techUK's first Gaming and Esports report is now live!
techUK has published its first Gaming & Esports report following the conclusion of a six-month 'sprint campaign' exploring how the UK can lead on the development, application, and commercialisation of the gaming and Esports technologies of the future.
The campaign and report have been informed by extensive member and stakeholder engagement, including through roundtables, workshops, panel discussions, networking sessions, and tech demos, in addition to various other meetings and discussions.
The report was launched on 20 November at The National Videogame Museum in Sheffield as part of techUK's Gaming & Esports Technologies of the Future event, sponsored by Tencent.
Click the image to download the full report
The technologies that underpin gaming and Esports are transforming these industries before our very eyes.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is enabling players to customise their gaming experience like never before, immersive technologies like Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR & VR) are revolutionising how fans participate in Esports events and paving the way for gaming in the metaverse, while Web3 technologies like blockchain are driving the creation of a virtual gaming economy in which for the first time players are empowered to design, own, and transfer digital assets.
From truly immersive virtual worlds to AI-driven gaming analytics, the UK is leading on the development and application of many of these technologies.
However, future leadership is not inevitable. The technologies underpinning the gaming and Esports sectors of today will be different tomorrow and the UK’s technology companies must continue to innovate if they are to stay ahead of the game.
The report identifies 8 future tech trends set to shape the gaming & Esports sectors of tomorrow.
- Enhanced Gameplay and Personalisation: AI will further enhance gameplay by shaping characters and worlds in response to (or in anticipation of) the player’s actions or preferences.
- AI-Driven Content Creation: AI will increase the sophistication of gaming content, making experiences more engaging and empowering players to become creators.
- More Immersive Experiences: The gaming environment will increasingly become threedimensional and multi-sensory, resulting in a more convincing and authentic player experience.
- More Persistent and Connected Environments: Players are increasingly coming together on metaverse gaming platforms to participate in a wide range of virtual experiences. These will be enabled by a web of connected technologies and take place in 24-hour worlds.
- Casual Gaming: Significant improvements in mobile, cloud, semiconductor, and Internet technologies mean that gaming is now more accessible than ever, enabling new demographics to participate in the experience.
- Ownership and the Web3 Economy: Web3 technologies are set to transform the gaming and Esports experience by enabling players, streamers, and communities of fans to participate in new forms of ownership and decision-making.
- Enhanced Broadcast & Viewing Technologies: Gaming will become easier and more engaging to watch as new technologies enhance the viewing experience.
- Social Gaming & Esports: Gaming experiences and Esports events are becoming increasingly social activities as technologies such as AI, AR, and VR enable players to consume, share, interact, collaborate, and compete in new ways.
It also features case studies from a wide range of techUK members and stakeholders, including Tencent Games, Linklaters, Improbable, Yoti, The Metaverse Institute, Miniclip, VE3, Esports Insider, PwC, and professional Esports athlete India Alanis.
Through advice for businesses and six recommendations for Government, the report proposes ways in which the UK can harness the technology sector’s potential to lead on the 8 tech trends outlined above.
The potential reward is immense. In the UK, the video games industry contributes over £6 billion to the economy and supports 76,000 jobs across the supply chain. In addition, almost 38 million people across the UK regularly engage with video games while over 23 million people are predicted to participate in Esports by 2029.
The UK boasts an incredible legacy of world-leading innovations in the development and application of technologies at the core of gaming and Esports, from AI and AR to semiconductors and mobile. “This report highlights the key technological trends that will shape the future of gaming and Esports, underscoring the need for close collaboration between government and industry to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of these innovations. Our recommendations aim to foster this collaboration to drive economic growth, ensuring that the benefits extend beyond the gaming sector to strengthen the whole of the UK economy.
techUK – Unleashing UK Tech and Innovation
The UK is home to emerging technologies that have the power to revolutionise entire industries. From quantum to semiconductors; from gaming to the New Space Economy, they all have the unique opportunity to help prepare for what comes next.
techUK members lead the development of these technologies. Together we are working with Government and other stakeholders to address tech innovation priorities and build an innovation ecosystem that will benefit people, society, economy and the planet - and unleash the UK as a global leader in tech and innovation.
