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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Britain is a global gaming superpower
The arrival of 'Grand Theft Auto VI' in 2026 will be less a video-game release than a cultural moment. The game, which rewards players for stealing cars, selling drugs and killing cops, will have cost upwards of $2bn to build. Yet it will almost certainly turn a profit within its first week. With its glitzy cityscapes, radio soundtrack and trademark swagger, the series looks, sounds and feels like a warped parody of America. Yet this blockbuster began its life in the small Scottish city of Dundee and is still made by a team of tartan nerds in Edinburgh—a feat celebrated in the British government's strategy for the creative industries, released this June. Strip out the Cayman Islands (a British overseas territory) and Britain ranks as the third-largest exporter of video games—behind only America and Japan.(Illustration: Lea Dohle) Such recognition is overdue: gaming has long been a British superpower. The sector generates annual revenues of some $200bn globally. Strip out the Cayman Islands (a British overseas territory) and Britain ranks as the third-largest exporter of video games—behind only America and Japan. More understated and quirky than these rivals, it often plays the role of incubator. 'Tomb Raider', a billion-dollar franchise with its own Netflix series, began as a sketch in Derby. 'Fall Guys', a battle-royale obstacle course; 'LittleBigPlanet', a pioneer of the user-generated content craze; and 'Total War: Warhammer', based on the tabletop series, are recent successes. Video games generate more revenue (£4.3bn) than the film (ex streaming) and music industries combined (£3.4bn). Not everyone is convinced that Britain should be as supportive of its gaming industry as of, say, its life sciences. Outdated stereotypes that gaming turns youth into obese oddballs or school shooters still prevail in parts of Westminster. Others fret about the future: with investment slowing and artificial intelligence (AI) looming, the global gaming industry is in turmoil. Such pessimism is misguided. As in other creative industries—from film to fashion—British ingenuity makes it well-placed to thrive in an age of (sameish) AI. To understand Britain's unique role in the global gaming industry, go back to its origins. In the early 1980s cheap, programmable home computers gave rise to a generation of bedroom coders. This grassroots mix of creativity and code stood in contrast with America and Japan, where console-driven markets, not PC games, took off first. Britain's quirky scene spawned hits with cultish fanbases, such as 'Broken Sword', a mystery adventure starring an American puzzle-solver. This soon attracted the attention of industry giants. In 1997 Dundee's Abertay University launched the world's first computer-game degree. Britain is also good at making mobile games, which are more accessible and cheaper to make than console blockbusters. Golf Clash, the top-grossing sports-mobile game in America in 2021, was made in less than a year by around 20 people in a leafy town in Cheshire. Tripledot Studios, popular for its Solitaire game, is based in London. In June it bought the mobile-games arm of AppLovin, a Nasdaq-listed American tech firm, for $800m. As the industry has grown, with exports increasing from $3.4bn in 2016 to $8.8bn in 2021, its benefits have become more evident. It employs 30,000 or so developers, artists and composers and is unusually productive. The gross value-added per video-games worker is almost double the British average, according to government data. It is also a sector where Britain really is levelling up. Almost four-fifths of video-game developers work outside London (clusters tended to form around successful early studios and to reflect the sector's bedroom origins). Katie Goode, a burgundy-haired rocket scientist turned games designer, runs her virtual-reality (VR) studio from North Cornwall—one of the country's remotest corners. Hubs have emerged in places like Dundee, Leamington Spa, Slough and Teesside. Britain has also begun to recognise gaming's wider benefits. In the right hands, consoles encourage learning, not laziness. Take Demis Hassabis, known for starting DeepMind, an AI company bought by Google for $600m