Government signals it will work with Lib Dems on plans for gaming industry

The Scottish Parliament has today backed an amendment from Scottish Liberal Democrat culture spokesperson David Green which calls on the SNP government to provide a major boost to the gaming industry through a new national games innovation centre.

It is the sixth amendment successfully passed by the party in the Scottish Parliament since returning from the May election.

The amendment reflects plans passed by Scottish Liberal Democrats at their spring conference earlier this year.

Crucially, it calls on the Scottish Government to:

• Establish regional gaming ‘hubs’ across all areas of Scotland for both digital media and video games industry, providing low-cost office space for both sectors.
• Create a Games Innovation Centre to act as a central hub for research, development and expertise sharing, supporting new start-ups with vital business skills.

In Scotland, the gaming sector has suffered from a spate of closures and job losses, including the closure of Axis Studios in Glasgow and mass redundancies at Build a Rocket Boy in Edinburgh.

Speaking after the amendment was passed, Scottish Liberal Democrat culture spokesperson David Green MSP said:

“I am very pleased to see parliament backing my amendment today. The gaming industry is key to Scotland’s cultural economy.

“We cannot afford to take it for granted. I want to see it being supported to grow nationwide. The only way we can do that is by creating new opportunities for start-ups, developing expertise and embedding critical business skills.

“Today sends an important message to Scottish games companies, designers and developers that we are on their side. I look forward to engaging with the Scottish Government so we can bring these plans into effect, support the gaming industry and give both our culture and economy the boost they need."