Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

God Save the Queen

This article is over 15 years old and may contain outdated information

When I think of the British development scene my mind typically flashes to a period in the mid-’90s when Core Design and Rare were at the height of their powers. Of course it’s now Rockstar North, Lionhead and Media Molecule that I think of first. In my consumer mind, it’s a scene that hasn’t changed all that much: I can always rely on the U.K. to turn out a few impressive titles each year. I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment either; however, in believing that the community is largely the same, that only the dominant studios have changed and all is as it should be, I show just how little I, and others like me, understand the U.K. development community.

Given my ignorance, the articles this week were eye openers. What I found in the process of putting the issue together was that the heyday of the U.K. development scene was focused around a few charismatic personalities and the games that comprised the bedroom coding scene in the mid-1980s. Since then, the development community has been suffering a continual brain drain as much of the talent fostered in that era has moved overseas. Whether it’s because of a lack of government support, a shift in the focus of the education system or the dearth of accessible amateur development platforms, the portrait of the U.K. development community that emerges is one of a scene in decline.

This week we shook up the Magic 8-ball on the future of U.K. developers and received the equivalent of a “Reply Hazy.” What is clear is that despite the challenges ahead, the U.K. has produced its fair share of industry luminaries and leaders in the past and will likely do so again. May the sun never set on U.K. developers.

Sincerely,
Tom Endo

Recommended Videos

The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy