March 2, 2018

TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video games industry, has set out ambitious goals to grow the video games industry and the measures required to achieve these objectives. TIGA’s vision, objectives and policies are set out in “Reinforcing Success”.

TIGA’s ambition is for the UK video games industry to grow strongly over the next five years. TIGA’s goals for the UK are to:

• increase the games studio population from 768 games studios in 2017 to 1,100 by 2022;
• expand the number of games development companies (including publishers, service companies and broadcasters) from 1,031 in 2017 to nearly 1,600 by 2022;
• increase games development employment from 13,277 in 2017 to nearly 20,500 in 2022;
• increase annual investment by games development companies from £670 million in 2017 to over £1 billion in 2022;
• increase the development sector’s GDP contribution from £1.5 billion to nearly £2.3 billion; and
• ensure the UK becomes a globally recognised centre for games education and continuous professional development in the sector’s workforce.

TIGA says it will achieve this vision by successfully delivering the following measures:

• retaining and improving Video Games Tax Relief, the Research and Development Tax Credits and tax incentives for start-ups and small firms to ensure that the UK has one of the most favourable tax regimes for the video games industry in the world;
• introducing a Video Games Investment Fund to provide grants and £ for £ match funding for original IP game projects to improve games businesses’ ability to access finance;
• successfully accrediting 30 UK video games degree courses to ensure that more UK universities are providing games businesses with the skilled graduates that they need;
• enabling UK games companies to recruit highly skilled workers from the EU and the wider world;
• establishing a British Games Institute to drive the video games sector forward and to promote the cultural, creative and economic impact of video games in the UK;
• delivering the TIGA Games Industry Awards to celebrate success;
• publishing business guides to highlight best practice and to share knowledge;
• providing an authoritative source of data on the state of the UK video games industry;
• assessing industry investment in continuous professional development; and
• maintaining a strong, effective and reasonable voice for the video games industry in the media, government and political circles.

To read TIGA’s press release in full, click here.