Scotland's Games Ecosystem Cluster
Rounding up the first week back at work in 2013, we have two stories highlighting the way the global video games market has changed - and how it promises to continue changing in 2013... First up, Minecraft. Every reader should, by now, be familiar with Mojang's LEGO-em-up. A combination of virtual world builder, role playing …
Continue reading "The Friday Financials – Minecraft XBLA & 40 Billion Apps"
How was your 2012? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Inexplicably awesome? We may never know (unless you kept your friendly neighbourhood Scottish Games Network up to date with the latest, greatest news, releases and updates). The Scottish Games Network did quite well, thank you. Lots of new views, lots of new friends, lots of great interest. The …
A mere six weeks after the Scottish Games Network set the world afire with a detailed dissection of the Economic Contribution Study, PR company Media House has sprung into action and written a letter expressing concern to cabinet secretary for culture and external affairs, Fiona Hyslop, according to The Drum. Ms Hyslop replied that the …
Continue reading "Culture Secretary Admits Games Companies May Be Hiding"
Ladies and gentlemen, believe it or not, you are currently reading Scotland's most up-to-date accurate and, well, only source of news and information for the Scottish games industry. We've been told independently by many of the organisations, groups and governmental initiatives here in Scotland, that they use the Scottishgames' Company Directory as the primary source …
Following on from the creative industries report, it's become clear that the 'computer games' industry in Scotland needs to take itself more seriously, make itself more visible and ensure we are included in any research. Here's your first chance. Creative Skillset has commissioned a survey looking at the skills and experience required specifically within the …
Yesterday we reported that the digital media and interactive sectors had been inexplicably omitted from the 2012 Year of Creative Scotland awards. Today the reason may have become a little clearer. The games industry in Scotland does not exist in any significant way. It contributes nothing to the economy, there are only 200 people working …
Continue reading "No Revenue, No Value, No Students – Videogames Sector In Scotland Doesn’t Exist"
Into the final speaker sessions with an almost filmic title. Users to Creators Starting with a discussion about using the market to create economic growth we have Bill Liao, CoderDojo (@liaonet) Ian Livingstone, Life President Eidos (@Ian_Livingstone), Ella Romanos, MD Remode Studios(@ella_romanos), and Ray Maguire, Interactive Opportunities. Introduced by Fred Hasson, who started the whole …
Continue reading "Users, Creators, Love, Sex and Dwarves – Edinburgh Interactive (Session 6)"
Who need lunch, as we take you into the afternoon. Getting Above the Noise With more than 500,000 games and applications on Android, iPhone and other devices, players and developers both need a way to find each other. You’ll meet three companies; GREE, Flurry, and Tapjoy, who are creating global networks and tools for …
Yesterday Edinburgh Interactive closed, with a Dragons Den type affair; the idea concerning a pitch of a game or interactive experience to a panel of Ian Livingstone (Life President Eidos), Rob Woodward (CEO Scottish TV), Bill Liao (Co-founder coderdojo.com), Mark Phillips (Harbottle & Lewis) and chaired by Sean Dromgoole (GameVision/Some Research). The event was done …
Continue reading "Dragons, Zombies and A Day in the Life – Edinburgh Interactive (Session 4)"
Urban Airship, the US company which provides mobile push messaging services, and Scotland's predictive analytics specialist GamesAnalytics, have announced a strategic partnership that should help games developers reach out and contact their users in new ways. The specialism and skills in this partnership should allow greater engagement with games and allow developers/publishers to identify and …
Continue reading "Games Analytics & Urban Airship Make Games Provably Better"