Three, perhaps four, nations come to mind when we think about world leaders in gaming: Japan, the Korea Republic, the United States, and possibly China. In terms of market size, China, the US, and Japan are the dominant forces, by a significant margin, but there is a lot of action in other nations around the world.
Gaming has become much more accessible, with national markets growing with each passing year. Console, computer, browser, handheld console, and mobile gaming are all enjoying different levels of success in several nations, with Great Britain proving to have a tremendous appetite for all of them. On the front of the developer and the consumer, Britain has quietly become a behemoth of gaming, despite its quaint size.
The games market influencer
In terms of market revenue, Britain somehow ranks sixth in the world, slightly behind Germany’s much larger population, about $1 billion short of the Korea Republic, and then also trailing the big three. The nation’s clear ahead of the next on the list, too, who are France, Canada, Italy, and Spain, according to this Newzoo research.
It’s not just a ravenous consumer market for games, though, with there being many much-loved development studios up and down the country, including in Brighton. The Chinese Room in Brighton, which is part of Sumo Digital, has won BAFTAs for their creations; Brightrock Games is the team behind War for the Overworld; and Fat Fish has released over 100 apps, including the Tiny Sports game series.
Perhaps the most prominent developers in the nation, though, are Rockstar North. Having created one of the most financially successful games of all time, Grand Theft Auto V, as well as the other GTA games and Red Dead Redemption titles, Games Industry ranks them atop all others in the UK.
There’s also Traveller’s Tales, who created several Lego games and Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, as well as the creators of the Football Manager series, Sports Interactive. There are more on the way, too with the first triple-A boxing game in almost a decade, eSports Boxing Club, being made by Steel City Interactive up in Sheffield.
The example to follow in gaming
Outside of Monte Carlo, Europe isn’t generally known for its affinity for casino gaming, with Las Vegas in the US and Macao in China presenting themselves as the global hubs. However, in both of those nations, casino gaming isn’t widely available, but in Europe, the popular online space has been governed for decades, with leading authorities following the example set by the UK Gambling Commission.
Now, there are so many online casinos competing in Britain that to stand out, they each have to offer the best possible service. The top-rated casinos are often the most secure, as Casino Wings explains in this article, with the security guaranteed by being registered and governed by the UKGC. It’s even being looked to for providing guidance to the runaway video gaming industry and its loot box debacle. Due to how functional and trusted the UK market has become, others in Europe and now the US seeks to replicate the body.
The watchful eye of the UKGC and its rules have allowed for browser and mobile-based gaming to flourish, bringing the best that the industry has to offer to UK shores. The video gaming industry of Britain reportedly makes $5.5 billion (£4.3 billion) in revenue, but the popularity of the remote casino gaming industry isn’t far behind with its £3.2 billion in gross gambling yield.
Not only is Great Britain filled with avid gamers, but British bodies continue to produce top-class goods and lead by example.