The Assemblage of Peripheral Game Development: A Case Study of Dundee

The Dundee video game development cluster, located in a peripheral Scottish city, represents a compelling case study of bottom-up innovation driven by the constant recombination of socio-material resources. The cluster's emergence is rooted in the reterritorialization of existing industrial components, drawing technical skills from manufacturing legacies like NCR and Timex, and creative traditions from publishing. Key territorializing forces include the founding of DMA Design in 1988, which achieved global success with titles such as Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, and Abertay University's establishment of the world's first computer games development degree in 1997, ensuring a stable talent pipeline.

The cluster is characterized by a high concentration of 43 predominantly small-to-medium studios within Dundee's city center, fostering informal collaboration and knowledge exchange, supported by dedicated infrastructure. Abertay University plays a crucial role, not only in talent provision and R&D but also in coordinating collaborative projects. A significant aspect of the cluster's resilience is "talent recycling," where studio closures frequently lead to the formation of new companies, demonstrating a continuous bottom-up reterritorialization.

While the cluster benefits from a strong reputation built on early successes and reinforced by developments like Rockstar's return, it also faces deterritorializing forces. External acquisitions and the loss of major AAA productions can shift control and resources away from Dundee, though these events can also catalyze new investments and reputational renewal. This analysis challenges top-down models of cluster development, offering insights into how peripheral regions can cultivate vibrant innovation ecosystems within the global video game industry.