The Telegraph has posted the latest part of it’s ‘tech map of Britain‘ today, looking at the digital media and technology sectors here in Scotland. It specifically mentions the games sector, speaking to Specialmove’s Andy Campbell, as well as a spokesman from Rockstar North.
While the article is positive overall and looks at a number of other areas of technology, a couple of its claims are a little unusual. It gives a figure of 100,000 people working within the videogames industry in Scotland, making around £5 billion per year for the Scottish economy:
Indeed, the gaming sector employs around 100,000 people in Scotland, and contributes around £5 billion annually to the Scottish economy.
From smaller companies, such as T-Enterprise, which specialises in funny viral games, to the larger studios, such as Rockstar North, the team behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, there’s a rich seam of games design talent in Scotland to be mined.
There’s also a lot of investment in the future of the industry. Edinburgh-based Rockstar North is one of the biggest supporters of the Dare to be Digital initiative, a competition run by Scottish games studios and universities to encourage the next generation of games designers.
We’ve already left a comment on the Telegraph site and contacted the journalist, saying this isn’t quite accurate (and asking where those figures came from). Updates when and if we hear anything back…
