Brighton-based software developer Hanger 13 studio head Nick Baynes has expressed high hopes for the city becoming a major gaming hub and centre for the industry, as the company gears up for its latest major game release.
The latest instalment of the studio’s Mafia franchise, a prequel to the original, is set to be released today. The series of narrative action games, which explores the criminal underworld, has sold more than 34 million copies across console and PC since its launch in 2002.
Nick Baynes, Hanger 13 studio head, said: “There’s no reason why it [Brighton] can’t become the next Silicon Valley of video games.”
The company moved to the city with just four employees in 2017 but now employs around 100 people at its Sussex base. In July, more than 5,000 people attended a game-making industry conference in the city, highlighting the area’s growing prominence.
Mr Baynes vontinued: “The real mix of the creativity that’s here, the facilities in the city, the support network and how close we are to all the major travel hubs and London – it just feels like it’s something that can grow and grow.”
Nick Poole, chief executive of trade body UK Interactive Entertainment, agreed stating that “some of the UK’s leading video game clusters” have been “emerging in areas like Brighton,” with the South East being “really, really pivotal” to the UK’s gaming industry.
The sector currently contributes £7.6 billion to the UK economy. However, last year, the industry experienced game delays and thousands of layoffs, including within Microsoft’s gaming division. Despite these challenges, Mr Baynes remains positive about the future: “More and more people play games these days without necessarily even realising it… I think more and more forms of gaming are going to emerge as well. Ultimately, I think the outlook for the industry is really strong.”
Image source: Pixabay
