Creative Clustering and the Video Games Industry

This book explores game production across regional, national and global contexts. Notably, the widespread adoption of remote working practices in the video games sector challenged the entrenched idea of place-based industry clusters.

The theme of “clustering” as a process enables analysis across scales, placing local games industries in the context of global forces and wider creative industries at a time of significant dynamism and change. Focusing on the idea of the video game production cluster, this book draws upon academic research, across creative industries and innovation clusters in multiple regional and national contexts, to explore the contribution of multidisciplinary, cultural influence, diversity and cluster infrastructure to business success. Through 17 scholarly chapters and three expert interviews, Creative Clustering and the Video Games Industry highlights the crucial interactions between universities, creative research and development, and cross-sector innovation in driving the future of the games industry.

This essential collection will establish current knowledge and methods for understanding video game creative clusters in context.

Darshana Jayemanne is Reader in Digital Cultures at Abertay University. His research explores digital media, game studies, and internet cultures, with research in projects such as InGAME, CoSTAR and GAME-ER.

Gregor White is Professor of Applied Creativity at Abertay University and a leader in digital interactive entertainment research. He has led major initiatives including InGAME and CoSTAR, securing significant investment for Dundee’s creative economy and advancing industry–academic collaboration.