Scottish government greenlights "national games strategy"

The Scottish government has announced its backing for a "national games strategy" to support the growth of the industry in the country.

In partnership with the Scottish Games Network, Techscaler (a network for kickstarting and scaling Scottish startups), and tech incubator CodeBase, the government aims for its programme to "create a more successful games ecosystem in Scotland and ensure the country can support the sector more effectively as it continues to grow and evolve."

Details on the strategy itself are scarce at this point but the Scottish Games Network is said to lead the creation of the action plan, and provide "tangible, actionable recommendations to increase knowledge of and support for games," involving actors across the industry, education, and the public sector.

A series of workshops will also be announced at a later date, to be held across the country.

Games contribute over £188 million to the Scottish economy annually, the announcement noted.

Acting co-CEO of UKIE, Daniel Wood, said the UK trade body is "looking forward to helping lead this work" though its involvement is unclear at this stage.

Director of the Scottish Games Network Brian Baglow commented: "The games sector is Scotland's secret weapon. We have far more to offer Scotland’s economy and future as a digital society than anyone realises. However, we do not yet have the same recognition as other areas such as data, fintech, or film.

"The creation of a national strategy will enable us to increase the understanding of the enormous potential of games, increase the support for the ecosystem as a whole and position Scotland as a pioneer in this incredible industry."

The Scottish Games Network secured a grant back in 2020 to map Scotland's games industry. It is also behind the Scottish Games Week, which took place for the first time in 2022.