Video games have been in production for over 50 years and have changed with every new stage of technology. Not only is the industry established, but it is also hugely successful and lucrative. Equity members work as both voiceover and performance capture artists, bringing to life the characters that help make video games successful.
Key statistics
- Video games are larger than the music and film sectors combined.
- The UK video games sector is the largest in Europe (source) currently valued at over £7 billion.
- According to ERA Figures, games are the largest of entertainment’s three core sectors, accounting for 42.1% of total entertainment revenues in 2022.
- There are 2,555 active games companies, games service providers and games-related academic institutions listed in the UK, an increase of over 31% since 2016.
- In 2022, the computer games industry in the United Kingdom had approximately 47,000 employees, up from 43 thousand employees during the previous measured period. The UK games industry contributed about 2.88 billion British pounds to the UK GDP on an annualised basis.
- TIGA reported the UK games development workforce grew 25% to over 20,000 full-time staff in their 2022 report (*this stat is from a report that focuses on development staff, not the whole industry*).
- According to TIGA, strong employment growth, as well as an insufficient supply of skilled developers and the emergence of new skill sets, has facilitated a skills shortage.
- The UK Government invested £13.4 million into the UK Games Fund from 2022-25 to support the games development sector.
- Games studios also benefited from £197m in government tax breaks in 2022.
Different types of companies that produce games
- AAA (Triple-A): Games that are created and released typically by mid-size or major publishers; usually anything that cannot be classified as “indie.”
- AAAA (Quadruple A Games)
- Indie game / independent video game: Loosely defined as a game made by a single person or a small studio without any financial, development, marketing, or distribution support from a large publisher, though there are exceptions.
Companies involved in producing video games
- Developer: The company that programs video game structures and mechanics from concept to final product. Some of the major developers include Warner Bros, Sony, Sega/Creative Assembly.
- Publisher: The company that (in whole or in part) finances, distributes and markets the game. This is distinct from the developer, though the publisher may own the developer. Some of the major publishers include Microsoft and Sony.
- Vendor: The company that is hired by the developer for a particular service that contributes to the development of the game, such as voice studios and performance capture studios. Some of the major voice studios include Side, Molinare, Liquid Violet, OMUK, and Pitstop Productions. Some of the major performance capture studios include Target 3D, Centroid 3D, Audiomotion/Rebellion, Imaginarium Studios, The Mocap Studio and Creative Assembly.
- Trade Body: There are two industry representative organisations operating in this sector: Ukie, trade body for the UK games and interactive entertainment industry; and TIGA, network for games developers and digital publishers.
Different types of games
- Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): Augmented Reality (AR) games combine the player’s real-life and real-time surroundings with virtual game elements (eg. Pokémon GO). Virtual Reality (VR) games fully immerse the player within the game world, often requiring a headset or controllers beyond traditional console set-ups to play.
- Educational: A game whose purpose is to educate players in a particular skill or subject matter.
- Esports: Professional competitive gaming events.
- Free-to-play (F2P): A game that is free to download and play, though the studio/publisher may monetize it through microtransactions (such as IAPs), rewarded videos, ads, or other means.
- Fantasy: See role-playing game (RPG).
- First-person shooter (FPS): A game from the shooter’s perspective, as they point a weapon at different targets.
- JRPG: Japanese role-playing video game, typically referring to a subgenre of RPGs that originate from Japan.
- Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG): A role-playing game that typically allows hundreds or thousands of online players to play and interact in the same gaming world.
- Mobile gaming: A video game played on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, smartphone or tablet. Game developers design these games to be played on everyday technology rather than purpose-built static or handheld gaming consoles.”
- Multiplayer: A game that allows more than one player to play at any given time.
- Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA): A type of strategy game that has teams of players pitted against one another, with each team’s members coordinating their attacks and defences to achieve victory.
- Real-time strategy (RTS): A game in which players typically control a squadron of characters and try to dominate a computer or player-controlled opposing army. Games like Civilization, Age of Empires, and the original Warcraft/Warcraft II fall in this genre.
- Roguelike: A type of role-playing action-adventure game in which players typically have one life to make it to the end of the game, or at least very limited opportunities for resurrection.
- Role-playing game (RPG): An immersive play style that typically encourages immersion and interaction, as well as the ability to heavily customise and personalise your playable characters. Sci-Fi and Fantasy are popular types of RPG.
- Point-and-click: Adventure games where the player controls characters with a point-and-click device such as a mouse or touchpad.
- “Simulation (“Sim”): Simulation games closely mirror real world activities or allow the player to design and/or control artificial life forms or worlds. Construction and Management Simulations (CMS), Life Simulations (eg. The Sims), Sport Simulations (eg. Madden) and Vehicle Simulations (eg. Forza) are popular types of Simulation games.
- Shooter: A genre of game based on gunplay. There are first-person shooters, third-person shooters, and other subgenres.
- Remaster: A modern version of an older video game rebuilt from scratch to run on modern hardware, often with upgraded graphics and gameplay, but retaining the fundamental gameplay concepts and core story elements of the original game. See also reboot.
