Meeting of the Parliament 03 February 2026 [Draft]
I thank Michael Marra for introducing the cross-party group on the Scottish games ecosystem and the work that we have been doing with Brian Baglow and the games sector to get to the publication of “Level Up Scotland” and the launch of the national action plan for the Scottish games sector. The publication is more than a report: it gives us a road map for Scotland’s future in the sector that is dynamic, creative and globally recognised. As has been said, the games industry is not just about entertainment; it drives innovation and creates high-skilled jobs, and it can showcase Scottish talent around the world.
We should remember that gaming and gaming technology seep into lots of different areas of our lives. We are looking at the gamification of healthcare, where we use video screens, joysticks and virtual reality to work with people and treat conditions. That touches on something that is close to my heart. My son has a condition called complex regional pain syndrome—CRPS—and one way of treating it is to use a visual device to do a cold therapy treatment that involves people going for a virtual walk in the Arctic in their room, to try to desensitise the pain of the syndrome at that time.
Games technology is used in many aspects of our lives. Games engines are used not just in the development of games, but in the film industry, which is a booming sector in Scotland. All those skills will be there for the future. We must also consider the developments in artificial intelligence and the impact that that might have. To place Scotland at the forefront of all of that is ambitious, but it is not beyond the means of the Scottish people and the games sector to achieve those ambitions.
The plan focuses on a few key priorities, including talent and skills development, which is about nurturing the next generation of developers, designers and technical specialists. Unlike Mr Marra, I am not surrounded by gaming in my own house, other than a Wednesday night Discord session to play Dungeons & Dragons, still with dice but via computer screens—for the avoidance of doubt, as I have said before in this chamber, I am chaotic neutral in that context. However, I see it through the eyes of my son, who is a primary school teacher and uses games in some of the interactions with his pupils. I also see how my grandchildren not only play exciting games but also learn by using things such as Minecraft and other games to build and create. That all builds on the creative aspect of what makes us human.
This creative industry is new. We are coming to terms with it and are still trying to find a place for it in Scotland’s cultural landscape, but we are making strides in that regard. The report gives us a firm foundation on which to build in order to truly embrace the creativity, excitement and opportunity of the games sector.
I will give a little shout-out to The Baby in Yellow, which came out of Scotland and was almost our Angry Birds in that it was another viral game—one of many that we will see in the future, I am sure.
I offer huge congratulations to the Scottish Games Network. I thank it for its engagement with the cross-party group and give a special thank you to Mr Baglow for all the work that he has done to drive the plan through.