North East take support for gaming companies to the next level

The North East of England is a powerhouse in the global gaming. It’s home to more than 60 internationally renowned, specialist gaming companies including Ubisoft Reflections, Coatsink and Sumo Digital. International blockbuster games made in the area include Mortal Kombat 11 and the Tom Clancy’s The Division franchise.

Access to an established talent pool has greatly supported the growth of the studios based here.  With over 100,000 students across our five universities and nearly 100 courses supporting the sector, our region has a wealth of new talent coming from its educational institutions.

Global studios are looking at the North East as a place to expand.  This is partly due to the wide range of cost effective studio space, from small creative spaces to Grade A offices located in our cities and edge of town business parks. Recently, People Can Fly, one of the best AAA game studios in Poland, opened an office here. 

The North East’s home grown development studios are thriving too; Pocket Money Games developed Superhot VR for the Oculus Quest headset.  Whilst Coconut Lizard, partnered with Rare on the development of Sea of Thieves game. 

One of the biggest strengths in the region is the collaborative approach of our digital community. That’s one of the main reasons it has become so successful; we have a friendly and welcoming ecosystem, a fantastic support network and some world-class facilities.

The region has a well-established cluster of support organisations working with the sector to connect businesses to potential partners and encourage collaborative working.

PROTO, pictured above in Gateshead, is Europe’s first dedicated centre for emerging technology. It provides studios with access to a photogrammetry rig to create 3D models as well as motion capture studio and sound stage for digital content creation. 

The Immersive Incubation Hub due to open in Gateshead in 2021, will support start up games and immersive studios, providing access to consultants with funding pots and contacts within the likes of Apple, Epic, Steam as well as publishers.

VRTGO Labs is another European-first. The collaborative, industry-led, immersive technology network connects businesses with leading international brands including Audi, PlayStation and Oculus.

The region is greatly connected, you can travel to London by train in under three hours and Newcastle International Airport provides direct access to Europe and Dubai, opening up connections to the USA, Asia and Australia.

There are few places in the world where you can go for a surf in the morning and then be in a bustling city centre for a 9 am meeting.  Our cities, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and Durham, are packed full of great culture, nightlife and entertainment.  Plus, you’re never too far away from the great outdoors – a short journey will get you to some of the best beaches and countryside the UK has to offer.

North East England is truly a hotbed for gaming find out more at , https://investnortheastengland.co.uk/sectors/it-and-digital/video-games/,

Or email Rachel Burdis, pictured, Inward Investment Manager, Invest North East England rachel.burdis@northeastca.gov.uk

Invest North East England works in partnership with the seven local authorities and the two combined authorities that cover  County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Sunderland and South Tyneside to help businesses locate or expand in North East England. Focusing on the region’s sector strengths, it helps businesses access government, support agencies, sector specialists, universities, colleges, knowledge networks, finance streams and business organisations so they can locate, grow and prosper in the region.

Reasons for locating your games company in the North East of England

• For a long time now, our region has been a powerhouse in the global gaming sector. Relative to size (population), the North East is the leading region in the UK, outside of London, in attracting video games foreign direct investment.
• We are home to more than 60 internationally renowned gaming companies, including Ubisoft Reflections, Coatsink and Sumo Digital, who benefit from an established talent pool and access to over 100,000 students across our five universities and almost 100 education courses supporting the sector.
• The region has unique, world leading digital and gaming facilities including: PROTO, office and R&D space providing studios with cost effective access to mocap and 3D character capture studios, and an immersive and games incubation hub supporting start up studios with tailored business support, gaming consultancy, contacts, events and space.
• Our cities are not just packed full of great culture, nightlife and entertainment, they’re also greatly connected, you can travel to London by train in under three hours and Newcastle International Airport provides direct access to Europe and Dubai, opening up connections to the USA, Asia and Australia.  
• Our significant gaming community is known for being welcoming and supportive, but studios can also benefit from gaming specific clusters, networks, support organisations and events. From conferences developed especially for game developers by game developers, to leadership networking events, informal meet-ups and local games jams – we have an event to suit you!