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Games is a key priority sector for the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖand one that we support via Creative Wales. In March 2025 I was pleased to attend the Games Development Conference (GDC) in San Francisco alongside 30 representatives from the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ games industry. GDC is the world’s premier event for video game developers and for over 30 years has brought developers and key figures together to connect and grow the industry. As the lead international event in a key sector for growth, GDC is one of the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government’s fully supported trade missions under our export programme and our support in helping Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ games companies to have a presence dates back to 2015.

At this year’s GDC I met with a diverse range of international industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators including PlayStation, Qualcomm, Niantic, Gearbox and Stealth. These interactions provided invaluable insights into emerging trends, new tools and technologies, and best practices that could benefit our domestic industry. More importantly, it gave us the chance to strengthen relationships with global partners, enabling potential collaborations, investment opportunities, and knowledge transfer to push our games’ ecosystem forward. 

I was pleased to  join the British Ambassador to the United States, Lord Peter Mandelson at an event co-ordinated by the Department for Business and Trade to celebrate the growth of the UK and Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ games industry. Wales was also represented at a number of events throughout the week including an investor breakfast delivered alongside UKIE and there is no doubt in my mind of the value of these events in bringing Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ companies into contact with potential funding sources for commercial investment. 

Whilst attending GDC I was also very pleased to have the opportunity to connect with Pembrokeshire born Lynwen Brennan and John Hampion from Lucasfilm, to discuss the potential for future TV and film collaborations in Wales.  The screen industry also continues to be a key priority for Creative Wales due its contribution to economic growth.

I am excited by the potential of the gaming sector, in terms of the economic benefits of the potential growth of the sector, the prospects it provides for people to train and work in skilled creative technical roles and the opportunities it gives us to represent Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ culture and language to a global audience through video games made here.

Looking outward is essential for economic development, and the activities at GDC complement the day-to-day work of Creative Wales to support this industry. For example, I am sure you will be pleased to have seen the recent appointment of games executives with significant experience of the sector to the Creative Wales Non-Executive Board. These industry representatives are already providing us with valuable insight into the sector, including how it is dealing with increased automation, and coping with changing employment dynamics following recent global events. They also provide vital links to other industry leaders. 

We are under no illusion that growing and maintaining a healthy games industry is not without challenges. That is why international export activity is augmented with funding and business development support that we give to the sector, via Creative Wales. This funding is targeted at medium to long term sustainable growth. In particular, our development funding provides early-stage finance, as well as our recent scale up funding providing essential growth capability. The next round of development funding is coming later this month, and I encourage those in the industry that want to get involved in this industry to apply.

As we continue to develop and expand our gaming industry in Wales, promoting our industry to the world is key. GDC is therefore a huge opportunity not only for our developers to attend but also to position our country as a creative hub within the UK. As Minister, my goal is to ensure that our country remains at the forefront of technical and business innovation, leveraging the immense potential of this and other creative industries. The games development industry has become one of the fastest growing worldwide. It is a unique part of the creative industries that drives not only economic growth but also fosters creativity, collaboration, and global dialogue. 

I would like to thank the companies who attended GDC this year for their active participation, and our partner organisations for their commitment to helping us grow the games industry in Wales. We look forward to more collaborative opportunities that will help us realise the potential of the games sector in Wales.