For more information, or to get in touch, please visit our Innovation Hub and click ‘contact us’.
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Learn more about our Unleashing Innovation campaign:
Sprint Campaigns
techUK's sprint campaigns explore how emerging and transformative technologies are developed, applied and commercialised across the UK's innovation ecosystem.
Activity includes workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, networking sessions, Summits, and flagship reports (setting out recommendations for Government and industry).
Each campaign runs for 4-6 months and features regular collaborations with programmes across techUK.
This campaign explored how the UK can lead on the development, application and commercialisation of space technologies and ultimately realise the benefits of the New Space Economy.
These technologies include AI, quantum, lasers, robotics & automation, advanced propulsion and materials, and semiconductors.
Activity has taken the form of roundtables, panel discussions, networking sessions, Summits, thought leadership pieces, policy recommendations, and a report.
Get in touch below to find out more about techUK's ongoing work in this area.
Event round-ups
Report
Insights
Get in touch
Rory Daniels
Rory Daniels
Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.
During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.
Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.
Today, Rory leads techUK's emerging technologies activity across everything from immersive, web3, AI and robotics to space, gaming & metaverse.
This involves co-running techUK's flagship Innovation campaign, managing four series (including the 'Meet the Innovators' interview series), and launching 4-6-month 'sprint campaigns' on transformative technologies and sectors.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/
This campaign has explored how the UK can lead on the development, application and commercialisation of the technologies set to underpin the Gaming & Esports sector of the future.
These include AI, augmented / virtual / mixed / extended reality, haptics, cloud & edge computing, semiconductors, and advanced connectivity (5/6G).
Activity has taken the form of roundtables, panel discussions, networking sessions, Summits, and thought leadership pieces. A report featuring member case studies and policy recommendations is currently being produced (to be launched in September 2024).
Get in touch below to find out more about contributing to or collaborating on this campaign.
Report
Event round-ups
Insights
Get in touch
Rory Daniels
Rory Daniels
Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.
During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.
Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.
Today, Rory leads techUK's emerging technologies activity across everything from immersive, web3, AI and robotics to space, gaming & metaverse.
This involves co-running techUK's flagship Innovation campaign, managing four series (including the 'Meet the Innovators' interview series), and launching 4-6-month 'sprint campaigns' on transformative technologies and sectors.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/
Running from July to December 2024, this campaign will explore how the UK can lead on the development, application and commercialisation of web3 and immersive technologies.
These include blockchain, smart contracts, digital assets, augmented / virtual / mixed / extended reality, spatial computing, haptics and holograms.
Activity will take the form of roundtables, workshops, panel discussions, networking sessions, tech demos, Summits, thought leadership pieces, policy recommendations, and reports.
Get in touch below to find out more about contributing to or collaborating on this campaign.
Event round-ups
Guest insights
Get in touch
Rory Daniels
Rory Daniels
Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.
During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.
Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.
Today, Rory leads techUK's emerging technologies activity across everything from immersive, web3, AI and robotics to space, gaming & metaverse.
This involves co-running techUK's flagship Innovation campaign, managing four series (including the 'Meet the Innovators' interview series), and launching 4-6-month 'sprint campaigns' on transformative technologies and sectors.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/
Campaign Weeks
Our annual Campaign Weeks enable techUK members to explore how the UK can lead on the development and application of emerging and transformative technologies.
Members do this by contributing blogs or vlogs, speaking at events, and highlighting examples of best practice within the UK's tech sector.
Summits
Tech and Innovation Summit 2023
Tech and Innovation Summit 2024
Rory Daniels
Rory Daniels
Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.
During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.
Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.
Today, Rory leads techUK's emerging technologies activity across everything from immersive, web3, AI and robotics to space, gaming & metaverse.
This involves co-running techUK's flagship Innovation campaign, managing four series (including the 'Meet the Innovators' interview series), and launching 4-6-month 'sprint campaigns' on transformative technologies and sectors.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- LinkedIn:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/
Authors
Rory Daniels
Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.