UK Government Gives Games Industry £4m Boost to Help Indies

The UK government has pledged £4 million to the games industry to encourage developers to take unique ideas and develop them into worldwide successes.

The Video Games Prototype Fund, which continues the work started by Abertay University's Prototype Fund, is designed to support independent game developers based in the UK. It will offer grants of up to £25,000 to help developers prototype their ideas and £50,000 for select projects to continue development beyond this phase.

Currently, developers in the UK are responsible for some of the biggest blockbusters in the industry. Most notable among these are the Batman: Arkham series, created by London-based Rocksteady Studio, LittleBigPlanet from Guilford's Media Molecule, and Grand Theft Auto V from Edinburgh's Rockstar North.

Games from UK indie developers such as Mike Bithell's Volume, Gunpoint from Tom Francis, and Roll7's OlliOlli--among others--have also attracted worldwide attention. This effort, according to minister for culture Ed Vaizey, is something the government should more directly support.

"Britain's video games punch well above their weight internationally, and we need to build on this and invest in the strength of our creativity," said Vaizey.

"This fund will give small businesses, startups, and individuals the support they need to better attract private investment and go on to create the blockbusters of tomorrow."

In 2014, GameSpot spoke to Nicola and Anthony Caulfield, who created From Bedrooms to Billions, a film which looks at the pioneering history of UK games development, and discussed the place the UK has within the global industry of today.