More Than a Game: On Joining the British Games Institute

Last week, I was formally onboarded as a new trustee of the British Games Institute (BGI), the incredible organisation that runs the National Videogames Museum. After taking part in my first board meeting, I’ve been reflecting on why this work is so important – and why it cuts to the very heart of the challenges and opportunities facing our entire industry.

For years, we’ve all heard the same statistics. We know the games industry is commercially massive, dwarfing film and music combined. We are, by any financial metric, a spectacular success story.

But for all our commercial confidence, we have been shamefully quiet when it comes to our cultural confidence. As an industry, we are incredibly adept at talking about what we make and how much it sells for, but we are often silent, or even dismissive, on the subject of why it matters.

We lack cultural leadership. We have very few public-facing institutions that look beyond that huge financial bottom line and champion the deeper, transformative potential of play.

The Role of The British Games Institute

This is precisely why the BGI and the National Videogames Museum are so vital. They are one of the very few organisations in the UK dedicated to preserving, cataloguing, and interrogating games as a cultural form. They are the epitome of the ‘More Than Games’ philosophy – a permanent, physical declaration that games are more than just ‘digital toys’ suitable only for children, or financially lucrative products; they are artistic expressions, social platforms, and powerful tools for learning and connection.

In an industry defined by rapid technological change and relentless forward momentum, we need an institution that has the mandate to look back, to hold onto our history, and to ask critical questions about our impact.

But for me, this new role isn’t just about preservation. That work is essential, but it is the foundation, not the final structure. The true opportunity is to help build upon that foundation. It’s about looking beyond just cataloguing the past and helping to position Britain as a global leader in thinking about games differently.

This is a platform to champion the role of games in our wider cultural and social life. It’s about moving from simply preserving our history to actively using our medium’s power to shape the future – in education, in healthcare, in public policy, and in our national discourse.

I am incredibly proud and excited to join the BGI board and to contribute to this mission. It is work that aligns perfectly with everything we are trying to build here in Scotland – a mature, confident, and culturally-aware games ecosystem that understands its own value far beyond the balance sheet.