#games-action-plan — Public Fediverse posts

The Billion-Pound Ghost: Why Project Pathfinder is the Economic Firewall Scotland’s Games Sector Needs

Project Pathfinder: Last week, the Herald published its list of the 50 most powerful people in Scottish arts and culture. It was an impressive collection of talent – but it was also a perfect snapshot of why the interactive sector remains a ‘billion-pound ghost’ in our national policy.

Despite being one of the most successful and high-value creative industries we possess, not a single person from the games industry made the list. This invisibility was not a cultural snub; it is a systemic and ingrained risk to our economy.

The Reality Check

For the first time in 14 years, the UK games market is in retreat. Recent data from TIGA shows a sharp 4.5% fall in development jobs, with over 1,500 roles lost in a single year. We are navigating a global market that is increasingly volatile, saturated, and facing increased competition.

As I recently noted in the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Mavens discussion, government support has moved from a ‘nice-to-have’ benefit to a priority. In 2026, a region without a dedicated strategy (or Games Action Plan) isn’t just less competitive – it is effectively invisible in the global market.

A Step in the Right Direction, but Only a Step

We genuinely welcome the UK Government’s recently announced £30 million Games Growth Package. This investment is a vital vote of confidence in the sector. However, it is important to note that this funding addresses only one of the five key recommendations within “Level Up: Scotland’s Games Action Plan“- specifically, the need for a dedicated IP fund.

While funding for new games is essential, it does not address the fundamental need for strategic recognition, knowledgeable business support, education & skills alignment, or the industrialisation of games technologies and techniques. Rather than simply funding more products, we must build the infrastructure that allows our talent to thrive across the entire economy.

Introducing Project Pathfinder

As the author of Level Up, I have argued that we must bridge the ‘Translation Gap’ between games and the wider economy. Today, the Scottish Games Network (SGN) is moving beyond advocacy into industrial delivery with the launch of Project Pathfinder.

We have formally applied for Ecosystem funding to support this initiative and are currently securing letters of support from organisations across Scotland’s other key industries, includeing: Healthcare, Energy, Fintech, Cyber, Data, Creative Industries, Space and more.

Project Pathfinder is not just another games project – it is the only approach currently active in the UK that treats games as an innovation engine for the wider economy and an integral part of the country’s digital future.

By industrialising the connection between game-native technologies, such as Real-Time 3D, simulation, visualisation, engagement and creative design with other critical industries, we are creating a blueprint for the future. Project Pathfinder is a pilot for Scotland (and the proposed National Games Innovation Centre), but it offers a scalable model for the UK as a whole.

(It also offers the opportunity for revenue outside the hit-driven consumer games market, which could potentially make the country’s game developers more investment-friendly).

What Is Project Pathfinder?

It’s simple. Project Pathfinder looks for ways to bring the country’s games ecosystem together with other industries and sectors, and explore opportunities to build connections, opportunities for collaboration and projects where ‘games’ offer an approach that is not yet present in those other sectors. The goal is for Scotland’s games companies, using their unique range of skills, to work with other organisations across the country to develop and deliver paid projects outside the consumer game market.

This does not stop game companies from working on videogames. Instead, it takes the unique skills and approach from the games world and makes them relevant to the challenges and opportunities in other key parts of our economy.

The project aims to deliver three major pieces of work:

• The MTG (More Than Games) Registry: A national digital directory allowing global organisations to find and understand the technical capabilities, skillsets and commercial benchmarks of Scottish games studios.
• The Public Sector Interactive Procurement Toolkit: A bespoke framework to help government departments, public sector bodies, local authorities and corporations understand how to procure interactive services.
• Industrial Activation Sprints: Tailored sessions, connecting game studios with industrial leaders across multiple sectors outside the games ecosystem. This could be a delegation going to a trade event, a tailored workshop to gather data from both sectors, or a dedicated business development sprint.

The Call to Action

The reality is that we simply do not need yet another ‘test-and-finish’ review, which pushes any sort of support another two years down the road. We need the infrastructure that turns our elite £151,382 GVA-per-head potential into a resilient and integrated national asset.

