York is known for its cathedral, the River Foss, and its Roman history. Is it really also home to some of the UK’s most exciting indie game developers? Cities like London, Manchester, and Brighton may get more attention in video games and tech circles, but York is another hub for game development.
Creative Economy
York’s creative industries are on the up. The York Creative Industries’ Strategy was launched in late 2018. The strategy was aimed at positioning York “as one of the creative powerhouse[s] in the North of England.” York Mediale director Tom Higham aimed to help increase the number of creative and digital businesses in the city by 10%, place York as a leader in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and encourage creative businesses to feature in developments and projects like York Central, The Guildhall and The Castle Getaway.
York has been one of UNESCO’s Creative Cities since 2014. The network prioritises creativity and culture in development plans, with cities cooperating internationally. UNESCO notes that York leading media arts companies “have credits for global film productions, games and the apps on our phones and TVs.”
The Economics Observatory has said, “The UK’s gaming industry is bigger than people think. The country is the fourth largest exporter of computer games in the world”. Game development is a significant part of many countries’ economies. Various genres, such as RPGs, MMOs, casual mobile games, and online slots all bring developers huge revenues.
Labrador Studios
Apart from the great name, Labrador Studios are also responsible for Live by the Sword, a tactical/strategy RPG. The game started as a board game but developed into an Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC game. The studio’s motto is “If the player isn’t happy, we aren’t happy.” The team includes multiple developers and a lead composer.
Otterweave Games Studio
Otterweave Games aim to “create games that combine different genres to weave innovative and fun experiences”. The studio is currently working on EMITIME, a rhythm-based deck builder. Their studio director, Marco Ng, previously worked on projects for other clients, including Black Fell, described as “an interactive digital opera” that was featured in Financial Times. Marco Ng’s past games include The Contract, a short interactive story game, and Mr. Swordsman & Mr. Sorcerer, a strategy dungeon crawler.
Academic excellence
The University of York plays an important role in nurturing game development. Through initiatives like XR Stories, university students have improved their skills in game development. The project was a collaboration between the university, the British Film Institute and Screen Yorkshire.
Future-facing city
York’s commitment to creative industries is evident in its plans and investments. This is for good reason – as University of York notes, the UK’s creative industries bring £110 billion to the economy each year. The university’s Digital Creativity Hub was an £18 million investment by research councils, four universities, and more than 80 collaborative partners. In 2016, the Digital Creativity Hub became a home for Tranzfuser, a talent development programme for students aiming to land in the games development industry.
The programme was funded by the UK government and designed to encourage creative talent to bring their games to market. Professor Peter Cowling, director of the hub, described it as a “fantastic opportunity for students”. Paul Durrant, founder of UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, said he was looking forward to the Tranzfuser hub becoming a “fresh talent pipeline” for UK games.
More recently, Reignite: Economic Impact through Creative Industries was launched to celebrate York’s creative sector. It aimed to recognise the potential of creativity in York to transform its economy. Project manager at York Business Improvement District, Rachel Bean, said, “We believe that media arts have a vital role to play in the city’s economic future”.
