Brighton could be next 'silicon valley' of gaming

Mafia: The Old Country focuses on main character Enzo Favara, who players use to fight for survival

As Brighton software developer Hangar 13 prepares for its latest major game release, studio head Nick Baynes says he has high hopes for the city as an industry centre.

"There's no reason why it can't become the next Silicon Valley of video games," he said, citing the area's creativity and facilities.

The latest instalment of the studio's Mafia franchise, a prequel to the original, is released on Friday.

The series of narrative action games exploring the criminal underworld has sold more than 34 million copies across console and PC since it launched in 2002.

For the latest instalment, set in Sicily in the early 1900s, the team headed to the Mediterranean island to "capture the atmosphere and the culture" there.

"What we can see here is our realisation of the Sicilian landscape," game director Alex Cox said as he sat down with his controller at the studio in Brighton.

The company moved to the city with four employees in 2017 but now has about 100 people working at its Sussex base.

'Something that can grow'

In July, more than 5,000 people attended a game-making industry conference in the city.

Mr Baynes said: "The real mix of the creativity that's here, the facilities in the city, the support network and how close we are to all the major travel hubs and London - it just feels like it's something that can grow and grow."

Hangar 13 studio head Nick Baynes said the South East was "pivotal" to the UK gaming industry

Nick Poole, chief executive of trade body UK Interactive Entertainment, agreed.

He said "some of the UK's leading video game clusters" had been "emerging in areas like Brighton", with the South East "really, really pivotal" to the UK's gaming industry.

The sector contributes £7.6bn to the UK economy. However last year, the industry saw game delays and thousands of layoffs, including within Microsoft's gaming division.

Despite this, Mr Baynes was positive about the future.

He said: "More and more people play games these days without necessarily even realising it… I think more and more forms of gaming are going to emerge as well.

"Ultimately, I think the outlook for the industry is really strong."

Mr Cox added that gaming provided "escapism" while also allowing "a sense of connection and a sense of community for many people".