Games Industry
Scotland is a top location for the development of international blockbusting games. And with over 50 companies operating in the sector many great job opportunities are on offer. Developing international blockbusting games isn’t new to Scotland – its history in the industry stretches back to launching Blood Money in 1989 and Lemmings in 1991. “Scotland’s video games development community is reaching that critical mass that, combined with the global appeal of Scotland, will keep it at the forefront of the best locations in the world to work.” Andy Campbell, Specialmove Recruitment
Today, the sector is thriving with more than 50 companies based predominantly in Dundee and the Tayside area, but also in Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond. And it still continues to create bestselling titles – such as the Grand Theft Auto franchise from Rockstar North, and 2007’s worldwide smash hit Crackdown, from Realtime Worlds. While these companies are the two big players in Scotland’s thriving industry, there are many equally innovative smaller studios such as Denki, Proper Games, Cohort Studios, Dynamo Games and Outerlight.
A creative industry These companies rely on a range of skills in the areas of art, design, audio, production management and programming. Typical jobs include environment artists, 3D character artists, game designers, assistant producers, AI programmers, engine programmers and tools programmers. Such has been the creativity and invention of the video games development community that Scotland’s industry has attracted customers such as Sony, Electronic Arts (EA), Microsoft and Nintendo. A worldwide reputation Andy Campbell, Chief Executive of Specialmove Recruitment that specialises in the game industry, explained: “The development companies in Scotland carry a worldwide reputation for creativity, reliability and gaming innovation. The companies have demonstrated time and time again that they can punch above their weight and compete in an international market." “There is huge interest from the worldwide publishing fraternity and consumers alike. There is also great local governmental support for the sector, allowing the companies to continue to expand and prosper.” In fact, the industry also enjoys great support from Scotland’s universities, including The University of Abertay in Dundee, Caledonian University and the University of the West of Scotland, which work closely with companies, for example in generating new talent. Scotland is known internationally for the quality of its games development courses. And events such as Dare to be Digital continue to raise the profile of Scotland to the worldwide industry. This video games competition, based in Dundee, for students that has lately gone international, for example, attracting multinational sponsors such as Disney Interactive Studios, Microsoft and Turner Broadcasting. Making a major contribution to the economy Scotland’s videogames community sits alongside complementary areas in Scotland’s burgeoning creative industry sector, such as film, television, animation, music and design. As a whole, the sector employs 100,000 people and contributes more than $9 billion annually to Scotland’s economy. This is expected to grow by between 10 per cent and 20 per cent a year. With new innovative titles constantly in development, the video games industry will continue to contribute to the wider sector’s success. “There is huge confidence that Scotland will continue to play an important part in the future of video games and interactive entertainment,” Andy Campbell said. “Scotland’s video games development community is reaching that critical mass that, combined with the global appeal of Scotland, will keep it at the forefront of the best locations in the world to work."
More information:
|
