March 12th Marks The First CPG On Scotland’s Games Ecosystem
In-Person & Online Tickets Available Now
A group of MSPs from the Scottish Parliament have agreed to create a new cross party group on Scotland’s games ecosystem.
The first meeting of the Games Ecosystem CPG will take place at the Scottish Parliament at 18:00 on Tuesday 12th March. It is free to attend the session and both in-person and online tickets are available here.
The declared purpose of the group is: “to promote the games sector in Scotland and build a thriving games ecosystem.”
The games sector in Scotland has immense potential economically, socially, and culturally. Worldwide, the sector eclipses traditional entertainment media – generating more revenue than the film and music industries combined. Gaming has increasingly become a focal point for cultural discourse and the vast array of applications for gaming technology are now being recognised as a vehicle for social change.
Innovations in gaming tech are being used across education, healthcare, social inclusion, culture, and environmental policy. Scotland has played a pioneering role in the evolution of gaming since the 1980s. The country has produced some of the world’s most enduringly popular games but we want to focus on the future.
There is a clear need for coordinated policy for the sector. A Cross Party Group would provide an ideal platform to bring a sense of unity for gaming in Scotland, it would allow the public to engage with games as a policy point, and it would be the bedrock for promoting a thriving Games ecosystem alongside the enormous benefits that would bring for Scotland.
The MSPs supporting the creation of the Cross Party Group on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem are:
- Clare Adamson MSP (SNP – Proposed convenor)
- Michael Marra MSP (Labour – Proposed deputy convenor)
- Stephanie Callaghan MSP (SNP)
- Ross Greer MSP (Green)
- Maurice Golden MSP (Conservative)
Attendees from across the games industry, education pipeline and ecosystem are welcome to attend.
The agenda for the first meeting will be shared in the near future.
Clare Adamson MSP, the proposed convenor of the CPG, told SGN:
This year’s Scottish Games Week was a roaring success. There is real momentum in the games sector in Scotland.
But the games sector does not get the prominence it needs in Scotland’s policymaking. We are aiming to change that with the Cross Party Group (CPG) on the Scottish Games Ecosystem.
This is a vibrant community and we need to throw political support behind the sector to realise its enormous potential for Scotland – economically, socially, and culturally.
With a new CPG, we are aiming to bring a unified voice to advocate for Scottish games. A thriving games ecosystem will drive innovation, bring investment, create jobs, and serve as a cultural touchpoint befitting of Scotland’s world-renowned reputation in gaming.