Sector spotlight: Gaming

A video game with the ambitious remit of helping to save the world had a relatively low-profile launch in Bristol last spring.

The city was the only one in the UK to be part of ClairCity, a pioneering global study that took a citizen-led approach to reducing air pollution.

Digital experts at UWE Bristol developed a video game called ClairCity Skylines that puts the player in charge of making key decisions about how they want things to run in Bristol and what to prioritise.

……………………

Read more: The Bristol game that might just help save the world

……………………

More than an innovative approach to tackling global problems, the launch was a clear indication of how gaming’s application to society now reaches beyond the realms of just entertainment.

Students at UWE play ClairCity Skylines – a game that puts the player in charge of making key decisions about Bristol

“We know that computer games by themselves won’t save the world, but they offer an exciting, engaging way to get lots of people involved in finding solutions for some of the problems we face,” said Andy King, associate professor of technology and innovation and co-designer of ClairCity Skylines, speaking at its launch in April 2018.

The UK is the fifth largest games market in the world and the industry is worth an estimated £3.86billion to the national economy – more than the value of music and video combined.

Bristol – with its thriving tech sector and entrepreneurial spirit – is well-placed to capitalise on this growing industry and is home to an increasing number of independent gaming businesses.

Silas Adekunle, John Rees and Chris Beck launched Reach Robotics while still at university

One such company is Reach Robotics – a startup that’s fast changing the future of gaming from its Stoke Gifford base and making waves on the global stage with MekaMon, the world’s first gaming robot.

Fusing robotics, augmented reality and video games, it has already caught the attention of Apple and is tipped as the future of entertainment.

Reach’s co-founder and CEO Silas Adekunle says that while setting up a consumer tech company in 2013 was a challenge because the infrastructure – especially in terms of funding streams – wasn’t in place then, there has been a “bit of an explosion” of startups in the last five years.

“There’s always been a creative spirit in the city, and now this is being applied to growing creative industries like gaming,” says Silas.

“We have two universities, collaborative centres of excellence like the Bristol Robotics Lab and talent is pouring into the city from London. There is already an incredibly supportive community, and this will only grow as that vital infrastructure formalises. We can expect to see a lot more home-grown innovators entering the workplace in the next decade.”

Lo-Fi Games is expanding as Bristol is increasingly recognised as a gaming hub

Natalie Hunt of Stokes Croft-based Lo-Fi Games agrees that Bristol has really come into its own as a gaming hub in recent years.

“We’ve got multiple board game cafes and video game bars, plus socials, developer meetups and co-working spaces specifically for video game development,” says the business manager and writer.

“It’s become one of the most developer-friendly cities to set up in and the sector has become very lucrative.”

It’s not all smooth riding though, Natalie says it has proven difficult finding experienced talent for Lo-Fi’s PC game now the company is expanding, although for mobile development and VR (virtual reality), it’s easier.

She argues that it has also become more difficult to get visibility in the industry as platforms such as Steam Direct and Google Play are increasingly swamped and saturated with games.

“Despite the huge potential and growing global market, most startups simply don’t have big marketing budgets to overcome this,” says Natalie, adding that much of Lo-Fi’s success has been through listening to fans and building a community on Steam.

Lo-Fi Games is currently working on its first game, Kenshi, a squad-based RPG set in a vast dystopian ‘Sword Punk’ style open world

Bristol Games Hub in Stokes Croft is a non-profit organisation that provides working space where game developers and academics can come together under one roof to create and study games, fostering an inclusive, collaborative approach.

James Parker, of Ground Shatter, says the hub has provided a space for smaller companies and individuals to coalesce.

He predicts that a new wave of diverse and interesting games will emerge from a new generation of creative games makers, as new technology and opportunities come to the fore.

Based in Bristol Games Hub, Auroch Digital started out as a consultancy service and is now well-established in the industry, with games Dark Future: Blood Red States, Mars Horizon and Mars Horizon: Blast Off! All coming out this year.

Peter Willington says there are more independent games companies in Bristol than there were ten years ago

Speaking about changes to the industry, Auroch’s creative director Pete Willington, says: “There are more indies here now than there were ten years ago, which is mostly a reflection of the industry’s general trends into this form of studio composition, but I think also speaks to Bristol fiercely independent spirit.”

Pete predicts that a number of studios – including Auroch – will be looking to grow steadily over the next few years as they continue to take on more high-profile projects.

He adds: “In a more general sense, with many projects coming out of this area and resonating strongly with gaming audiences, I think that Bristol will begin to become more and more known as one of the UK’s central cities for making games in.”

One of Bristol’s keys to success is in its ability to foster and retain emerging talent – and the city is forging a reputation as a training ground for the games developers of the future.

UWE Bristol runs dedicated games development courses and Access Creative College is due to open a new flagship centre on All Saints Street in March, with a new focus on gaming.

“Our core ethos has always been about helping people to gain the skills they need to find employment in an industry they love,” explains Martin Smith, employability manager for Access.

“We all know about how computer games have revolutionised leisure habits over the course of the last 30 years.

“Most of the jobs are in small studios, but it’s a really exciting sector and there are always opportunities for enterprising game-makers to set up on their own.

“The games industry currently employs nearly 50,000 people across the country and is forecast to grow rapidly over the course of the next decade, presenting digital hotspots like Bristol with the opportunity to really capitalise.

“This is why Access Creative College is investing heavily in its facilities here in the city.”

Martin predicts the future trends to keep an eye on are immersive gaming, augmented reality, the growth of independent open source games, and the development of cloud gaming.

Dr Simon Scarle, senior lecturer in games technology and programme leader for MSc commercial games development at UWE, has been working in the sector for years and is generally positive about gaming’s move into the mainstream.

He states that some of the early gaming courses were not well-geared to the industry, but says that is now changing as people with actual industry experience lead programmes that are technically advanced.

“The industry is definitely growing and there is definitely an increase in degree courses in this area,” he tells Bristol24/7.

“Many of our graduates stay on and join the independent teams here.

“We have got quite a few of our guys working on the Grand Theft Auto series. There is quite a lot of collaboration in the sector – the games industry in the UK is reasonably friendly so everyone knows everyone else.

“Games have stopped being that niche that the kid at the back of the class does.”

He adds that the entry level to producing your own game is far lower than it was, with lower costs making it more accessible to all, but – on the flip side – there is some concern that this can mean quality is compromised.

Grrrl Games is ensuring that women are encouraged to tap into the gaming industry

With potentially lucrative careers to be made in gaming, Grrrl Games is ensuring that women are encouraged to tap into the sector.

Started by Dr Constance Fleuriot, the Bristol-based meetup supports women and girls interested in games development.

“I set it up – with my co-founder Jess – when a young woman at a game event asked me where all the other women were,” explains Constance.

“I wanted to create a space to encourage women to come along and share ideas, develop games, learn from each other, get familiar with the spaces we meet in – all to give them confidence to go along to all the other networking events that are mostly blokes.

“I don’t try and predict the future, but I do hope that the women we encourage to get involved with making games will all be games developers of the future.

Constance has run women-only games jams and plans to do more such events in Bristol.

Grrrl Games will be running two sessions after school on the first Tuesday of each month – one for girls aged 13 upwards and one for 16 plus, with no upper age limit. For more information, visit: www.grrrlgames.wordpress.com

Read more: Bristol robotics startup catches Apple’s eye