The UK government has announced a new framework to encourage research into the video game industry on all platforms. The move is an indication of the games industry’s growing significance to the UK economy, society, and culture. The framework, which is broken down into three sections – “research topics and priorities”, “research standards and methodologies”, and “data ethics, data privacy and data sharing” – aims to promote independent, high-quality research in the gaming sector. It will guide researchers on a range of issues, including the handling of data in compliance with GDPR, the topics to cover, and how to conduct research.
This development follows the introduction of new tax relief for the UK games industry in the recent UK budget, which was hailed by TIGA, the games industry trade body, as a major step towards strengthening the sector. TIGA has also praised the new framework for academic research and views it as a valuable tool that will encourage more analysis of the gaming industry and potentially increase the government’s investment in its growth.
More Research, More Insights
The new framework is designed to generate broader research evidence that supports the players, the games industry, academics, and the government to gain more insights into video games and emerging game-related technologies. TIGA CEO Dr. Richard Wilson stated that “The Video Games Research Framework should be a valuable tool for conducting research in the video games sector. TIGA is pleased to see this framework in place and looks forward to seeing it used as a guide for advancing understanding in this dynamic and world-leading industry.”
The research framework is not just about collecting and analyzing data. TIGA has consistently called for greater investment to the UK gaming industry to keep it competitive worldwide, and this framework for academic research will encourage more analysis of the gaming industry and potentially increase the government’s investment in its growth. Together with new tax relief, the UK has become a more attractive place for game developers and publishers to grow their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to the nation’s economy.