'Microstudios' are on the rise in the UK game industry

A new report from UK trade body TIGA suggests that while the UK video game industry is expanding rapidly, the new of "microstudios" popping up means that the UK industry is more vulnerable. In 2013, the number of game studios in the UK jumped from around 448 to 620 year-over-year. While this is a significant jump, it's notable that the number of studios sporting 4 or less staffers also jumped too. In fact, "microstudios" (defined as a studio with less than five staff members) now account for 59 percent of studios in the UK, says TIGA, up from 50 percent in 2012. "This is a direct consequence of the UK games’ industry increasing focus on mobile as the primary games platform," explained TIGA CEO Richard Wilson. "The surge in start-up studios is encouraging, but many of these will be vulnerable because of their size. TIGA's focus now is to help developers grow their businesses by ensuring that governments create a favourable environment for the industry and by providing quality networking events, professional business advice and access to partners, publishers and investors."