Picture shows the team producing “Soar”, from left to right:
Joe FitzPatrick MSP (Dundee West), Dan Fedorowicz (University for the Creative Arts at Farnham), Bernard King (Principle of University of Abertay Dundee), Joe Lewis (University of Glamorgan), Jamie Lee Lloyd (University of Glamorgan) and Anand Gupta (University of Abertay Dundee).
Dundee West SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick has today (Wednesday) expressed concern over UK Government proposals made in the recently published Digital Britain report which recommends the development of a UK centre of excellence in computer games technology in Salford. Mr FitzPatrick has called for the UK Government to abandon the plans which could lead to widespread job losses in the Digital Media industry in Dundee which currently employs over 3000 people.
Mr Fitzpatrick made his comments on National Computer Game Day after meeting with this years teams competing in the 10th annual Dare to be Digital competition held by the University of Abertay Dundee. Mr FitzPatrick met with some of the 70 students from nine different countries who are competing over ten weeks to create a finished videogame.
The UK Government proposals have been condemned by prominent figures in the industry including the Principle of Abertay Professor, Bernard King, as they could undermine the industrial lead that Scotland currently possesses in the Digital media sector.
Mr FitzPatrick has written to the Scottish Secretary of State, Jim Murphy, about the issue and also plans to raise the issue with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, John Swinney, to ascertain what pressure the Scottish Government can put on UK ministers to ensure Dundee’s thriving digital media industry does not suffer as a result of the proposal.
Commenting Mr FitzPatrick said: ‘‘Meeting with graduates who have come from as far a field as India and China demonstrates just what a global player Dundee is in terms of the Computer Games Industry.
“The UK Government proposals for a UK centre of excellence in Salford are both dangerous and highly bizarre. To ignore what is already the centre for UK gaming will result in resources and graduates being split between the two locations and both Dundee and a new centre in Salford will be left behind as other countries overtake the lead we have built up.
“Dundee is home to 10% of the UK’s computer games companies, Abertay had the UK’s first undergraduate degree in computer games technology and Scotland has ¾ of the undergraduate courses currently available in the UK. Dundee is widely recognised as being at the forefront of computer game development in Europe so it should be the natural choice for any UK centre of excellence.
“The Scottish Government have demonstrated their commitment to the Scottish digital media sector by the creation of a £3 million Centre of Excellence for Computer Games Education at the University of Abertay Dundee. Its time the UK Government also gave the industry some support rather than trying to undermine it and I will be pressing UK Ministers to abandon plans for a centre of excellence in computer games technology based in Salford.”
