Video gaming development, both on- and offline, may historically be the jewel in the crown of Asian and North American companies, but Britain is punching firmly above its weight when it comes to gaming development studios. In fact, there are several unique gaming development hubs dotted throughout the UK in towns and cities that might surprise you.
A report by Games Industry.biz revealed that most of the UK gaming industry is positioned outside of London and the south-east of England. This is where many might stereotypically guess that Britain’s sharpest gaming minds live and work, but the reality is much, much different. London and the suburban areas of the English capital make up just 45% of the UK’s gaming industry, which means 55% is located far beyond.
Dundee
The coastal Scottish city of Dundee became a global gaming hub in the early 1990s, thanks to the worldwide commercial success of the game called Lemmings. It was the brainchild of development graduate, Dave Jones, who studied at the city’s Abertay University. Jones established a games development firm called DMA Design in the late 1980s and, within a few years, the Lemmings concept was born via the Commodore Amiga. This, along with DMA’s Grand Theft Auto original, put Dundee well and truly on the gaming map. In terms of its future, Dundee Waterfront is set to have its own 4,000-seater eSports gaming arena operational by 2024.
Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa has increasingly become known as ‘Silicone Spa’ in the eyes of the UK’s gaming development industry. This quiet corner of Warwickshire boasts one of the biggest gaming hubs in the British gaming ecosystem. Its has contributed a gross value added (GVA) of £100.7 million to the national economy, with approximately 34 gaming companies positioned here. With almost 1,000 employees at Leamington Spa, this town was once home to the studio Codemasters, which was eventually sold on to Electronic Arts in a deal worth £1.2 billion. The likes of Ubisoft and Playground Games have also been major players in the gaming scene here.
Newcastle Upon Tyne
The north-east of England is also home to a string of integral gaming companies. While the region looks set to play a major role in offshore wind, it is also certainly having a major commercial impact on the bottom line of the UK gaming scene. These studios have fast developed a reputation for designing and building cutting-edge games and cross-platform gaming technology for the 21st century. Epic Games is a global name in gaming, but one of its most prominent hubs is now based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Reflections Interactive was acquired by Ubisoft and soon became Ubisoft Reflections, based largely on the commercial success of its Driver and Hitman game franchises. Nosebleed Interactive is also an award-winning game development studio in the city, landing the PlayStation Mobile Pioneers award in years gone by.
Newark
The Nottinghamshire market town of Newark will by no means be the first region in the UK that you’d consider for a gaming hub, but it’s certainly developing a reputation for gaming excellence. It’s home to one of Europe’s biggest iGaming software providers, Blueprint Gaming, which is situated a stone’s throw from Newark Northgate train station. The studio, which was recently acquired by German iGaming conglomerate Gauselmann Group, has been the mastermind behind many successful slot games and franchises, namely Fishin’ Frenzy and the licensed Deal or No Deal series. Its Fishin’ Frenzy series features prominently in the Catch a Win section of PokerStars Casino, with some titles offering sizeable progressive jackpots.
Brighton
According to Brighton University, the Sussex coastal city of Brighton is fast becoming a leading city in the games development scene. In recent years, Brighton has staged a prominent Develop:Brighton conference, welcoming some of the sharpest development minds to the city. Its university also sponsored an academic programme at a three-day gaming industry event in 2019. Surprisingly, Brighton is already home to approximately 65 gaming companies, although with only 277 employees, it seems these firms are very much early-stage studios. Nevertheless, collectively they contributed approximately £24.1 million in GVA to the economy.
With so many towns and cities starting to bare their teeth in the gaming world, it’s clear that the UK will continue to punch above its weight in the gaming innovation stakes for many years to come.