UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) has called on the UK government to initiate reforms that could help make the country a global hub for eSports.
The group made the call on Monday as the group published a 20-page, eSports whitepaper, outlining industry opportunities, growth areas and recommendations to government. Ukie projected that the esports sector is set to be worth $1bn globally by 2019.
“ESports – and in particular live tournament events – offer huge opportunities across the UK in job creation, local economic growth, tourism, new skills development, and giving a clear signal to the world about our ambitions around technology, innovation and creativity. The aim of this whitepaper is to give some context of this global industry,” Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie, said in a statement.
UK has the potential to become a global hub for eSports provided that the government will put up necessary measures that will nurture the industry’s growth in the country, according to Ukie.
The trade body for games and interactive entertainment has outlined eight recommendations for how the UK can become a global leader in eSports. The recommendations were results of the consultation that the group made with members of the UK eSports community.
In a nutshell, the group urged key government departments to work with the eSports stakeholders in developing a unified strategic approach and appealing trade and investment offer to major international tournament holders, IP owners and brands.
The group also highlighted the importance of the delivery of superfast broadband and 5G by improving and providing the best infrastructure across the country.
Ukie has urged the sector to coordinate itself as an industry group to share information and encourage and facilitate the sharing of best practice. On the part of the industry and government, the group said that they should develop a methodology for more accurately measuring the UK eSports sector.
The group also raised the importance of considering the needs of eSports businesses and players in policy debates around skills and immigration. On the other hand, Ukie said that eSports companies must actively support sustainable initiatives that promote and inspire diverse participation of eSports.
It also mentions designating 15 UK eSports ambassadors that will promote the sector in the UK and internationally. The ambassadors, according to Ukie, must be plucked from a diverse mix of players, developers, publishers and event organizers, and to be added to the UK’s existing Video Games Ambassadors scheme.
