Chiefs of global video game giants descend on Dublin

10 Oct 2011

Chief executives and senior managers from major companies in the global video-games business will be in Dublin tomorrow as guests of a new movement focused on making Ireland the top global destination for the games industry.

Ireland’s Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD, will tomorrow address global leaders from the video-game industry who have come to Ireland as guests of the newly formed trade body Games Ireland.

The high-level meeting will be attended by senior management from Activision Blizzard, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, SCEE (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe), SEGA, Take 2, THQ, Ubisoft, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros Games, Popcap, Havok and Big Fish Games.

This afternoon, Forfás issued a report estimating Ireland has an opportunity to double employment in the video-games industry in Ireland to 4,500 by 2015.

The report predicts the global video games industry could reach US$82.4bn by 2015.

Ireland to spearhead a new Games Incentive Package

“The video-game industry is the most dynamic player in today’s entertainment industry,” said David Sweeney, CEO of Games Ireland.

“Its unique mixture of creativity, technology, interactivity and fun gives it a head start on the competition.

“Ireland’s rich reservoir of talent, technique and tenacity mean that it is now perfectly placed to play a leading role in Europe’s video-game industry, The Forfás report today is a clear signpost for the kind of Games Incentive Package that Ireland will develop and offer to the fast-changing industry to become the best place to develop games by 2016.”

The Dublin meetings, which will be held in co-operation with the international game group ISFE, will be looking at strategies for advancement of the game industry at the local and international level, which will take special account of the industry’s rapid development in online, mobile and social fields in Ireland.

“Games Ireland are delighted to welcome our local executives and their counterparts from around the world to what we hope will be an annual get together of key decision makers in our sector,” said Barry O’Neill, chairman of Games Ireland.

“We are also grateful for recognition of the key role of this industry in the Coalition’s Programme for Government and we are especially pleased with the support of the IDA and that senior government figures, such as The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, TD, will also be addressing the delegates at our forthcoming event,” O’Neill added.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com