London is a gaming powerhouse with tens of thousands of players and more than 500 gaming developers. The entire industry contributes £4.85 billion to the UK economy, more than the TV, film, publishing and fashion sectors combined.
The US, Japan, China and recently Canada have bigger gaming industries than the UK presently. But the might of the UK’s gaming sector can’t be underestimated. London is the region’s biggest hub partly thanks to the efforts of the following gaming brands.
Sony Studios
Officially known as Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the video game studio is the largest of its kind in Europe. It houses hundreds of employees who work in a specially designed 7-storey building in Soho. The team in London works together with other SIE studios around the world to enhance the PS4 brand.
The London branch opened in 2002 and helped create the EyeToy web camera used in PS2 in the early 2000s. The team later came up with a VR engine that can be used by both PS4 and PC games such as The London Heist, Danger Ball and Scavenger’s Odyssey.
Also, SIE London has published more than 30 video games since its launch. They include the This is Football series, the SingStar series, EyePet, Wonderbook, Erica and PlayStation VR Worlds.
Playtech London
Located in West End, Playtech is a gambling software provider responsible for creating over 600 casino games. It houses all its 300 employees in a purposefully designed building in West End that also brought in employees from Ash Gaming after the two brands merged.
Many people know Playtech for its wide range of slot machines. And sure enough, you can play most of the developer’s games at dozens of gaming sites listed on Casino bonus UK. Nearly all of these platforms also welcome new players with bonuses, ranging from free spins to £1000 in bonuses.
Apart from slots, Playtech also develops virtual sports, betting solutions, bingo, poker, lotteries and financial trading platforms. A recent partnership with Warner Bros also means you can now the slots versions of Superman, Man of Steel, Green Lantern and Batman at your favourite online casino.
IGT
International Game Technology (IGT) is yet another famous gambling software provider based in London. But similar to many of its peers, the company also holds offices in North America, Italy, South America and Africa.
IGT hasn’t always been a London-based company, though. Initially launched in the US, the startup sprouted into the biggest slot developer in the world. In 2014, London’s Gtech purchased the brand for $6.4 billion and dropped Gtech for IGT.
So, what games does IGT develop? The company is behind dozens of famous slots like Black Widow, Balloonies, 100 Pandas, Cleopatra, CSI and Crown of Egypt. Find a new casino that has its headquarters in London and chances are that it will provide IGT games. More importantly, you’ll probably get rewarded for registering an account or for depositing money.
Evolution Gaming
Although headquartered in Latvia, Evolution Gaming’s London offices play an essential role in its growth. The West End-based offices help the gaming brands market its products in England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland.
The development work, however, happens in Latvia where the live casino games’ developer houses 2,700 employees. For the uninitiated, Evolution Gaming develops tables games in which you can play against fellow human players at an online casino.
The games range from blackjack to poker, baccarat and keno to roulette and Monopoly. You can find the games at most gaming websites based in the UK. Most of them also work on smart devices. So, whether you prefer to use your desktop or iPhone, you can play the games.
Sports Interactive
Sports Interactive is the British video game brand behind Football Manager, NHL Eastside Hockey Manager and Championship Manager. The company launched in 1994 in London but got sold to Japanese publisher Sega in 2006.
To date, Sports Interactive creates video game as part of Sega. It specializes in football and hockey simulation games but has been redesigning and updating them over the years. Fortunately, the games have been hugely successful to the point that founders Oliver and Miles Jacobson have since been appointed into the Order of the British Empire.
Algoworks
Algoworks is a technology company that develops software that impacts a wide range of industries, including gaming. Its video game products mainly target mobile gamers although it’s also designed several PC games.
The company’s flagship product is gaming software it hopes developers could use to ease maintenance of MMO games. Named Smart Fox Server, the system is robust, secure and efficient enough to support advanced mobile games.
The company is responsible for helping stream a few well-known mobile games, including Yoville by Zynga, Club Penguin by Disney and Bearville. And in doing so, it’s helped publishers cost-effectively offer multiplayer games.
INGIC
Similar to Algoworks, INGIC mostly develops games meant for mobile device users. Some of them are Arcade games, isometric, Educational and 3D games. INGIC also develops cross-platform games for companies that might want their games to be played on android, iOS and PC devices.
Besides video games, INGIC also develops business, fitness, and virtually any other app a customer might want. The company operates as a development hub. And, considering they have a large team based in multiple companies, they have the talent and resources to develop all sorts of apps.
Bossa Studios
Bossa Studios is a relatively new gaming developer founded in 2010. It opened its London headquarters in 2011 but was purchased by Shine Group shortly afterwards. The company then launched Monstermind, a Facebook game that would go on to win a BAFTA award.
After the initial success, Bossa launched a slew of more games: Toy Run, Merlin: the Game, and Surgeon Simulator. In 2017, the company hired a former Valve Corporation executive to head a Seattle-based branch.
At the same time, Bossa underwent a fundraising campaign in which it accrued about $30 million. It advanced its Surgeon Simulator Game and commenced the development of a new game titled Pigeon Simulator.
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