SGN is looking for Founding Industrial Partners to lead our first Activation Sprints. If you are a leader in a high-growth sector and you are struggling with complex data, engagement, or simulation, the games sector may have the solution.

We already have letters of support from some of the country’s leading innovation organisations, including: the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), Social Enterprise Academy (SEA), ScotlandIS, and Tech Scaler with many other organisations lining up to support the project. We’ll be sharing the letters as they are agreed and showing the appetite across Scotland’s economy for collaboration.

If your organisation is interested in exploring ways to understand and work with the games ecosystem please get in touch for an exploratory conversation.

The era of invisibility ends now. It is time to press start on the future of the UK’s interaction economy.

Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash

What The New UK Government’s £30M Games Funding Means For Scotland

This week’s announcement of a £30 million Games Growth Package by the UK Government marks a significant moment of recognition for the interactive sector. With the doubling of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) to £28.5 million and the introduction of grants up to £250,000, Westminster has finally acknowledged the importance (and potential) of the £8.8 billion consumer market. However, while this capital injection is a vital down payment for de-risking new intellectual property, it is not a complete strategy for the future of the Scottish supercluster.

For Scotland, this news has a deep resonance. The UK Games Fund was born in Dundee, emerging from the Dare to be Digital programme at Abertay University. It is a Scottish success story that has been exported to the rest of the UK. Yet, the physical location of the fund in Dundee does not offer an inherent advantage to Scottish studios. Without a formalised national strategy to interface with this capital, Scotland risks acting as a landlord for a UK asset rather than a primary beneficiary of its expansion.

The limitation of the DCMS package lies in its ‘industry’ focus. As Nick Poole, CEO of UKIE, noted: “Targeted support across the development pipeline will help studios start, scale and stay globally competitive.” This vision remains firmly trapped within the consumer games market, which remains hugely volatile and increasingly competitive. It focuses on the entertainment side of games, while ignoring the wider ecosystem of interactive technology. It won’t address the sectoral isolation that keeps games expertise separated from the rest of the Scottish economy.

Please don’t misunderstand. The money is hugely valuable – and very welcome. However, there are a number of challenges facing the games sector, which the funding alone cannot solve. The industry is currently facing an oversupply of graduates, a lack of entry-level positions, and ongoing global market volatility. Throwing capital at studios without providing the commercial scaffolding required to build sustainable businesses is a high-risk approach. This is why the National Games Action Plan is essential. While the UK Government funding provides the fuel, the Action Plan provides the road, and the guidebook for the journey.

Projects like the Hello World! Startup Summit have already proven that we can transform a vulnerable talent pool into a resilient wave of new founders. By providing dedicated, games-specific business support alongside funding, we ensure that studios do not just survive a grant period but scale into the kind of high-growth companies Scotland needs.

With the Scottish Parliament now in recess and the election period beginning, the next administration faces a clear challenge. The UK Government has set the pace with this Growth Package. Scotland must now build upon it. While this new funding could be used to match-fund successful Scottish UKGF applications, the most critical single action remains strategic alignment – recognition of games as a key sector for Scotland’s future, building understanding of the whole games ecosystem across government and appointing a Chief Games Officer (CGO).

A CGO would provide the accountability and leadership required to elevate games across every portfolio of the Scottish Government. This role would enable the country to engage more successfully with UK-level funding while ensuring that our £151,382 GVA-per-head productivity is leveraged across areas including healthcare, energy, fintech, data, tech and education.

The goal is to establish a £1 billion supercluster by 2030. The DCMS announcement is a very welcome boost, but it does not remove the fundamental structural issues facing the sector. To move beyond the silo and achieve true national impact, the incoming Scottish Government must implement the Games Action Plan. The capital is now on the table – it is time for the strategic delivery to begin and for games to become an integral part of Scotland’s digital future.

The Golden Thread: Digital Health and Data Leaders Back Games Action Plan

The growing support for the future of Scotland’s games ecosystem has moved beyond the creative industries. In a significant move for the sector, the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) and The Data Lab have formally aligned with the Level Up Scotland Games Action Plan, highlighting its potential to transform the nation’s digital future.

