UK reports and market data
Documents
Charter for Change: 2022
The 2022 Charter for Change outlines a strategic framework for We Are Social to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the advertising industry.
- We Are Social failed to meet its 2021 multi-ethnic representation target of 25%, with actual representation remaining stagnant at 19%.
- The agency exceeded industry benchmarks for gender diversity, with women comprising 54% of the total workforce and 46% of leadership roles.
- LGBTQ+ representation within the agency saw significant growth, increasing from 12% in 2020 to 21% in 2021.
The UK's New Immigration System
The UK’s new immigration system, effective since January 2021, represents a fundamental shift in how the video games industry manages international talent following the end of free movement between the UK and the European Union.
- Since January 2021, the UK video games industry must operate under a points-based immigration system that requires international hires to secure 70 points based on job offers, skill levels, and English proficiency.
- UK game studios must become licensed sponsors to hire international staff, including EU citizens who arrived after December 2020, which involves administrative oversight and potential immigration skills charges.
- Applicants can earn additional points toward the 70-point threshold through higher salary levels, roles in shortage occupations, or relevant academic qualifications like STEM PhDs.
Key Insights Into UK Gamers
The United Kingdom represents a major global gaming hub, ranking as the sixth-largest market by revenue and tenth by player population as of late 2022.
- The UK is a major global gaming hub, ranking sixth in revenue and tenth in player population, with 71% of the population aged 10-65 identifying as game enthusiasts.
- Engagement is evenly split between active players (36%) and those who both play and view gaming video content (35%).
- Mobile gaming has the highest reach at 46%, followed by console (41%) and PC (29%), though PC and console users dedicate more time to gaming weekly.
Taking a Stand on Social: How Brands Can Tackle Racism in Sport
The primary purpose of this analysis is to provide a strategic framework for sports brands to address and combat systemic racism within their digital communities.
- Sports brands must adopt proactive, anti-racist stances in digital communities, as silence is increasingly viewed as insufficient and brands are expected to prioritize human rights over avoiding public backlash.
- Hate crimes at UK football fixtures reached over 10% of matches in the previous season, reflecting a broader trend of rising racial abuse that has migrated into high-traffic digital spaces.
- The industry-wide social media boycott from April 30 to May 3, 2021, serves as a benchmark for brands willing to sacrifice traffic and engagement to demonstrate a unified commitment to anti-racism.
Online Nation 2021 Report
The Online Nation 2021 report provides a comprehensive analysis of the United Kingdom’s digital landscape during the 2020 pandemic, documenting a profound acceleration in internet dependency and digital transformation.
- Adults spent significantly more time online in 2020 compared to 2019, with the 18-24 age group showing the largest increase, particularly during lockdown periods.
- Despite a potential decrease, 6% of UK households (approximately 1.5 million) still lacked internet access in March 2021, though direct comparability with previous years is limited due to methodology changes.
- Social video platforms are actively launching new features to maintain and build engagement, exemplified by Snapchat's 'Spotlight' which gained 100 million users by January 2021 and offers creators a share of $1 million daily.
Creative Industries Statistics: United Kingdom (August 2020)
The United Kingdom’s creative industries tax relief framework serves as a critical fiscal mechanism designed to incentivize sustainable, culturally significant production across film, television, gaming, and the arts.
- Since its introduction in 2007, Film Tax Relief (FTR) has supported 3,470 films, accounting for £18.4 billion in UK expenditure. In 2019-20 alone, 300 films claimed FTR with £2.5 billion in UK expenditure.
- High-End Television (HETV) Tax Relief, introduced in 2013, has supported 635 programmes with £5.9 billion in UK expenditure. In 2019-20, 110 programmes claimed HETV tax relief, totaling £1.5 billion in UK expenditure.
- Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) paid out an estimated £161 million for 2018-19, with 310 claims made by 270 companies. Since its introduction in 2014, the relief aims to promote sustainable production of culturally relevant video games in the UK.
Panel: Fantasy Pitching
The creative process of game design relies heavily on the ability to synthesize disparate themes into cohesive, engaging mechanics.
- Successful game ideation often relies on pairing high-concept or absurd narrative hooks with established, robust management systems.
- Rapid iteration and the ability to synthesize disparate themes into cohesive mechanics are essential skills for developers navigating the competitive indie landscape.
- Innovation in the indie sector frequently emerges from unconventional premises, as demonstrated by titles like God of Gym, Cutie-Wootie, Pets Attention, and Adorable Home.
Interactive Cinema or Mobile Game?
Recontact Digital Arts, an Istanbul-based studio founded by a film director and a producer, specializes in the development of interactive mobile cinema.
- Recontact Digital Arts is scaling the 'Playable Arts' genre by replacing linear, passive cutscenes with an 'endless story stream' of interactive, video-based gameplay.
- The studio pivoted its development strategy for Recontact: London to prioritize player agency, specifically removing intrusive interstitial ads and restrictive narrative structures that hindered previous titles.
- To maintain high retention, the game replaces traditional multiple-choice storytelling with five distinct video-based puzzle types, augmented reality features, and hidden object mechanics.
Politics, Policy and Video Games
The video game industry faces an increasingly complex regulatory environment as policymakers in the United Kingdom and abroad scrutinize the sector for potential social, financial, and data-related harms.
- The video game industry faces heightened regulatory scrutiny regarding loot boxes, which may be reclassified as gambling and require fundamental changes to existing monetization models and licensing.
- New legislative mandates, including the UK’s age-appropriate design code, are increasing administrative and financial burdens by requiring stricter age verification and limitations on data collection.
- Developers face potential legal liability for user-generated content and player interactions within game chat functions as part of broader online harm regulations.
Britain After Brexit - The Challenges & Opportunities
The British video games industry maintains a resilient posture in the post-Brexit landscape, anchored by the continued stability of the Video Games Tax Relief.
- The UK games industry remains resilient due to the stability of the Video Games Tax Relief, which continues to anchor the sector despite post-Brexit regulatory and funding challenges.
- Operational friction has increased due to non-tariff barriers, VAT complications, and restricted talent mobility, forcing many studios to establish EU-based subsidiaries to maintain regional access.
- A shortage of domestic publishers has driven an increased reliance on capital from the US and China, leading to concerns regarding the potential assimilation of British studios into foreign conglomerates.
What has IP Ever Done for us? And How to Match Your Product to IP Holders
The primary objective of this presentation is to guide game developers and publishers on how to effectively identify, assess, and align their products with established intellectual property (IP) held by BBC Studios.
- Successful IP integration requires aligning game mechanics with the brand's core DNA, such as prioritizing ingenuity and teamwork for Doctor Who rather than combat-focused gameplay.
- BBC Studios is transitioning from a passive licensing model to a proactive strategy, actively seeking development partners to adapt their content into interactive media.
- BBC Studios manages a massive global portfolio, including the Doctor Who franchise which reaches audiences across 240 territories.
UK Games Fund – 2020 Opportunities
The UK Games Fund, a not-for-profit organization operating under UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, provides critical financial and developmental support to early-stage game developers across the United Kingdom.
- The UK Games Fund provides early-stage developers with up to £25,000 in total grant funding, consisting of an initial £5,000 grant followed by a potential £20,000 award.
- The program targets small studios with fewer than 10 employees, specifically aiming to bridge the gap between initial concept development and market readiness.
- The 2020 funding cycle follows a structured timeline: initial video pitches and online applications lead to March interviews, a summer development phase, and an autumn showcase at events like EGX.