, MS, Minister for Culture,
Skills and Social Partnership: Games is a key priority sector for
the Welsh Government and one that we support via Creative Wales.
In March 2025 I was pleased to attend the Games Development
Conference (GDC) in San Francisco alongside 30 representatives
from the Welsh games industry. GDC is the world's premier event
for video game developers and for over 30 years has brought
developers and key figures together to connect and grow the
industry. As the lead international event in a key sector for
growth, GDC is one of the Welsh Government's fully supported
trade missions under our export programme and our support in
helping Welsh games companies to have a presence dates back to
2015.
At this year's GDC I met with a diverse range of international
industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators including
PlayStation, Qualcomm, Niantic, Gearbox and Stealth. These
interactions provided invaluable insights into emerging trends,
new tools and technologies, and best practices that could benefit
our domestic industry. More importantly, it gave us the chance to
strengthen relationships with global partners, enabling potential
collaborations, investment opportunities, and knowledge transfer
to push our games' ecosystem forward.
I was pleased to join the British Ambassador to the United
States, Lord Peter at an event co-ordinated by the
Department for Business and Trade to celebrate the growth of the
UK and Welsh games industry. Wales was also represented at
a number of events throughout the week including an investor
breakfast delivered alongside UKIE and there is no doubt in my
mind of the value of these events in bringing Welsh companies
into contact with potential funding sources for commercial
investment.
Whilst attending GDC I was also very pleased to have the
opportunity to connect with Pembrokeshire born Lynwen Brennan and
John Hampion from Lucasfilm, to discuss the potential for future
TV and film collaborations in Wales. The screen industry
also continues to be a key priority for Creative Wales due its
contribution to economic growth.
I am excited by the potential of the gaming sector, in terms of
the economic benefits of the potential growth of the sector, the
prospects it provides for people to train and work in skilled
creative technical roles and the opportunities it gives us to
represent Welsh culture and language to a global audience through
video games made here.
Looking outward is essential for economic development, and the
activities at GDC complement the day-to-day work of Creative
Wales to support this industry. For example, I am sure you will
be pleased to have seen the recent appointment of games
executives with significant experience of the sector to the
Creative Wales Non-Executive Board. These industry
representatives are already providing us with valuable insight
into the sector, including how it is dealing with increased
automation, and coping with changing employment dynamics
following recent global events. They also provide vital links to
other industry leaders.
We are under no illusion that growing and maintaining a healthy
games industry is not without challenges. That is why
international export activity is augmented with funding and
business development support that we give to the sector, via
Creative Wales. This funding is targeted at medium to long term
sustainable growth. In particular, our development funding
provides early-stage finance, as well as our recent scale up
funding providing essential growth capability. The next round of
development funding is coming later this month, and I encourage
those in the industry that want to get involved in this industry
to apply.
As we continue to develop and expand our gaming industry in
Wales, promoting our industry to the world is key. GDC is
therefore a huge opportunity not only for our developers to
attend but also to position our country as a creative hub within
the UK. As Minister, my goal is to ensure that our country
remains at the forefront of technical and business innovation,
leveraging the immense potential of this and other creative
industries. The games development industry has become one of the
fastest growing worldwide. It is a unique part of the creative
industries that drives not only economic growth but also fosters
creativity, collaboration, and global dialogue.
I would like to thank the companies who attended GDC this year
for their active participation, and our partner organisations for
their commitment to helping us grow the games industry in Wales.
We look forward to more collaborative opportunities that will
help us realise the potential of the games sector in Wales.
