TechUK’s First Ever Games and Esports Report Released
The first-ever TechUK Gaming & Esports Report explores how the UK can lead in the development, application, and commercialisation of the games and Esports technologies of the future.
The report highlights the transformative power of technology in the games and Esports landscape. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionise gameplay, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are opening up new frontiers for player engagement, and Web3 technologies are empowering players to own and trade digital assets.
The report identifies eight key trends as being at the heart of the future games ecosystem:
Enhanced Gameplay and Personalisation: AI-driven customisation will tailor gaming experiences to individual preferences.AI-Driven Content Creation: AI will generate more engaging and diverse content, empowering players to become creators.Immersive Experiences: AR and VR will transport players into immersive virtual worlds, blurring the lines between the physical and digital realms.Persistent and Connected Environments: Metaverse platforms will enable players to interact and socialise in persistent virtual worlds.Casual Gaming: Mobile, cloud, and semiconductor advancements will make gaming more accessible to a wider audience.Web3 Gaming Economy: Blockchain technology will enable players to own and trade digital assets, creating new economic opportunities.Enhanced Broadcast and Viewing Technologies: Advanced technologies will improve the viewing experience for Esports and gaming broadcasts.Social Gaming and Esports: Social interactions and competitive play will become even more central to the gaming experience.Recommendations for the UK Government
To ensure the UK’s continued leadership in the gaming and Esports sector, techUK has made the following recommendations to the government:
Create a National Videogame Strategy: A comprehensive strategy will provide a long-term vision for the industry, fostering innovation and investment.Prioritise Gaming in the Modern Industrial Strategy: This will ensure the sector receives the necessary support and resources to thrive.Incorporate AI in Gaming into the UK AI Strategy: This will help the UK maintain its leading position in AI research and development.Develop a UK Plan for AR Technologies: This will position the UK as a global leader in AR technology and its applications in gaming.Accelerate Digital Infrastructure: Investing in 5G and other digital infrastructure will be crucial for the future of gaming.Consider Gaming and Social Gaming in the Online Safety Sandbox: This will help to address the challenges of online safety in the gaming context and foster innovation.Scotland’s National Games Strategy
With the creation of the Action Plan, underway (opening to sector consultation in the next few days), as the first step in the creation of a national strategy for games in Scotland, I’m delighted to see the TechUK report touching on so many of the same points.
The need for a clear, unambiguous understanding of ‘games’ in their broadest definition and recognition of their incredible potential requires a dedicated strategy and long-term vision.
Incorporating and integrating games into ALL of the high level strategic work coming out of the government (in Scotland and the UK), covering tech/digital, screen, creative industries, education (and more) is hugely important. So many sectors are highlighted as key to the future of Scotland and the UK – fintech, cyber, data, AI, etc. Games are missing in action from almost all of these (especially in Scotland). As these have a direct impact on policy decisions, we have to ensure that games have visibility.
The focus on emerging technologies is well-made, but the focus on specific technologies (AI and Immersive) seems a little counter intuitive, so many emerging technologies are directly related to games – including AI and immersive, but also touching on 5G, cloud gaming, Web 3 (whatever your opinion, it *is* going to impact games, we need to be aware of that).
The report misses (in my opinion) the opportunity to tie games more closely into the education sector and the opportunity to use games as a key tools in classrooms from primary school onwards.
The prioritisation of gaming (still need to disambiguate the ‘gaming industry i.e. gambling and ‘games’ as in design/development/production) in the Modern Industrial Strategy would be significant, but again does not recognise the scale of transformative change that games offer to Scotland and the UK.
Crucially, games must be included in conversations and events across other areas. Building those connections and opportunities to broaden understanding and collaboration across a huge range of other areas. I hope that TechUK take the release of this report as a starting point to build games into *all* of the organisation’s other work.
Download The Report Now
You can download the full TechUK Gaming & Esports Report as a PDF from the TechUK website.
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