UK games industry fundamentally misunderstood, new report calls for unified research framework
UKIE and OKRE have published an initial framework for measuring the UK games industry's impact, aiming to replace vague assumptions with a shared evidence base. It uses a Theory of Change approach and stays neutral on whether impacts are positive or negative, which is useful if you're trying to compare real outcomes instead of marketing claims.
Developers should care because the report is explicitly meant to support investment, policy backing, and cross-sector partnerships. It also widens the lens beyond just making and selling games, including third-party use of games and tech, plus spillover into healthcare, education, culture, fashion, music, film, and TV. The report highlights three social-impact areas—Culture & Society, Health & Wellbeing, and Education & Learning—and says the third anchor point, third-party use/exploitation, is growing but under-researched.
“video games are neither inherently good nor inherently bad”
- what
- UKIE and OKRE published a framework for measuring the UK video games industry's impacts.
- who
- UKIE, OKRE, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the BFI Innovation Challenge Fund are involved.
- when
- No specific publication date is given; the report is described as an initial step.
- impact
- Could improve how studios justify funding, policy support, and partnerships by giving them a common evidence base.
Could improve funding, policy support, and industry credibility
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