Although we have all played video games, video games developed by Caribbean developers appear to have little or no visibility. Moreover, there is no video game development industry in the region to speak of, and the underpinning ecosystem remains underdeveloped. However, by 2023, the size of the global video games industry is expected by valued at half a trillion US Dollars! We circle back to a 2021 conversation we had with video game developers, Glen Henry, of Spritewrench Studios, and Graham Reid, of GrahamOfLegend, where they discussed the state of game development and the potential and opportunities in the Caribbean region, including: the economic benefits for Caribbean countries; the region’s strengths and weaknesses; the business of video gaming development; and advice for individuals who want to get into game development.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

In January 2021, we published an article, Why aren’t more Caribbean people video gamers, in which we noted that globally, the video games industry was estimated to be worth nearly USD 160 billion in 2020, and is projected to exceed USD 200 billion by 2023. However, as of 2022, the global video game market size was estimated at USD 217.06 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.4% from 2023 to 2030, or over half USD 500 billion (Source:  Grand View Research)

In other words, the global video gaming industry is at least double the music and movie industries combined. It is thus a highly lucrative field with a broad range of opportunities. However, as much as we might play video games, video game development still does not appear to have much of a footing in the Caribbean region.

This episode was first released in 2021, in which we sought to pull back the curtain on video gaming in the Caribbean region, including the state of video game development in the region, the challenges, and more importantly, the opportunities.

 

Introducing our guests

 

Glen Henry (left) is the Founder and Projects Director of Spritewrench Studios, a  one-man micro-studio based in Kingston, Jamaica., which tends to focus on smaller, self-contained titles with an emphasis on narrative elements. He is keen to explore ways the Caribbean’s cultural position can influence the stories we tell.

Glen is also the self-proclaimed ‘Loudest Member’ of the Jamaica Game Developer Society (JGDS), which is an informal group of game developers that aims to educate and advocate for the craft of interactive entertainment in Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean.

Graham Reid (right) is a Jamaican visual designer and a video game designer, who is based in the United States and is also a member of the JGDS. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Broadcast Design and Motion Graphics, and has worked as a freelance motion graphics designer and animator on a wide variety of jobs for several companies, and presently, he is a Visual Designer at Snapchat.

In 2012, Graham along with two other Jamaicans created a game called Shapes & Sound: The Shape Shooter, which was released for Android. Since then, Graham has continued to delve into the world of video game development. His sophomore effort was titled Hecticube for iOS and Android, and he is currently working on Super Space Club which will be his first foray into PC and console development.

 

Insights into our conversation

This conversation is still as relevant today as it was when it was first recorded in 2021. Glen and Graham are passionate game developers, and in the discussion, they sought to highlight the complexities or nuances of some of the issues surrounding game development generally and game development in the region.

An interesting point that emerged during our conversation was although there are numerous enthusiastic hobbyists, many of them might not currently see a career path in game development or how to create a financially sustainable business in the region, which has been hindering the industry from becoming more established. However, four years later, is that still the case?

Below are the key questions that were posed.

  1. How big is game development in Jamaica, and if you can, can you give us some insight into game development in the wider Caribbean?
  2. What are some of the skills and resources needed to build games?
  3. How could the lucrative nature of the global gaming industry result in economic benefits for Jamaica, for example, or for the Caribbean?
  4. Although the global industry is highly lucrative, it seems to be highly competitive. What are some of the strengths you perceive in the region that could allow us to have some success in that space?  On the other hand, what are some of our weaknesses?
  5. Tell us a little bit about the Jamaica Game Developer Society. What it about, its objectives, and its membership?
  6. Is there a directory or repository of Caribbean games?
  7. To varying degrees, the Caribbean has unique cultural and societal qualities that have appeal globally, and which it could be argued, could be leveraged as games. To what degree is that being done, and do you think the premise expressed is flawed?
  8. Developers are likely to create games based either on their interests, or on trends – what might be hot these days. But these days, and here in the Caribbean, it could be argued that there is a need for games for the education and tourism space, for example. What are your thoughts?
  9. It seems that popular business models for games is either to be free, but relying on ads for revenue, or to use a freemium model. But if one is in the business of games, do those business models really work?
  10. For individuals who want to get into game development, what might be key pieces of advice you would give?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  G Henry;  G Reid; DC Studio (Freepik); StockSnap (Pixabay);  Freepik (Freepik)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell