The UK is home to Europe’s most active and lucrative gaming market. Over the last few years, there has been a steady rate of growth in terms of gaming market worth. Back in 2021, it reached a value of £7.16 billion, helping pave the way for new gaming infrastructure, interests, and mainstream coverage.
In fact, the UK has opened its arms to gaming in a variety of ways. For example, casino games remain popular, with platforms like PokerStars Casino offering the latest releases in blackjack, roulette, and slots from developers. The latter remains the most popular, as multi-release titles like Dr. Toonz build on the hype of previous hits. In other words, it closely mirrors the traditional gaming industry.
The UK also outperforms other countries when it comes to official gaming infrastructure. Not only is it home to major developers (as we’ll see below), but many universities have also released eSports-centric educational programs. This paves the way for UK professionals to continue to steer the gaming industry from an organizational standpoint, from player coaching to team formation.
But what about the games that came directly from UK developers and studios? Let’s take a closer look at some of the most well-known and impactful UK-based groups.
Rockstar Games: GTA
One of the most well-known and best-selling video games in history comes from the UK. Rockstar Games is officially a US-based company that runs from New York City. But back in 1999, the company bought out the intellectual property of the UK’s DMA Design—which had recently created Grand Theft Auto.
Though modeled after Los Angeles and Southern California, it’s the brainchild of video game royalty and brothers Dan and Sam Houser, who hail from London. Back in 2014, Rockstar Games nabbed the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award for its decades-long work releasing best-selling games, including GTA and Red Dead titles.
One of the Rockstar’s most active studios is located in Edinburgh. However, the company is continually expanding. In 2019, it launched Rockstar India after taking over Dhruva Interactive. It also launched Rockstar Dundee in 2020 after acquiring Scotland’s Ruffian Games.
Sports Interactive: Football Manager & Championship Manager
Most living in the UK wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the global hits Football Manager and Championship Manager originate locally. Once again, the company was launched by two brothers (Oliver and Paul Collyer) from London in the 1990s. Rather than create open-world adventures, the pair focused on creating a brand-new experience in sports simulations—this time, from the perspective of coaches and managers.
Today, both games are some of the most popular simulations in the world, especially for football fans. As of 2003, Sports Interactive retains the rights to Football Manager. However, previous publisher Eidos retained the rights of Championship Manager. As of 2013, the rights were turned over to Square Enix Europe.
Rare Limited: Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, & Conker’s Bad Fur Day
You may have noticed a trend: UK gaming professionals were innovating greatly throughout the 1990s. Enter Rare Limited, a game developer and current studio under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella. For decades, Rare has contributed to the development of some of the world’s most iconic and recognizable video games.
The first is 1994’s Donkey Kong Country. Though released by Nintendo, Rare Limited was one of the Japanese group’s second-party developers, meaning it contributed to this hugely popular (and now classic) release. The same is true for 1997’s GoldenEye 007, which is also considered one of the most impactful and influential games ever released. It not only introduced the first-person shooter perspective but also multiplayer modes.
Another classic, though lesser-known, is Conker’s Bad Fur Day. The game includes a furry and cartoon-ized main character—but the adventures are decidedly adult and quirky. Though it doesn’t have the same hold on retro gamers as the Donkey Kong and James Bond releases, it’s still a highly-rated cult hit. In 2002, Microsoft acquired Rare Limited, which saw the company shift its focus to other projects.