A Cross-Sector Mandate

In an article published this week, the DHI identifies games technology as a ‘Golden Thread’ for Scotland’s digital mental health and therapeutic innovation. The analysis reinforces a core pillar of the five+ year R&D roadmap: that games are no longer just entertainment, but high-performance tools for social, creative and economic impact.

The DHI feature supports the publication of the Games Action Plan, noting that its focus on skills, innovation, and ecosystem support is vital to integrating games technology into healthcare.

The Report States:

For those working at the intersection of games, immersive technology and mental health, this moment matters. The Action Plan’s focus on skills, sustainable growth, responsible innovation and ecosystem support aligns closely with the needs of digital mental health developers, from serious games and therapeutic experiences to tools supporting prevention, engagement and recovery. 

The Triple Helix of Innovation

This endorsement is supported by The Data Lab, Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI. Welcoming the publication of the roadmap, Heather Thomson, CEO of The Data Lab, noted:

• The Data Lab welcomes the publication of Level Up Scotland: A National Action Plan for the Scottish Games Sector. Scotland’s games industry is a significant contributor to our economy and shares strong synergies with the data and AI ecosystem, consuming and producing vast amounts of data, developing techniques and talent, with demand for shared skillsets. This evidence-based Action Plan provides a framework to support sustainable economic impact, strengthen talent pipelines and unlock investment. We support the vision and ambition set out for the sector and its potential to drive wider innovation across Scotland’s data-driven and creative economy. –

This Triple Helix of support – Industry, Government-backed Innovation Centres, and Academic R&D – validates the Games Action Plan as the collective vision for a more connected, innovative, and collaborative Scotland.

From Vision to Enactment

The support from DHI and The Data Lab is not a call for more reviews; it is a call for collaboration and delivery. As the DHI article notes, the Action Plan provides the foundational strategy required to bridge the gap between game developers and health practitioners.

“This is exactly why we have spent years building this evidence base, says SGN CEO Brian Baglow. When we sit down with the Minister on 18 March, we aren’t just bringing an industry ask. We are bringing a cross-sectoral consensus supported by the very innovation centres the Scottish Government has built to drive our future.”

The Roadmap to March 18th

The Games Action Plan is the primary vision for the sector’s growth. With the backing of the health and data communities, the case for the Chief Games Officer, dedicated funding, a national focus on games skills and education, and the National Games Innovation Centre (NGIC) becomes ever more compelling.

We look forward to welcoming our colleagues from the DHI, The Data Lab, and the wider ecosystem to the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on games, on 18 March to move from strategic vision to national delivery.

If you’ve not yet read the Games Action Plan – or left a comment of support, you can do so here.

Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash

Scotland’s Games Cross-Party Group – Last Meeting Before 2026 Elections

The momentum following the recent Parliamentary debate on Scotland’s games sector is translating into action.

The next meeting of the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem will take place on March 18th, from 18:00 – 20:00. Interest from across the industry and academia has already been exceptionally high. With the committee room in the Scottish Parliament restricted to a strict capacity of only 26 people, the available in-person places are expected to be fully allocated.

The Implementation Scrutiny

The primary focus of this session is the promised line-by-line review of the Level Up Scotland Action Plan. During the recent debate at Holyrood, the Minister for Business and Employment, Richard Lochhead MSP, gave a public assurance that he would engage with the plan’s recommendations in detail.

We have formally invited the Minister to join us on 18 March to begin this process. While we are currently finalising the specific diary arrangements with his office, the session is being prepared as the definitive technical review of our implementation roadmap – including the proposed Chief Games Officer role and the Pilot Investment Fund.

Open Agenda

In addition to the Games Action Plan, the CPG can discuss all issues relevant to the games ecosystem in Scotland. If you have a topic you’d like covered, or a question for any of the stakeholders responsible for games in Scotland, please submit it here. The agenda will be published the week before the CPG meets.

