idealpeople blog

Games, Games, Games, it’s all we’re talking about this week - or so it seems…

We wanted to pledge our support for the Games Up? campaign, which aims to ensure that the gaming industry in the UK receives enough support to keep growing.

Now let’s be honest here for a minute: the Games industry gets an awful lot of stick. It’s constantly being blamed for turning our children into couch potatoes, it’s blamed for almost every atrocity committed by young adults the world over and - often - gamers themselves are seen in far from a positive light.

Quite why the general negative attitude is beyond us. And quite why the following facts are never made publically available also remains a mystery…

- 26.5 million people in the UK regularly play games
- The majority of these are adults
- the British Games industry makes games suitable for all ages - only 3 18+ titles were released last year
- The UK has originated some of today’s biggest global games franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider, SingStar, Football Manager and Roller coaster Tycoon
- The UK industry employs over 10,000 people and contributes hundreds of millions of pounds to the UK economy

Despite this, the UK games industry is losing out to foreign territories who can offer publishing companies tax breaks provided by the government - much as the UK government gives to Film Studios in this country. So far, the government has been unwilling (or unable) to offer the British Games Industry any sort of assistance, meaning that the cost of creating games over here is uncompetitive for major publishers.

The result of this is fewer jobs and more of the UK skills-base leaving for higher-paid jobs overseas. The state of affairs will only get worse without support.

So it’s time to act…..before it’s

We work extensively with Games studios throughout the UK, recruiting at all levels for several major games houses. If you want to know more, register with us, or get in touch.