The Digital Hub will showcase the potential of Ireland's nascent computer games industry next week with a series of events under the "Game: On" banner. John Collinsreports.
Dubbed a "cyber games festival", a range of events for the industry and public will be held at the Hub's facilities in Dublin's Liberties, culminating in the Irish final of the World Cyber Games on September 15th.
Dr Stephen Brennan, director of marketing and strategy with the Digital Hub Development Agency, says events such as "Game: On" grow out the agency's desire to get tenant companies working together in a variety of ways. "Our role is to get the environment right so that organic interactions then start happening," says Dr Brennan.
The agency has had some notable success in attracting foreign games companies to Dublin.
Goa Games Services, a subsidiary of France Telecom, now employs 100 staff at the Hub and plans to increase that to 200 by the end of the year, while in April, Gala, a Japanese online gaming company, announced it would establish its European headquarters there.
Dr Brennan says Goa chose Dublin over Prague because it felt the Digital Hub concept was something that would enable it to attract and retain staff. "The games industry here is small, but it has been very successful."
He believes that cross-pollination between the games industry and other genres such as animation, e-learning and social networking, present significant opportunities.
"The bet we're making is that it is a combination of these things that will be the breakthrough for the Irish industry," says Dr Brennan. "Ireland can't compete with the US or Korea on straight game development, so we have to find a niche."
Successful games franchises, such as Microsoft's Halo, are also crossing over and becoming broader entertainment properties. "We are conscious gaming is changing, it's not just about hardcore gamers any more," says Dr Brennan.
"Game: On" comes at a crucial time in the development of the Digital Hub.
This month it expects An Bord Pleanála to make a decision on its application for a mixed used development of retail, office and residential space on the lands it owns north of Thomas Street.
www.worldcybergamesireland. com