A Roadmap Built on Evidence

This session is not a call for further discussion, but a move toward institutional delivery. While other voices have recently suggested a new task-and-finish review of the sector, the Scottish Games Network remains firm: that work has already been completed.

The Action Plan is the result of years of rigorous, audited evidence. It is the direct implementation of the 2022 Scotland’s Games Ecosystem study by the business schools at the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling, combined with our own 18-month consultation involving 22 technical workshops with over 300 stakeholders.

The review phase is now complete. This was an extensive, expert-led undertaking that engaged hundreds of stakeholders from every corner of the ecosystem to ensure the final blueprint is unassailable. We have the data, we have the community consensus, and we have the roadmap ready for the Minister to examine.

Securing Your Attendance

The in-person capacity for this session is extremely tight. If you are a studio founder, a researcher, or a key stakeholder in Scotland’s games economy who wishes to be present for this review, we encourage you to register immediately.

The “secret weapon” is out of the shadows. On 18 March, we show the Government that the industry is ready to transition from strategic vision to national delivery.

Register to attend Scotland’s Games Cross-Party Group here (in-person and online tickets available).

If you’ve not yet read Level Up: Scotland’s Games Action Plan, or left a comment supporting it, you can do so here.

Image courtesy of: Cassandra Harrison Art.

Industry Alignment: IES’s First Scottish Manifesto Validates Action Plan Priorities

IES Manifesto Launch: The conversation around the future of the Scottish games sector has reached a new level of agreement and consensus.

Following the historic debate in the Scottish Parliament and the Business & Employment Minister’s commitment to a “line-by-line” review of our Level Up: Scotland’s Games Action Plan, we are pleased to see Interactive Entertainment Scotland (IES) Ukie’s Scotland organisation publish their manifesto for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

Strategic Alignment

It is encouraging to see that the core pillars of our community-led Games Action Plan – which was forged through 18 months of intensive consultation – are now being echoed by the UK’s games trade body. The IES Manifesto’s focus on targeted pilot funding, strengthening institutional knowledge within government, and a national data strategy directly aligns with the Games Action Plan and provides a unified mandate for Scotland’s future.

From Campaigning to Delivery

While the IES Manifesto looks toward the next Scottish Government in 2026, Level Up: Scotland’s Games Action Plan is designed for the here and now.

“We welcome this validation from our colleagues at Ukie,” says Brian Baglow, Director of the Scottish Games Network. “It proves that our community-driven approach has correctly identified the pressure points in our ecosystem. While IES is rightly setting out the long-term vision for the next parliament, we are currently working with the current Parliament to deliver the Chief Games Officer and the Pilot Fund today. As well as education stakeholders to build a national games skills forum.”

The “Golden Thread” Advantage

One area where Scotland continues to lead is in our “More Than Games” vision. While the national manifesto focuses on the games industry in isolation, the Games Action Plan – backed by endorsements from Scotland’s existing innovation centres, including The Data Lab and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre – treats games technology as the “Golden Thread” running through the entire digital economy.

Cross-Party Group & Ministerial Review

We’re now working with CPG co-chairs, Clare Adamson MSP and Michael Marra MSP, to identify and confirm a date for a meeting of the games CPG. Once confirmed, we will, of course, be inviting Richard Lochhead MSP for the promised Ministerial review. At the meeting, we will be presenting a plan that is not just supported by the Scottish games community, ecosystem, and the media, but also underpins the manifesto of the UK’s games industry trade body.

The call to action is clear. The games ecosystem is speaking with one voice. It is time to deliver the UK’s first Games Supercluster.

You can download and read the IES Games Manifesto here.

If you’ve not yet read, or left a message of support or endorsement for Scotland’s Games Action Plan, you can find both documents and leave a comment here.

WATCH: Momentum Builds at Holyrood for Scotland’s Games Future

Level Up: If you missed the live stream of the Scottish Parliament yesterday, you missed a significant turning point in the ongoing evolution of our industry – with a ministerial commitment to review the action plan “line-by-line” at a future meeting of the cross-party group for Scotland’s games ecosystem.

