Across the globe, the gaming market is continuing to become increasingly competitive due to the number of emerging development companies. Within Wales, the community itself is expanding with the country looking to build on their foundations and become a significant player in the global market in the coming years.
As a result, we’re going to look at Wales’ existing game development outlook, in addition to exploring potential windows for long-term opportunities in the entertainment sector.
The Current Gaming Outlook in Wales
At present, Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is falling behind some of the UK’s other major cities in regard to their quantity of game developers. Cardiff, which is the eleventh-largest city in the United Kingdom, has 30 games companies, which is 15 less than Bristol. However, on the whole, there are 65 studios throughout the entirety of Wales, demonstrating a belief that establishing themselves within the wider gaming market can be achieved outside of big cities.
Moreover, Wales Interactive, a local developer that was formed in 2011 and is based in Pencoed, has played a vital role in raising the profile of Welsh game developers. The company’s audiences aren’t limited to Wales, but their progression into the global market has resulted in them competing with well-known developers such as Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and Rockstar. However, the company have stayed true to their Welsh roots in trying to attract a global audience with some of their titles being inspired by local myths.
Furthermore, and aside from Wales Interactive, Tiny Rebel Games have also been successful, with their Doctor Who-inspired role-playing title having amassed over 2.5 million players following its release back in 2013.
Routes for Potential Growth
Even though a few of the developers within Wales have begun to find success in the gaming industry on traditional platforms including PlayStation, Nintendo and mobile, there is undoubtedly a possible avenue for further expansion within the entertainment sector through online casinos. Following the rise of digitalisation and the maintained use of gamification within the iGaming scene, it’s clear that the variation provided by digital casinos opens up a wide array of possibilities for Welsh developers.
Crucially, online casino platforms aren’t limited from a design or plot standpoint, meaning that, as Wales Interactive have already done, there is the potential to develop contemporary slots with a variety of themes such as the county’s myths, for example. Moreover, live casino games such as blackjack, roulette and poker have been developed in recent years to enhance player immersion through a refined focus on heightened graphics and varying genres, as demonstrated by the Monopoly Live variant at Videoslots. Furthermore, many of the modern-day titles are developed by Evolution Gaming, who, like Wales Interactive, seek to create unforgettable user experiences by using the latest up-to-date technology.
Wales is Creating the Basis to Compete with the Industry’s Major Developers
Although Wales may have some of the lowest figures in the UK when it comes to the number of game developers, they’re unquestionably making strides into the global market. However, although the country is finding success on traditional platforms, exploring the iGaming industry could be the catalyst for Wales’ gaming scene reaching the next level in the coming years.