Scottish Games Week, the first-ever week-long, Scotland-wide series of events focused upon videogames, is set to take place later this year.

Created and organised by the Scottish Games Network, the series will run from October 24th to 28th, with events being held in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Borders.

Brian Baglow, director of Scottish Games Network, said the festival aims to showcase the strength of the Scottish games ecosystem, which has played a pioneering role since the late 1980s and produced iconic games such as Grand Theft Auto or Minecraft.

“Scotland is home to an incredible games ecosystem,” he said. “We have over 300 developers and creators across the country, from the largest studios to part-time indie developers. Eleven colleges and seven universities in Scotland are producing graduates with games design, development and production skills.”

“The games sector proved to be not just resilient to Covid-19, it positively boomed.”

In 2021, the global games industry was worth $192.7 billion, far eclipsing many key digital sectors such as cyber, data, AI or fintech. And in 2022, the market is projected to exceed $200bn for the first time.

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The week-long event series is more than just a games industry showcase, according to Baglow. It’s about highlighting the crucial role the sector will play in Scotland’s digital future and forging closer ties with other high-growth industries.

“Scotland’s games industry is the country’s secret weapon. The games ecosystem is far larger and more complex than anyone gives it credit for, with much to offer the wider creative industries, as well as other areas of the digital technology sector,” he said.

“Scottish Games Week will give this incredible ecosystem a global platform, showcasing, highlighting and supporting the incredible work being produced here in Scotland, as well as exploring all of the ways in which the tools, technologies and techniques from games can be utilised in everything from education to healthcare and Scotland’s future as a digital society.”

What’s on at Scottish Games Week?

More Than Games

An event designed for a non-games audience, to help explain the transformative potential of the tools, technologies and techniques from gaming to other digital tech sectors, the wider creative industries, education, healthcare, the media and beyond.

Education Symposium

With eleven colleges and seven universities producing graduates with skills in game design, development and production, Scotland’s talent pipeline is world class.

In the first event of its kind, the symposium will bring together educators and stakeholders from across the education and academic landscape.

Scottish Games Week Conference

A two-day industry conference in Dundee, the heart of Scotland’s gaming heritage, focusing on the cutting edge of game design, development, publishing, funding, and more.

Scottish Games Awards

The first ever Scottish Games Awards will recognise, reward and highlight the incredible creativity, technical expertise, business acumen and pioneering work being carried out across the country’s rapidly evolving games sector.

Satellite Events

The programme will also include several events across the whole of Scotland, from the highlands and islands to the borders, focusing on local clusters and topics relevant to each region.