Building on the foundations laid by Clare Adamson’s 2023 motion, last night’s debate represented a massive step forward in strategic coherence. We saw MSPs from across the chamber champion the Level Up Scotland Action Plan, citing our £151,382 GVA per head and calling for a dedicated Games Supercluster.

A Chamber in Consensus

The debate was led by a powerful opening from Michael Marra MSP, who laid out the undeniable economic and cultural case for the plan. We also heard vital contributions from Clare Adamson MSP, Daniel Johnston MSP, Liam Kerr MSP, Foysol Choudhury MSP and a response from Business Minister Richard Lochhead MSP.

From the “Golden Thread” of games technology to the need for a Chief Games Officer, the Parliament spoke with a level of detail and passion that proves the games sector is now a national priority.

Watch the Highlights

The full video of the debate is now available. We encourage everyone – from studio founders to students – to watch. Hear the consensus for yourself:

WATCH: Members’ Business Debate on the Scottish Games Action Plan

Your Voice is Needed.

While the Parliament has spoken with a unified voice, and the mainstream press has put us on the front pages, we need to continue showing the sector is united behind this plan.

We cannot allow this momentum to be met with silence.

The Minister, Richard Lochhead, has committed to a “line-by-line” review of the Action Plan at the next Cross-Party Group meeting. This is our window of opportunity. We need to show the Scottish Government that it isn’t just a few of us asking for change – it is the entire community.

Level Up: Join the Wall of Support

If you believe in the vision of a £1 Billion games ecosystem, we need you to go on the record today. It takes 30 seconds, but its impact in the halls of power is massive.

Visit the Scottish Games Network website and deave a comment underneath the Games Action Plan documents here.

• Studio Heads: Tell the government why you need better scale-up support.
• Developers: Tell them why you want to build your career in a Scottish Supercluster.
• Students: Tell them why you need a support to help you develop and publish new IP.
• Everyone else: Help the government understand games are far more than the huge consumer market. Games can and will impact your sector, from education to healthcare, from film to fintech.

The Scottish Parliament has opened the door. Now, we as a community must ensure the Government walks through it.

Let’s make our presence undeniable. Let’s make our sector famous.

~Brian

Scotland’s Games Action Plan Heads to Holyrood: Michael Marra MSP Lodges Motion for Parliamentary Debate

The momentum behind Level Up Scotland has reached the floor of the Scottish Parliament.

Following our dual-city launch earlier this week, Michael Marra MSP has officially lodged a motion (S6M-20521) calling for a dedicated Members’ Business debate on the National Action Plan for Scotland’s Games Sector.

The motion recognises the sector’s “growing importance to Scotland’s economy” and specifically highlights our goal of scaling the industry to £1 Billion GVA by 2030. It also puts our “secret weapon” metric—the £151,382 GVA per head—into the formal parliamentary record.

The Next Step: Securing the Debate

Lodging a motion is the first step. To ensure this debate actually happens in the chamber, we need MSPs from across the political spectrum to support it.

This is where the community comes in.

We need to show the Parliament that there is widespread, cross-party interest in the future of the games supercluster. Whether your local MSP is SNP, Labour, Conservative, Green, or Lib Dem, they need to hear from you.

How You Can Help Today

1. Find Your MSP: Visit TheyWorkForYou or the Scottish Parliament website.
2. Ask Them to Sign: Send them a short, personal email asking them to support Motion S6M-20521. Tell them why the Action Plan matters to your studio, your job, or your studies.
3. Share the Motion: Use the hashtag #LevelUpScotland and tag your MSP on social media.

Why This Debate Matters

A Members’ Business debate forces a formal response from the Scottish Government. It provides a platform for MSPs to champion the studios in their constituencies and ensures the five core recommendations of the Action Plan remain at the top of the government’s priority list.

On Wednesday we launched the vision. Today, we start the democratic process of making it a reality.

