We use cookies to track usage of our site. Details of these can be found on our Cookie Policy. You may choose to decline all tracking cookies, but if you do some key features may not work as expected.

2020-12-10
Legal Articles

A history of Silicon Spa, and the wider UK games industry

Home / Knowledge base / A history of Silicon Spa, and the wider UK games industry

Posted by Luke Moulton on 17 March 2017

Luke Moulton - Intellectual Property Lawyer
Luke Moulton Partner
Sign up for updates

Share article

According to the UKIE (the association for UK Interactive Entertainment), approximately 31.6 million people in the UK play games and UK consumers spent £4.33bn on games in 2016 (a 1.2% increase on 2015).

UKIE value the global games industry at $99.6bn and growth estimates predict a market worth $118.6bn by 2019.

Wright Hassall is privileged to sit at the heart of “Silicon Spa”. Leamington Spa is a thriving hub for game developers, sitting behind only London and Dundee (birthplace for Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto). Leamington Spa is described by UKIE as an “established mecca of video games production” and, in 2015, Warwickshire accounted for 10% of the UK’s total gaming employment.

We embarked on a project to discover where this booming industry came from and the part that Leamington Spa has played in this truly global industry.

1 https://tiga.org/about-tiga-and-our-industry

2 http://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/33343/kwalees-david-darling-on-the-new-challenge-of-making-games-and-apps-for-ios/

3 http://www.cwlep.com/sites/default/files/cwlep_growth_deal_3_bid.pdf

 

Tags: Digital gaming Commercial contracts Digital gaming

Luke Moulton - Intellectual Property Lawyer

About the author

Luke Moulton

Partner

Luke is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution Group. Luke has more than 10 years’ experience helping clients solve problems.

Luke Moulton

 Luke is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution Group. Luke has more than 10 years’ experience helping clients solve problems.

Recent articles

Path in woodland
16 October 2025 Nilsson v Cynberg

This case study is part of a wider article "No Contract. No Problem?" which explores why legal formalities under the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 matter, what happens when they’re not followed, and how equitable remedies like constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel can sometimes offer a lifeline. Through key cases, it highlights when informal agreements may still hold weight and when “no contract” really does mean “no deal.”

Read article
Path in woodland
16 October 2025 Pathway to Relief v Your Best Properties Limited

This case study is part of a wider article "No Contract. No Problem?" which explores why legal formalities under the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 matter, what happens when they’re not followed, and how equitable remedies like constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel can sometimes offer a lifeline. Through key cases, it highlights when informal agreements may still hold weight and when “no contract” really does mean “no deal.”

Read article
Path in woodland
16 October 2025 Thandi v Saggu

This case study is part of a wider article "No Contract. No Problem?" which explores why legal formalities under the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 matter, what happens when they’re not followed, and how equitable remedies like constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel can sometimes offer a lifeline. Through key cases, it highlights when informal agreements may still hold weight and when “no contract” really does mean “no deal.”

Read article