According to the (RE)Play report from Knight Frank which was released today, Scotland’s gaming sector job growth had increased by 60%, looking at the latest available data between 2017-2019.

Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow were named as notable hubs for gaming within the UK. Dundee in particular has the fourth highest concentration of gaming companies.

Dundee is also set to receive a significant boost with the completion of a state-of-the-art £60 million Esports arena in 2025, which will be capable of hosting up to 4,000 spectators. 

“Dundee is widely recognised for its expertise in digital media and gaming, with Abertay University forming the UK’s first centre for excellence in computer games education,” said Alasdair Steele, head of Scotland commercial at Knight Frank.

“Property will undoubtedly have its role to play in supporting creativity, attracting and retaining talent, and giving occupiers the flexibility for high growth.” 

Edinburgh held third place in the UK for the first half of 2023 for leasing transactions in the gaming sector, based on the number of deals struck. Meanwhile Glasgow was ranked in the top five areas of the UK to find gaming talent, with 76,719 professionals possessing core skills relevant to the industry. 

“Scotland has a strong track record when it comes to gaming, with Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto among the iconic games to be developed here, and 4J Studios bringing Minecraft to consoles,” said Steele.

Recommended

• Abertay University Project to Create Disability-friendly Video Game
• Children to be Given Specialist Treatment for Gaming Addiction Through NHS
• Scottish Games Awards Announce Judges Panel

A big driver of Scotland’s success in the gaming industry is Abertay University, which is ranked as the number one institution in Europe for video game education. The university offers six accredited programmes recognised by  The Independent Game Developer’s Association (TIGA), the second highest among UK institutions. 

“The gaming sector is one of the UK’s major success stories of the past few years, earmarked as a priority growth sector by the government. The sector’s success is a UK wide story, with 63% of gaming companies based outside of London. Thriving gaming hubs can be found in larger cities as well as locations including Leamington Spa, Guildford and Dundee,” said Jamie Phillips, partner at Knight Frank.

“Fast-growing gaming companies are increasingly seeking space with unique digital infrastructure, including resilient connectivity, uninterrupted power supply and an appropriate HVAC system to maintain optimal server operating temperatures. Proximity to data centre services – either in-built or via third-party providers – are principal considerations when choosing a site or location, as is space which can support flexible working patterns and sustainability objectives.”

Building on the ongoing success of the Scottish gaming industry, Scottish Games Week will take place at the end of this month. The week celebrates all aspects of the global games ecosystem and the creators, educators and pioneers working in Scotland.

This week, the event opened up applications for developers, game creators and businesses to exhibit and demo their gaes during the two day conference which takes place at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on 30 and 31 October, and More Than Games in the Corinthian Club in Glasgow on 3 November. 

“We will be welcoming over 300 people through the doors on both days of the conference, including many publishers, industry leaders and media representatives. We want to make sure that audience gets a chance to see all of the new work from the biggest studios and brands, through to emerging and new talent,” said Brian Baglow, director of Scottish Games Week.