Scotland's Games Ecosystem Cluster
On Wednesday 16 September 2026, the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh will host a landmark event: Playable Heritage: Creating a Collaborative Framework for Collecting Video Game Culture. Co-hosted by National Museums Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, the National Videogame Museum, and Ukie, this free, one-day conference represents a major, coordinated attempt to build …
Following the conclusion of the 2026 elections and the formation of the new Scottish Government cabinet, the Scottish Games Network has formally briefed the First Minister and their ministerial team on the immediate economic, cultural, and social opportunities waiting within our national games ecosystem. To ensure absolute transparency and to foster a truly collaborative approach …
This week, the eyes of the global creative industries are focused on Shoreditch in London as the European edition of South by Southwest takes over the city. SXSW London has quickly established itself as a premier convergence of technology, music, screen, and interactive culture. On Thursday 4 June at 1:35pm, I will be taking the …
Continue reading "The GTA Effect: Grand Theft Auto (& Hamlet) At SXSW London 2026"
For years I have been asking the quesstion: How do we protect, preserve and celebrate Scotland's games heritage? The announcement of the recent videogame heritage PhD studentship in partnership with Abertay University, the University of Glasgow, and National Museums Scotland (NMS) was a massive step forward. Today, that momentum takes another major leap forward. National …
Speculative fiction and game design have always shared a common heritage. If you examine the foundations of modern narrative design, the link to sci-fi, fantasy, and horror is obvious. In an era where players expect increasingly complex, system-driven storytelling, the ability to build cohesive and convincing worlds is one of the most valuable skillsets in …
Continue reading "Speculative Worlds: Cymera 2026 Is The Ultimate Fantasy Playground"
The global games market in 2026 is more crowded, volatile, and competitive than ever before. For independent studios and established developers alike, relying solely on consumer retail success is becoming an ever-riskier strategy. That is why I am headed to Brighton this July to deliver a session on how developers can unlock entirely new, sustainable …
Outplay Entertainment, Scotland's largest independent developer and a global titan of casual mobile gaming, has officially announced its debut Steam title, The Incentive Programme. Known internationally for its free-to-play hits that have attracted over 250 million players worldwide across franchises including Angry Birds, Monopoly, and Gordon Ramsay, the Dundee-based studio is taking a bold new …
Apparently, the Scottish Games Network is officially 21 today. If SGN were a person, that means we are a cool three years past our first legal pint, well over our wild teenage years, and firmly staring down the barrel of responsible adulthood. In games terms, twenty-one years is not just a milestone - it is …
The Scottish games ecosystem is about far more than just code and consoles. It is an industry built on the foundations of world-class storytelling and the ability to build immersive universes that can exist across multiple media. Which is why the latest project from the Edinburgh-based studio SuperForest is so interesting. The studio has launched …
Continue reading "Narrative Without Borders: SuperForest’s Little Bird Kickstarter Opens"
Elgin has long established itself as the most (we think) northerly games hub in the UK. As the home of the excellent Moray Game Jam, the internationally successful Hunted Cow, and the specialised engineering team at Code Wizards, the region has a deep-rooted history of digital creativity - and a community of beautiful people. Now, …
Continue reading "I AM: Indie Arcade Moray – Games, Developers, Talks All Wanted"