Ukie

Straight from the CEO's Desk: November's Supercharged Memo This month, the memo dives into the implications of the recent budget for the UK games and interactive entertainment industry. Also in this edition: - How Ukie is bridging the gap between the industry and policymakers through esports. - Ask About Games: Get involved and help us raise awareness about the positive impact of video games. - Games Insight Week: Don’t miss out—sign up for next week's events and join the conversation! Read here 👇 

We were delighted to be at today’s League of Legends World Championship Finals along with MPs from the Video Games and Esports APPG! 🎮 Video games are now truly at the heart of mainstream culture, and today’s Final highlights the extraordinary global reach and impact of esports. With millions tuning in from across the world, this event drew in a larger audience than many traditional sports, underscoring the rapid growth and excitement of competitive gaming. Events like this not only unite people but also contribute significantly to the local economy, generating tens of millions for our cities. Together, they form part of the £8 billion that the UK video game industry generates annually, reinforcing its role as both a cultural and economic powerhouse. 🏆 And of course, a huge congrats to T1 on yet another Championship win! #Esports #LeagueOfLegends #WorldChampionship #GamingIndustry #Ukie

📢 Don't miss Ukie's brand-new Games Insight Week – a series of webinars designed to equip you with invaluable insights straight from industry leaders. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, an aspiring game maker, or simply passionate about the industry, these sessions will give you the edge you need to stay ahead. Across four webinars, you’ll get 40 minutes of expert advice, followed by interactive Q&A sessions where you can ask your burning questions and get answers in real time. Plus, the sessions are open to everyone – no membership required. All you need is a passion for games and a desire to learn. Sign up here: https://zurl.co/GroO Room 8 Group Amiqus - Games Recruitment Specialists Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers Reactional Music

🌍 Ready to expand your business globally? Join Ukie and Department for Business and Trade’s 2025 trade mission to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco! This mission includes networking, market-entry sessions, exclusive meeting spaces, and investor introductions to help UK-based games businesses tap into the $103bn U.S. market. Apply by 28 November to secure your spot. 🔗 Learn more and express your interest: https://zurl.co/lzLx #Ukie #Supercharged #Investment #International

Our response to today’s HM Treasury #AutumnBudget from the Chancellor:

With the Autumn Budget around the corner, we're calling on the Government to become an ally and supercharge the future of the UK games industry. From empowering talent to energising businesses through an environment that stimulates growth - a strong commitment from Government can supercharge the sector, driving growth, jobs, and global competitiveness. It’s time to invest in the UK games industry and realise its economic and cultural impact. https://zurl.co/8Qv6 #UkieSupercharged #HMT #AutumnBudget HM Treasury Department for Business and Trade

We had a fantastic experience at EGX Comic Con, engaging with parents and families to discuss how to safely navigate the world of video games. It was inspiring to see so many people interested in learning about parental controls, PEGI ratings, and other tools that support positive interactions with video games. A big thank you to everyone who participated in our educational activities - who doesn't love a game of higher or lower! For those who couldn’t join us, we encourage you to visit our website for resources to help families make informed decisions about video games at home. Get involved and stay connected by following us on Instagram at @AskAboutGames for more tips and updates! www.askaboutgames.com #AskAboutGames #FamilySafety #VideoGames #ParentalControls #PEGIRatings #EGX

I was pleased to be able to attend the Goodbody Annual Video Game Event today and to hear some fantastic speakers including María Sayans (ustwo games), Nick Button-Brown, Kristian Segerstrale (Super Evil Mega Corp), Patrick O'Luanaigh (nDreams) and Dylan Collins (superstar CEO and Founder) share their view on the current state of the UK video games industry, very ably hosted by Goodbody's own Patrick O'Donnell. The discussions were fascinating, covering developments in game publishing and distribution, new business models and the M&A landscape for games companies. The overall theme of the event was "Returning to growth?" and there seemed to be a fairly universal take that both the optimistic and pessimistic view of the industry are likely to be true to some extent at the same time. The pessimistic view focused on the challenges of layoffs and the slowdown of investment. The optimistic take was that while these things are undoubtedly true and painful, the UK remains an exciting investment proposition. There was a really interesting theme around the future of gaming being in the hands of younger players who may not self-identity as "gamers" any more than any of us would identify as "TV watchers". They play games as part of their media consumption rather than it being a core part of who they are. There's a marked difference between how industry people talk about games and how younger gamers see them in their lives. There was also an interesting discussion about the rise and rise of UGC and what it means for the wider industry. One speaker took the view that the next big thing might well emerge from a community-built game on a platform like Roblox or Discord. The most powerful comment for me was the speaker who said that "game tech will be the future of tech in pretty much every sector". Starting in TV and film production, we already see game engines playing a major role, but it is exciting to think that tech pioneered by the games industry is also finding it's way into everything from education to health, architecture to opera. All-in-all, a really valuable event that was both clear-eyed about the present and hugely ambitious about the future. Great stuff!

Great article in the The Spectator about using video games in schools (something we are just a little bit keen on here at Digital Schoolhouse) https://zurl.co/ZPTR How have you used games in school and what learning did your pupils come out of it with?

What an amazing time at the Ukie student conference at University of Staffordshire Was amazing to listen in on the talks and ask lots of questions. Thank you to all the companies Lucid Games Ltd Playground Games d3t and Electronic Arts (EA) who came and the amazing people I spoke to today!