SCOTS GAMING ‘AS BIG AS OIL’
HOW DIGITAL INDUSTRY WILL SAVE ECONOMY
SCOTLAND is heading for a digital industrial revolution greater than North Sea oil thanks to the international success of computer games like Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft. Leading players in the global market predict a Scottish bonanza in jobs and revenues from games created in Scotland which will “eclipse” offshore energy.
Their forecasts came as new figures showed the industry north of the Border grew by a quarter last year alone while worldwide sales of video games now top those of Hollywood movies.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today hailed the “massive Scottish success story” in video and computer games and pledged the support of her government, with one note of caution after this summer’s UK-wide vote for Britain to leave the world’s biggest and richest trading bloc.
Sturgeon added: “We will do all we can to support and develop the sector – but like so many other parts of our economy it is threatened by Brexit, which is why we need urgent clarity from the UK Government on our future international trading relationships.”
The latest upbeat comments come just a few years after gloomy predictions of the industry’s demise after the UK government dropped tax incentives, since restored last year, and competitors in rival markets stepped up their game.
But Chris van der Kuyl – the Dundeebased developer whose 4J Studios has adapted the Minecraft franchise for consoles – is convinced Scotland has a deep well of digital talent that can outlast finite resources like hydrocarbons.
He said: “I absolutely believe the digital industries effectively will eclipse the oil industry in terms of revenues generated for Scotland, if we grasp the opportunity.
“With oil, you’ve got a limited natural re- source versus, in digital, an unlimited natural resource in human capital and talent that you can develop forever.”
Brian Baglow, director of Scottish Games Network, said: “We have this way of thinking games are just for kids and just for playing on consoles, where you collect coins, rescue princesses and blow stuff up, maybe drive cars really fast. But games are now a subset of the app market.”
Trade association Tiga last week said Scotland has 1,290 permanent and full-time equivalent creative staff working on games development in 85 companies, making it the third largest “cluster group” in the UK. That is well behind oil and gas, which supported 450,000 British jobs at its peak in 2014.
Economist Jeremy Peat said it was hard to say how big the gaming industry – and its digital offshoots – could be. “There is no reason why it should not be on a growth trend, especially if we assume that leisure spending is growing and that games will take a bigger share of that spend.”
Scottish Conservatives opposition leader Ruth Davidson was among those who successfully lobbied for the reintroduction of video game tax breaks. She said: “I’ve been passionate about the computer games industry since making a documentary about it during my time as a BBC journalist.
“I’m thrilled to see incentives have helped a brilliant industry become even better.”