THE COMPUTER games industry in Ireland could create an additional 2,500 direct jobs in the next two years, a new report has said.
The Forfás report on the games sector in Ireland, intended as an action plan for growth, says there would also be a significant level of associated employment in firms supplying the sector.
More than 2,000 people are directly employed in the games sector in Ireland today, a number that has increased five-fold since 2004.
Speaking at the report’s publication in Dublin, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he did not think the plan was overly ambitious. “The potential is phenomenal,” he said.
“What the Forfás report sets out is the creation of a real cluster of excellence here for the games industry. This target is achievable and Government are taking a real interest in this, and will respond to initiatives to improve the general environment for this business to flourish in the time ahead.”
The global games sector is expected to increase in size from its current $59.3 billion (€39.6 billion) to $82.4 billion by 2015, and the Forfás report claims that Ireland is well placed to take advantage of the continued expansion in global markets, particularly in online and social gaming.
PopCap co-founder Jason Kapalka said the figure of 2,500 may be a conservative estimate, and there was potential for further growth over the period.
“Given the scale of the possibilities, it doesn’t seem that crazy,” he said. In Dublin alone, he said, with high-tech firms such as Amazon, Google, Twitter, there are already thousands of jobs there.
The report identified digitally distributed and online games as the main areas where Ireland has the opportunity to grow and develop, with particular focus on creative game development, support and the exploitation of intellectual property.
Ireland is already home to a number of major games firms, including EA, Bioware, Activision Blizzard, Zynga and PopCap.
“This industry is on the way up and the Government is determined to ensure that Ireland becomes a recognised cluster for gaming companies that will attract more and further investment,” Mr Kenny said. “We see this as a key priority growth area for Ireland because it draws on many of our core strengths.”
The Taoiseach did not give any details about potential tax breaks that could be offered to games companies to help grow the industry, saying Ireland’s tax position spoke for itself when it came to foreign direct investment.
