Scottish video games industry 'continues to grow'

Employment in the Scottish video games industry grew by more than 17% between November 2018 and April 2020, according to an industry body.

Research by Tiga found Scotland had 1,803 permanent and full-time equivalent creative staff working on games development in 96 companies.

This was up from 84 companies employing 1,537 staff in November 2018.

The sector also supported a further 3,296 indirect jobs - up from 2,810 in 2018.

The figures indicated that Scotland was home to the fourth largest games cluster in the UK, after London, the south east and the north west.

Tiga chief executive Richard Wilson said jobs growth in Scotland had been driven in part by inward investment from several major overseas companies and by strong growth in Scotland's larger studios.

He said: "Scotland has a critical mass of experienced games developers; renowned universities preparing skilled graduates for the games industry, including Tiga-accredited Abertay University; and supportive agencies including Scottish Enterprise and Creative Scotland."

Dr Wilson added that anecdotal evidence suggested the sector in Scotland had continued to grow since April.

Prof Gregor White, dean of design and informatics at Abertay University, said Tiga's new figures were "welcome news in uncertain times".

He added: "Recent developments in the Scottish sector reflect a period of consolidation, growth in studio size and inward investment by major technology companies.

"All of which is good news for graduates from games courses looking for entry-level opportunities and strong career prospects."