in 2014. He attributes much of his success to making a theme-park game as a teen in North London, and later founding a games studio. VR is changing how doctors rehearse surgery and how pilots train for take-off. The National Health Service now prescribes games to treat anxiety and depression. Yet the belated recognition comes at a tough time. Some issues are specific to Britain. Gaming suffers from the same woes as British tech more broadly: mainly a shortage of venture-capital funding. Smaller studios that struggle to attract investment are unable to scale up. Instead they are often snapped up by foreign buyers, such as Tencent, a Chinese tech conglomerate, which bought Sumo Group, a developer based in Sheffield, in 2022. 'We're incredibly good at creating games,' says Sir Ian Livingstone, the first Briton knighted for services to the industry. 'We're not so good at hanging onto them.' The second challenge is a global slowdown. The pandemic helped gaming boom. Investors piled in, hoping to profit from millions of house-bound players. British exports grew by 259% between 2016 and 2021. But the surge led to overproduction. In July Microsoft, maker of the Xbox, announced mass layoffs in its gaming division, leading to the cancellation of projects in Britain. Sony, a Japanese publisher, closed its London studio in 2024. At the industry's biggest annual conference in Britain, held in July in Brighton, the mood is subdued. Jobseekers wander the halls with lanyards reading 'seeking new opportunities' or 'looking for work'. Technological disruption adds to the unease. Gaming has long been at the bleeding edge of tech—Nvidia made its GPUs for gamers long before they were used on AI models. Alan Turing, a British computer pioneer, created the world's first algorithm capable of playing chess. But many developers are wary of being displaced by machines. 'A lot of us feel like Luddites…we just want to start burning the textile mills,' says one attendee in Brighton. One game on show lets players explore the abandoned server of a failed studio, its fictional founders' ideas drowned in a tide of generic content, or 'AI slop'. Creative destruction Yet as artists and disruptors have shown through the ages, in turmoil lies opportunity. And Britain is uniquely well-placed to reap the benefits. Some of the laid-off are starting their own studios, such as Yasmina Fadel, who co-founded a games company after being made redundant last year. There are also signs that Britain is beginning to better value its ideas. Licensing its distinctive IP to gaming developers helped turn Games Workshop, the creator of 'Warhammer', into a FTSE100 company in 2024 (it has focused on mid-size games). The government's new strategy includes a promise of funding through the British Business Bank to help plug the venture-capital gap, and a promise of a copyright scheme to protect firms' IP from AI. AI may end up increasing the value of British developers rather than deplete it. It can boost productivity. At one studio in Brighton, a level that once took 90 days to build now takes just ten, notes Nick Poole of UK Interactive Entertainment, an industry body. 'In a world of synthetic material and AI-generated content,' the government's creative-industry strategy correctly identifies that 'human endeavour and creativity will be more important than ever.' The only way to mitigate the threat of AI is to 'tell great stories that haven't been told before,' notes Charles Cecil, the creator of 'Broken Sword'. What is exciting, he says, is that it is 'playing to [British] strengths'. In Brighton that is clearly on display. One arcade-style game, made in Cornwall, stars a cat wielding a revolver and a samurai sword. In 'Atomfall', players explore a post-apocalyptic Lake District, complete with distinctive red British telephone boxes. 'Thank Goodness You're Here', a surreal indie hit, follows a travelling salesman through a Yorkshire village as he helps residents free themselves from drains, and bake oversize meat pies. 'It captures a bit of the British soul,' purred Le Monde. Only a human, arguably only a British human, could dream up ideas like this. Eccentricity may well be Britain's greatest asset. For more expert analysis of the biggest stories in Britain, sign up to Blighty, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter.
