“2,500 employees across 83 studios, making up well over 75 per cent of the districts’ digital media industry.”
So just how easy is it for new and expanding studios to find a place to put down roots? “We find there is an acute shortage of suitable office space within Leamington at present,” says Exient’s Hawkins, “but hopefully this is being addressed,” he adds. This is a point Kwalee’s Darling picks up on too, saying “I think it’s the hardest thing, to find office space.” However, this doesn’t seem to be a universal view, as Richard Blenkinsop, managing director of Ubisoft Reflections and Ubisoft Leamington states: “[There is enough space] at present, yes, but like any thriving area with an aggressively growing industry at its core, the area will need to adapt over time.” And according to Genba Digital’s Murphy, the area seems to be adapting already, with more office space on the way: “Our HQ close to the centre of town is a nice, bright working hub for our small team. We even have enough space for a games room, where many a battle of Mario Kart and FIFA takes place. A creative quarter is being invested in on the south side of the town, which will allow for even more creative and tech spaces – so any new or expanding games companies in the area will be able to stay settled in the Silicon Spa community”
“There is a huge amount of talent [in Leamington] and we need more” says Meg Daintith, recruitment manager at Codemasters. “Ours is a big studio and there is room for more diversity. As a global brand we are always keen to keep our doors open to local, national and international talent.” This global mindset seems to be a common trait among Leamington studios. While there is undoubtedly great talent in the area, there simply isn’t enough to go around, leading studios to widen their scope to attract outside talent. “The industry is expanding so quickly that there are not enough people in the local area so we look much
Above: Richard Blenkinsop from Ubisoft Below: Some of the team at Codemasters
ATTRACTING TALENT Of course, office space isn’t the only thing there’s a shortage of. The competition for talent can make it hard for studios to retain their best against their ever-growing list of competitors. But that concentration of firms also has it benefits we discover. “I think the talent pool in Leamington Spa is quite unique,” says Ubisoft’s Blenkinsop. “In 2015 it was reported that there were around 40 video games companies in Leamington Spa and approximately 1,000 people working in the industry. Right now it’s more like 2,500 employees across 83 studios, making up well over 75 per cent of the district’s entire digital media industry. This means that developers in Leamington don’t need to look far if they want a new challenge, which is great for retaining talent in the region and drawing in people from further afield.”
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