhile the S&P want the UK

to rejoin one of the European Union

schemes that could provide cash what

we're really hoping is over the lifetime

of the next Parliament we see you know

upwards of 200 new MPS the influx of we

hope the most video game friendly

Parliament this country's ever seen

whichever party takes the controls at

the next election new MPS will need to

decide if and how to support the UK's

games makers Andrew Rogers BBC News