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Interim head appointed at university after damning report into financial crisis
A new interim principal has been appointed at the University of Dundee less than 24 hours after a damning report prompted his predecessor's resignation. Professor Nigel Seaton will take on the role on a short-term basis after Professor Shane O'Neill and two other senior officials at the university stepped down on Thursday. Prof O'Neill's departure was hastened by a report into the financial crisis facing the institution, which is struggling with a £35 million black hole. The report found management had 'failed' to 'properly respond to the worsening situation'. It identified Prof O'Neill, former principal Professor Iain Gillespie and ex-chief operating officer Jim McGeorge as a 'triumvirate' at the top of the institution who were believed by other staff to be making 'key university decisions'. In his resignation statement, Prof O'Neill said it was important for the university to be able to 'move on'. Prof Seaton – who served as principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University between 2012 and 2022 – was previously the interim provost at Dundee University before taking the top job. He said he is 'honoured' to take up the position, adding: 'The university faces considerable challenges in its recovery from a difficult financial position, and from what I know has been a very difficult period for staff. 'I am ready to work with my colleagues and with the university court to set the university on its way to a sustainable and successful future. 'In all this, we should not lose sight of the things that make this university such a great place. 'Prime among those is graduation, and I look forward to playing a part in the ceremonies next week to celebrate the achievements of our wonderful graduates.' Dr Ian Mair, the deputy chairman of the university court, said he is 'grateful' Prof Seaton is willing to 'lend us stability at this challenging time'.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Interim head appointed at university after damning report into financial crisis
A new interim principal has been appointed at the University of Dundee less than 24 hours after a damning report prompted his predecessor's resignation. Professor Nigel Seaton will take on the role on a short-term basis after Professor Shane O'Neill and two other senior officials at the university stepped down on Thursday. Prof O'Neill's departure was hastened by a report into the financial crisis facing the institution, which is struggling with a £35 million black hole. The report found management had 'failed' to 'properly respond to the worsening situation'. It identified Prof O'Neill, former principal Professor Iain Gillespie and ex-chief operating officer Jim McGeorge as a 'triumvirate' at the top of the institution who were believed by other staff to be making 'key university decisions'. In his resignation statement, Prof O'Neill said it was important for the university to be able to 'move on'. Prof Seaton – who served as principal and vice-chancellor of Abertay University between 2012 and 2022 – was previously the interim provost at Dundee University before taking the top job. He said he is 'honoured' to take up the position, adding: 'The university faces considerable challenges in its recovery from a difficult financial position, and from what I know has been a very difficult period for staff. 'I am ready to work with my colleagues and with the university court to set the university on its way to a sustainable and successful future. 'In all this, we should not lose sight of the things that make this university such a great place. 'Prime among those is graduation, and I look forward to playing a part in the ceremonies next week to celebrate the achievements of our wonderful graduates.' Dr Ian Mair, the deputy chairman of the university court, said he is 'grateful' Prof Seaton is willing to 'lend us stability at this challenging time'.
The Courier
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Courier
Fancy a cuppa? Dundee scientists need you to help probe tea health benefits
People have long used a good cup of tea to turn a bad day around. Now, researchers from Abertay University are exploring whether tea can be used to offset the health challenges faced by postmenopausal women. If proved that it can, the project may be a breakthrough for postmenopausal health – an area that is still understudied. Lead researcher Dr Sarah Cottin of Abertay University's Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences said: 'The symptoms of menopause are varied and impact life at many levels, including work and relationships. 'Many women are unaware that their symptoms may be related to menopause.' The university is working with women's health innovation company Oshun Labs on the project. Together, they are particularly interested in whether the English breakfast tea – which has been designed so it is rich in antioxidants – can impact the women's chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is deadly. It kills twice as many women as breast cancer and is especially prevalent in postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, oestrogen mitigates how much fat is deposited on artery walls. This reduces the risk of somebody developing atherosclerosis. Due to their naturally lower oestrogen levels, postmenopausal women are at a much greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is where the antioxidant-rich tea comes in. Antioxidants have previously been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease, especially by slowing down the development of atherosclerosis. However, it remains to be seen whether the antioxidant rich tea is effective. 'More research is required to better understand the links between nutrition, menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular health, and the risk of potentially serious health conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, heart failure, stroke or heart attack,' Sarah said. 'We know the UK is a nation of tea drinkers so there is really positive potential for using a cuppa as the delivery vehicle for additional nutrients,' Sarah noted. People can be very particular about their tea. Because of this the team at Abertay University have ensured that, although they've packed as many antioxidants into the English breakfast tea as possible, they have not sacrificed its taste, colour or aroma. This should ensure that the tea is appealing as possible. The team are currently recruiting people for the study. If you are a non-smoker aged between 45-74 and have no problem with drinking a cup of tea every day for eight weeks, this might be the study for you. Participants will receive a lot of data about their health. They will also be compensated for their time. If taking part sounds like your cup of tea, you can learn more by visiting the project's website.
The Courier
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Best pictures from Abertay Digital Graduate Show 2025
The Abertay Digital Graduate Show returned for another year this weekend as Dundonians were treated to a spectacle of talent. This year's event features over 140 honours projects spanning a broad range of digital themes, including concept art, character design and animation. The showcase began on Thursday and will run until Saturday. The show is being held over two floors at the Kydd Building – home to Abertay University's National Centre for Excellence in Games Education. VIP guests from across the UK games industry are also in attendance, engaging with students and viewing their innovative projects. Doors are open between 12pm to 4pm. .
