A Clustering Development Team, chaired by Paul Breslin of Popcap, with Internet entrepreneur Dylan Collins as vice chair, has been established to drive the development of the fast-growing digital games sector.
The group includes representatives of other leading games companies based as well as representatives of relevant Government bodies. They are as follows: Tony Kelly, CEO, Demonware; Eibhlin Payne, CS Director, Blizzard; Nicolas Pajot, COO, Gala; Richard Barnwell, CEO, Digit Games; John Rice, CEO, Jam Media; Steven Collins, CTO, Swrve; David Sweeney, CEO, Games Ireland; Laoise Mc Cluskey, IDA Ireland; Ray Walsh, Enterprise Ireland; Maria Ginnity, Forfás; Muiris O’ Connor/Mr Tim Conlon, Higher Education Authority; Jacinta Stewart, CEO City of Dublin VEC; Bryan Fields, FÁS; and Stephen Curran, Ronnie Breen, and Stephen Walsh, all from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
The primary role of the group will be to drive the implementation of recommendations of the October 2011 Forfás report on the games sector, which recommended the establishment of a further 2,500 jobs by end 2014, and also the establishment of the above group.
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD said the digital gaming sector is one which has the potential to grow large numbers of jobs given the number of ICT companies based in Ireland and the fact “we are fast developing an expertise in digital games specifically which can be a foundation for major jobs growth”. The games sector, he continued “has expanded fivefold since 2004 and now employs approximately 2,500 people here – and continues to grow worldwide at a rate of 8 per cent annually.”