Category Archives: Scotland

It’s amazing what you can find when moving home. VG247′s Dave Cook takes stock of his forgotten gaming treasures as he heads back to Scotland, and reflects on the state of the industry today.

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Eldevin is the incoming F2P MMORPG from Scottish developer Hunted Cow Studios. it’s entering open beta in March, and the studio has just revealed its first gameplay trailer. You can check out the Diablo-esque action below the jump.

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Beartrap Games is yet another new Scottish developer, formed by ex-Cohort Studios Fin McGechie, Gordon McLean and Grant Alexande. The team hopes to expand rapidly and is looking to launch into some new IP going forward.

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The Scottish government has responded to the outcry over a report from the government’s agency partners which claimed the games industry in the country generates no revenue, employs just 200 staff, and has attracted no students.
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Hey you, resident of Great Britain and in the market for a new PlayStation 3; have I got news for you. The limited edition red, silver and white models of the not-so-big black box are now available in your territory. Unlike certain other regions I could name, the UK market seems to be offering the new colours at the same price as a regular Slim console, meaning you’re likely to find the 320GB consoles in a bundle with one controller and maybe a game for around £250. Check with your retailer.

Thanks, Joystiq.

Edinburgh Interactive Festival organizers have announced industry legend Seamus Blackley will headline the event.

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Pando Networks has completed a UK study which has revealed download speeds and completion rates across the country are “far slower than many broadband providers advertise.”

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Dundee’s Cohort Studios has announced it’s to close down after its next project has released.

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APB: Reloaded publisher Gamersfirst will open a studio in Scotland, home of original All Points Bulletin team Realtime Worlds.

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Scottish games publisher Outplay Entertainment has announced it plans to build offices and create up to 150 high value jobs in Dundee.

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This is rather sad, actually.

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Yesterday, a rumor was circulating that Realtime Worlds founder Dave Jones had taken a job with Epic Games.

Today, the APB creative director has told Develop the rumor is untrue.

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TIGA has said the Scottish videogames industry is at a “cross roads” , and if it didn’t get some much needed tax breaks, the sector could decline.

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A report has surfaced claiming former Realtime Worlds chairman and chief strategy officer Ian Hetherington has ties with the anonymous US company which purchased Project MyWorld.

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Realtime Worlds is currently chatting up multiple buyers “in both the UK and US,” according to Paul Dounis, the firm’s administration consultant from Begbies Traynor.

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A Realtime Worlds CV has apparently confirmed the studio is working on a project due for release in 2011.

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Now Modern Warfare 2′s out of the way, we’re back to the real deal: some hotel in Scotland’s decided games aren’t conducive to promoting “traditional family values” and has banned them over the Christmas period.

Managing director Stephen Leckie, said children should not be “glued” to game consoles during the holiday,

“As a father-of-four, I’m well aware of the role that computer games play in youngsters’ lives and they undoubtedly have a place,” he said.

“However with Christmas holidays being the ideal opportunity to spend quality time with our families, we’re asking our younger guests to set their consoles and games aside for just a few days of the year and, instead, sample some new activities which they may never have tried before.”

Sounds positively sinister. More on the BBC, should you be bored enough.

Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy has proposed tax breaks for the Scottish videogame industry.

These proposals have come to light after Murphy spoke with Realtime Worlds owner Dave Jones who has threatened to take his company to Ireland should there be further lack of support for developers.

“We have had a discussion about tax breaks and ways to support the industry,” said Murphy to The Evening Telegraph. “France have introduced tax breaks and we want to talk more about that and we will listen to any strong case being made; we want to do whatever we can to help.

“Dundee is the Scottish centre of excellence in this industry. I want to be very clear about that. The games industry has a big future and Dundee has a big future to play in that, in Scotland, in the UK and wider.”

Via Develop.

Realtime Worlds studio boss Colin Macdonald has admitted that Irish tax breaks could see the Scottish studio upping sticks and going green.

The Irish government may be about to specifically target the Scottish games sector by offering developers a five-year tax holiday in return for hopping over the water.

“If the package on offer in Ireland was attractive we’d have to give it serious consideration,” said Macdonald.

“Dundee is a great place to be based, one of the main hubs for ­computer games in Britain, but at the end of the day we’ve got to look after our bottom line.”

More on Herald Scotland.

Realtime Worlds has taken on a new 8,000 square foot office in Dundee in an effort to “grow towards a successful APB launch” early next year.

The developer currently employs 265, but plans to grow to 300 in 2009.

APB will be amazing. Go to work for RTW in its smart new office purely on the strength of that.

PR after the break.

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