Photo by Maja R. on Unsplash

Two Years, Two Cities, One Goal: Why Today Changes Everything for Games in Scotland

Level Up: Scotland’s Games Action Plan: Today, at 09:30 in a room at CodeBase Edinburgh filled with MSPs, and again at 13:00 in the Abertay CyberQuarter in Dundee, we are doing something that has never been done before in the history of our sector.

We are handing over a unified vision for the future of games in Scotland.

When I started this journey in November 2023, I knew the Scottish games ecosystem was the country’s secret weapon – high-performing, globally respected, and incredibly productive. What I didn’t realise was just how much ‘cat-herding,’ ‘sweating the details,’ and ‘unnecessary drama’ it would take to filter over one thousand disparate data points and 58 initial recommendations into a single vision.

Today, Level Up Scotland: A National Action Plan for the Scottish Games Sector is live. You’ll find it in the menu above.

Building An Open & Inclusive Action Plan

I’ll be honest: there were points over the last two years where the sheer fragmentation of our sector felt insurmountable. We’ve always been brilliant at making games, but we haven’t always been brilliant at articulating our value – or speaking as one.

This Action Plan is our attempt to fix that. It is the result of hundreds of conversations with you, the entire ecosystem – the developers, the educators, the founders, the students, and the public sector. If this plan carries weight today in the halls of Holyrood, it isn’t because of the design or the data; it’s because it carries the weight of your collective ambition.

From the initial data points gathered at 22+ workshops held across Scotland and online, to the initial draft, I have sought and shared your input, insight, and feedback. From an initial set of 58 recommendations, we’ve narrowed it down to only five, covering the key high level issues we all know exist: Recognition and understanding in government, funding for new IP (and co-development), a framework for education and skills, expert business support to grow and scale, with the long-term goal of establishing our own national games innovation centre. All of which is designed to take us from where we are at the start of 2026, into the UK’s first games ‘supercluster’ (bringing together industry, academia, ecosystem, and government), contributing £1 billion to the economy by 2030.

I know it’s ambitious, but I also believe it’s entirely achievable. Read it, I think you will too.

Beyond the High Score

We’ve launched this in two cities today for a reason. Edinburgh represents the political will we need to institutionalise this sector – to move it from a ‘creative hobby’ in the eyes of some, to the high-yield technological and creative powerhouse we know it to be. Dundee represents our heart – the place where the pioneer spirit of this industry was born and continues to thrive.

If we want Scotland to become the UK leader and a supercluster, we need to stop seeing our cities as rivals or opponents. We need the whole of Scotland to be a place where games technology isn’t just a sub-sector, but the “Golden Thread” woven through the heart of the entire country’s creative and digital economies.

The Time for Talking is NOT Over

The documents are now live on this site. There are two of them: the Action Plan (the vision) and the Implementation Annexe (the technical blueprint). I encourage you to download them, read them, and – most importantly – discuss them, share them, and support them.

But more than that, I need you to Sign the Plan.

We have the attention of the Ministers. We have the mainstream press talking about our existing £151,000 GVA per head. Now, we need a Wall of Support to show that the community is ready to build this.

Underneath the Scottish Games Action Plan and the Implementation Annexe Document, there’s a comment form to let you leave messages and feedback. These will be collected and used across the SGN and socials to demonstrate support for the Action Plan and keep the recommendations in front of Ministers and MSPs on ann ongoing basis.

Please consider leaving a message of support and help to demonstrate to Government that there is a large, engaged community all pushing for this plan to be accepted in full.

To everyone who helped me herd the cats, check the data, and keep the faith over the last two years: thank you.

The moment for action is now. Let’s Level Up.

~Brian

The £1 Billion Blueprint: Scotland’s Games Action Is Ready – We Need You To Help Launch It.

Dear friends, colleagues (and the entire Scottish games community) I need to talk to you honestly about where we are – and ask for your help.

We are at the final milestone. After two years of intensive consultation, data-gathering, extensive feedback and planning, Scotland’s Games Action Plan is finished and ready for launch.

I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Business Minister Richard Lochhead and his team. I ran them through the high-level strategy, the compelling ROI, and the timeline for delivery. The meeting was a success. We are aligned on the need to move from fragmentation to a unified, £1 billion goal for Scotland’s games ecosystem by 2030.

