The social, cultural and economic power of video games
Video games are culture?
When Scottish indie developer Sad Owl Studios won ‘Best British Game’ at the 2024 Bafta Awards for their game ‘Viewfinder’, it marked a significant moment in UK video games. It’s a unique game combining stunning visuals, compelling storytelling and mechanics into an entirely new cultural experience.?
Video games are already big business in the UK – we spent ￡7.8bn on games and related activities in 2023-24. But the real story is how games are crossing-over into ‘mainstream’ culture, influencing film, TV and even sport.?
Take, for example, the success of Netflix’s ‘Fallout’ series, which attracted 65m viewers in a fortnight. Or the way that HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ deals sensitively with themes of love, loss and LGBTQ+ identity. It’s no surprise that more than 60% of UK adults and 91% of young people aged 3-15 regularly play games[1] .?
Enriching our understanding?
Research produced by the National Literacy Trust[2] shows that playing video games helps develop creativity, literacy and empathy. Two-thirds of players (65%) said that games helped them to imagine what it would be like to experience the world through someone else’s eyes.??
Elsewhere, the landmark ‘Power of Play’ research[3] has shown the positive mental and emotional benefits of playing games for creativity, problem-solving and collaboration skills.?
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A Great British success?
Video games are a new creative medium at the intersection of art and technology. It’s a medium in which the UK leads the world – partly because it draws on our great traditions of creativity and pushing the boundaries of new technology.?
British video games are a ‘force multiplier’ for the wider Creative Industries too. Spending on media and intellectual property that originated in games rose to more than half a billion in 2023.?
The video games and interactive entertainment industry understands that with this new-found cultural impact comes a responsibility to help players stay safe. Working with the global industry, the UK is leading the way in areas such as privacy and ‘safety by default’ for younger players.??
With a new generation of talented developers, exciting new games and strong global exports, the UK video games industry is set to make a powerful contribution both to the UK economy and our creative and cultural lives. There’s never been a better time to discover the world of games!?
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Leading Game Studio Of Eastern India ??
2 个月Ukie, this mini-series sounds incredible! ??? The UK’s influence in the gaming world is truly remarkable, blending art and technology to create something extraordinary.