Project Description
This project focuses on the issues faced by videogame development firms in adopting and sustaining an IP business model and how these can best be addressed. It is being undertaken by staff involved in videogames, entrepreneurship and business models at the University of Glasgow, and is supported by a University of Glasgow ESRC IAA grant/award.
Achieving the IP model is the goal of many videogame developers. This model allows the developer to retains ownership of the intellectual property in the videogame and control its development and commercialisation. Such intellectual property ownership can arise from in-house games development or from external sources such as the purchase of intellectual property rights and collaborative project with partners. However, there are a number of difficulties associated with the IP model.
The aim of this project is therefore to provide a forum for development practitioners, industry bodies, support organisations and policy makers to come together and discuss the issues involved in implementing an IP model and to collectively identify how these might be addressed.
The outputs will provide a better insight into the role of the IP model, particularly relating to the growth and survival of videogame development businesses and the industry as a whole, and will be shared with practitioners and those involved in the wider support and policy agenda for Scotland. The aim is to contribute by:
- Providing a better understanding of how the IP model is being undertaken, the difficulties encountered and the factors to be considered when adopting and sustaining the model.
- Informing the support and policy agenda, highlighting the factors that help and hinder the adoption of the IP model by games development practitioners in their various forms, and the resultant support requirements.
- Increasing awareness amongst new start-ups entering the industry about the IP model and the wider industry context within which it has be operate.
The PI for this project is Prof. Colin Mason
For more information, please contact Dr Helen Mullen (Helen.Mullen@glasgow.ac.uk) or Dr Matthew Barr (Matthew.Barr@glasgow.ac.uk).
Engagement activities
Reflections on all three workshops are now available online.
Three workshops will be undertaken in Dundee (slides), Edinburgh (slides)and Glasgow (slides) to discuss the factors influencing the adoption and sustainability of the IP model, identify the key themes and share ideas about what videogame development practitioners need to succeed with this model.
Supporting these discussion will be industry practitioners with experience of the IP model and researchers from the University of Glasgow who have undertaken research with small videogame development firms about the drivers for, constraints on and support for the IP model. Reflections on all workshops are now available.
A series of follow-up meetings will be held with participants to focus on the ideas generated from the workshop and identify additional actions required.
The resultant outputs will be shared with the industry and will highlight key IP model related themes and suggestions about how this model can be implemented and maintained.
This project is one of two being undertaken by the University of Glasgow staff to engage with the games industry in Scotland (the second focuses on data improvement and can be found here http://bit.ly/GameData). We have shared our interim findings from both projects at the IGDA Scotland meetup in Glasgow on 26/6/18 and at the British Games Institute's Continue Edinburgh on 16/08/18.
Podcasts
Colin Macdonald
Colin Macdonald, Head of All 4 Games, was our guest speaker at the Glasgow workshop. Here he shares his thoughts about the IP model as well as the often important role that work-for-hire plays.
Colin also talked about the IP and work-for-hire business models on BBC Radio Scotland 'Good Morning Scotland' 2/7/18.
Melissa Knox
Melissa Knox, BAFTA-winning Producer at Blazing Griffin was our guest speaker at the Edinburgh workshop and shared with us her thoughts about the IP model and the importance of being objective about in-house projects.
David Hamilton
David Hamilton, Executive Vice President of Ninja Kiwi Europe talks IP and the challenges and rewards it brings.
Frank Arnot and Gary McCartan
We talked to Frank Arnot, Founder of Stormcloud Games, and Gary McCartan, CEO of Pocket Sized Hands, about what would help them most in sustaining an IP model.
Paddy Burns
Here Paddy Burns, Founder and CTO of 4J Studios, talks about his takeaway from the Edinburgh workshop.
Malath Abbas
Mal Abbas, Founder of Biome Collective, highlights the various activities involved in generating IP, the importance of ensuring that outputs connect with the wider world, and how the Biome Collective ecosystem provides a creative space to support members to both create and connect.
Alan Yeats
Alan Yeats, CTO of Pocket Sized Hands, an AR/VR games and software developer, talks about how he combines work-for-hire and original IP.
Borislav Vasilev, student
Borislav Vasilev, who is about to start-up a games development company, talks about the difficulties with the IP model and his takeaways from the workshop including the role that both work-for-hire and IP models can play.
Preslav Petrov, student
Preslav Petrov has not yet formed a company but is currently developing his own IP. He shares with us the challenges that the IP model has presented and highlights the areas where support is required.