Launching Scotland’s Games Action Plan

As many of you know, the planned launch at the Games Cross-Party Groups in September – and then November – did not take place due to conflicting parliamentary business. I’m working with the co-chairs to set new dates for the CPG in 2026, but that leaves the Games Action Plan in limbo.

I’ll be entirely honest: The Games Action Plan is too important and too urgent to wait for dates later next year. We cannot risk losing momentum or allowing this definitive community vision to be sidelined. This is not a piece of paper – it represents a vision for our future – and the enormous potential of Scotland’s whole games sector.

The Games Action Plan was built by the community – now I need to ask the community to help launch it.

A Personal Invitation: Join Us to Launch the Games Action Plan

Following the principles of the ‘Honest Architect’, I am reaching out directly to all of you – the developers, the educators, the artists, and the business leaders who believe in this vision. We are turning this hurdle into a powerful, public declaration and launch of our hard work.

We are inviting partners to co-launch the Games Action Plan in January 2026

To make this the high-impact launch this transformative strategy deserves, we are looking for partners to provide:

• A High-Profile Venue: A prestigious or highly accessible venue (e.g., a university, a tech hub, or an event space) in Dundee, Glasgow or Edinburgh that can host a professional, media and industry-focused launch event in early 2026.
• Logistical Partnership: Assistance with the small financial and logistical elements needed to make this launch professional and visible.
• Visibility & Voice: Organisations willing to stand on the stage alongside us to publicly endorse the plan and demonstrate unified support for its immediate implementation.

I am happy to offer launch partners the opportunity to have their logo in the final version of the Action Plan and a chance to actively and publicly support a project which aims to radically change the way games are understood and supported in Scotland, enable the creation of the UK’s first games ‘supercluster’ and create a billion-dollar industry within the next five years.

This Action Plan is a fully integrated system: it creates the role of a ‘Chief Games Officer‘ who will work with Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur to guarantee high-yield funding (based on proven existing ROI models), and brings cross-sectoral innovation to the heart of the national agenda.

This is the blueprint. We have worked together (250+ companies, organisations and individuals from across Scotland, the UK and worldwide) to create the mandate. We need your help to give this transformative strategy the launch it deserves, ensuring the whole country knows the future of Scottish games is ready to begin now.

We need to act now. If your organisation wants to stand with the community and co-launch this transformative strategy in January 2026, please email me directly to discuss a partnership. The future of Scottish games starts with us.

~Brian

#CPG #event #games #GamesActionPlan #government #launch #scotland #strategy #SuperCluster

Scottish Games CPG Postponed Due to Unavoidable Parliamentary Business

The Scottish Games Network has been informed that the upcoming meeting of the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem, scheduled for Tuesday, November 18th, has been postponed at short notice.

This decision was made due to an unavoidable clash with urgent Parliamentary business, specifically the detailed consideration of amendments to the Assisted Dying Bill, which requires the presence of CPG Co-Chair, Michael Marra MSP.

This meeting of the games CPG was set to be the formal launch of the Games Action Plan for Scotland, as well as a delegation of former workers from Rockstar Games, currently contesting their dismissal by the studio.

We are fully aware of the anticipation and significant disappointment this last-minute change will cause for the many delegates who had registered to attend, both in-person and online.

All registered attendees have been contacted directly via email with this information.

In a statement regarding the cancellation, Michael Marra MSP, Games CPG Co-Chair, said:

Please accept my apologies for the late cancellation of Tuesday’s upcoming Scottish Games CPG, as the co-chair. Due to parliamentary timetabling of business, I am required in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee the same evening for detailed consideration of my amendments to the Assisted Dying Bill currently going through Stage 2. Unfortunately, due to the tight timings of the bill being pushed through Parliament, this clash cannot be avoided. A new date will be circulated shortly, and I look forward to seeing you on that date.

We want to reassure the entire ecosystem that this is a postponement, not a cancellation. This is a matter of parliamentary scheduling and in no way reflects a change in the commitment from the CPG co-chairs or the Scottish Government to the current situation facing former Rockstar employees – or the Games Action Plan.

