Northern Ireland has seen one of the biggest increases in employment in the UK video games development sector, according to a trade association for the industry.
TIGA’s research found that games industry talent is dispersed across UK regions, contributing to the UK’s Levelling Up agenda. Almost 80% of those working in the UK games industry are outside London.
From December 2021 to April 2023, the number of staff working in video games in Northern Ireland grew by around 33.5%. The region now accounts for 0.7% of the UK games development workforce in total, equivalent to 165 people.
Belfast’s game developer numbers have been growing as a result of Northern Ireland Screen funding and acquisition, backed up by incubator Pixel Mill’s development funding and skills programme.
Games studios in the area include Hypixel Studios, maker of Hytale, BlackStaff Games, creator of DogBiscuit and Whitepot Studios, developer of Tubocity.
The findings come from Making Games in the UK 2023, TIGA’s report on the state of the UK video games industry and based on an extensive survey of UK games businesses, with analysis by Games Investor Consulting.
According to TIGA, video games remains one of the UK’s creative industry success stories. Not only are some of the biggest games franchises created here, but the sector continues to grow in headcount, number of businesses and more.
The TIGA Making Games in the UK 2023 report shows that overall employment in the UK’s games development sector has surged by 11.4%, while studio numbers have increased by almost 18%.
During the period from December 2021 and April 2023, wider games industry employment, tax revenues and investment also grew markedly.
Dr Richard Wilson, OBE, TIGA CEO, said: “While London employs over 22% of the games development workforce across 587 companies, 77% of all games development staff in the UK are employed outside of the capital.
"Approximately one-fifth of development staff are located in the South East of England, while the third, fourth and fifth largest centres of games development by headcount are the North West of England, the West Midlands and Scotland, respectively.
“Including indirect staff, games development companies support over 53,000 jobs outside of London. In percentage terms, the strongest headcount growth over the period December 2021 to April 2023 was found in the North East (45.7%), Yorkshire and Humber (33.9%) and Northern Ireland (33.5%.
“The video games industry has immense potential to contribute to the Levelling Up agenda, not least due to the 44,000 people working in the games supply chain which is mostly based outside of London. Providing high-skilled employment opportunities, the sector has established strong creative industry clusters right across the UK.”
Source: Belfast Telegraph (link opens in new window)