North East England is a powerhouse in the global gaming sector.
Newcastle is the fourth biggest city for gaming in the UK (Ukie) and contributes £85.8 million to the local economy. We are home to more than 60 internationally renowned gaming companies. And, we have some of the best gaming facilities and workspaces in the country. We offer access to over 129,000 students across five universities and have almost 70 education courses supporting the gaming sector. Companies moving to the North East can also join more than 10 networks and meet-ups for games developers and artists.
Gaming facilities in North East England are exceptional. We are home to PROTO, a nationally unique studio that provides cost-effective access to mocap and 3D character capture as well as a 5G immersive lab and the Immex City Programme, offering business support, co-working and collaboration for digital companies.
Our gaming sector is one of the most welcoming and collaborative in the UK – we’re a friendly bunch! You can meet new contacts at a wide variety of games-specific events across the region, be it at a gaming conference created by developers for developers, or at cluster network gatherings, regular gaming meet-ups or at games jams.
With five universities, numerous networks and meet-ups, it’s easy to see why the likes of Ubisoft Reflections are based here and how home-grown studios such as tombola, Coatsink and Coconut Lizard are achieving international success. More recently, Creative Assembly North (part of SEGA® Europe Ltd), opened a new studio in the region recognising the North East’s established gaming ecosystem.
Our strong, established pipeline of talent makes the region a great place for studios of all sizes to access the people they need to grow.
North East England offers access to all of this at extremely affordable rates. According to the Financial Times Benchmarking Study, a 40-person Development Studio in North East England would cost £2.3 million less per annum than locating in London. We have a huge range of premises available, from collaborative space to small development studios, city centre facilities to large-scale out-of-town business parks, providing your company with room to grow.