The SGN is now working closely with the offices of both Michael Marra MSP and Clare Adamson MSP to secure a new date for the CPG meeting as quickly as possible. We are treating this as a matter of urgency and will announce the rescheduled meeting as soon as it is confirmed.

We share your frustration at this unavoidable delay and will provide a new date for this crucial meeting of the games CPG at the earliest possible opportunity.

#cpg #games #gamesActionPlan #gamesCpg #parliament #rockstar #scotland #union

UK Games Growth Relief: Scotland Is Ready To Deliver

The Scottish Games Network strongly supports the new open letter from Ukie to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, calling for a new “Games Growth Relief” fund. This push for significant new UK-wide investment is critical and validates the core thesis of our own work.

This is a powerful moment for the UK industry. However, the crucial question for Scotland now is: How do we ensure that any new UK funding is strategically leveraged to the greatest effect within Scotland’s games ecosystem?

The Scottish Games Action Plan is the answer.

Our community-driven blueprint is complete and ready for implementation. It is designed to act as the essential, strategic delivery mechanism for growth, guaranteeing that any new national investment translates directly into high-value jobs and IP creation here in Scotland.

How the Games Action Plan is the Essential Vehicle:

• Targeted Investment: Our proposed Dedicated Games Investment Fund is a pragmatic pilot designed specifically to integrate with and amplify the returns of any new UK fund. This ensures UK investment is strategically allocated and maximised, rather than fragmented.
• Strategic Leadership: The planned Chief Games Officer (CGO) role will be critical. The CGO will be the strategic lead responsible for ensuring Scotland secures its fair share of the new UK fund and that it aligns with our national innovation goals.
• Proven ROI: Unlike speculative demands, our plan is grounded in proof, with our own models (such as InGAME’s £15.90 GVA return) demonstrating clearly that Scotland can deliver the results from this investment.

Scotland is ready to be the anchor for this UK-wide growth. By implementing the Action Plan now, the Scottish Government ensures that every pound of future funding is leveraged to create a new Games Supercluster here in Scotland.

We support the push for growth and the need for scale. Now, we must seize the opportunity in front of us.

Next Steps:

The community has provided the blueprint. The Games Action Plan for Scotland will be formally launched and debated at the Cross-Party Group on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem on Tuesday, November 18th.

We hope to see you there.

#actionPlan #games #GamesActionPlan #GamesGrowthRelief #scotland

Invitation to the Cross-Party Group on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem – September 23rd 2025

Games CPG: The next meeting of the cross-party group (CPG) on Scotland’s Games Ecosystem will take place at the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, 23rd September 2025, from 18:00 to 20:00.

Following a highly productive and well-attended session in April, this meeting offers another crucial opportunity for professionals from across the entire games ecosystem to engage directly with Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and help shape the future of the sector.

This meeting of the CPG will discuss the completion and publication of the (long-awaited) Scotland’s Games Action Plan as well as the ongoing evolution of Scotland’s Games Ecosystem. If you have any topics for the agenda, or questions you would like to ask, please submit them here.

The CPG provides a vital forum for open dialogue between the industry and policymakers, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing the games ecosystem in Scotland. All members of the community, from solo developers and students to studio heads and academics, are strongly encouraged to attend and contribute their voices to this important conversation.

The cross-party group is co-convened by Clare Adamson MSP and Michael Marra MSP, with the Scottish Games Network providing the secretariat.

Agenda for the Games CPG:

• 18:00: Welcome and Introductions
• 18:10: Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting (April 2025)
• 18:15: Update on the Scottish Games Action Plan
• 18:45: Open discussion on Scotland’s games ecosystem.
• 19:45: Summary and Next Steps
• 20:00: Close

For anyone who was unable to attend the last meeting, the minutes and a full transcript are available to provide context for the ongoing discussion.

Read the minutes from the April 2025 CPG meeting here.

#CPG #games #GamesActionPlan #holyrood #scotland