The industry is booming in Northern Ireland

A childhood love of dinosaurs and a lockdown idea led Jordan Bradley to create a video game that she hopes will be a hit.

“Dinosaurs have been an absolute obsession of mine since I was a child,” she told BBC News NI.

“Everyone found dinosaurs interesting at one point, it’s something I never really grew out of.”

Amber Isle from Belfast-based Ambertail Games, a company Ms Bradley originally founded in her apartment in 2020, has just been released.

“Amber Isle is a storefront and life simulation game,” she said.

“You run a shop, go about your life, gather resources, and craft items.”

“The catch is that you play as a dinosaur in a world full of friendly dinosaurs.”

The Amber Isle development has created 10 full-time jobs – and a further 30 contract jobs – and is the result of an investment of around £1.2 million.

One of the UK’s biggest video game companies, Team17, is also on board.

In total, the UK video game industry employs around 76,000 people It is estimated to bring in around £6 billion a year to the UK economy.

The video game industry in Northern Ireland is also bigger than you might think.

According to NI Screen there are approximately 40 gambling companies operating in Northern Ireland.

Ambertail Games was founded in 2020 by Jordan and co-founder Noel Watters during lockdown.

“The studio started in the guest room of my apartment and I think we all kind of needed something nice, quaint, non-urgent, happy at a time when we were all stuck inside,” Ms. Bradley said.

So she invented Amber Isle and started a company to make it in her 20s.

“Back then I knew nothing about running a business, I just knew I wanted to make games,” she said.

“I had an idea, it was very meaningful to me.”

“Me and Noel decided, ‘Let’s give it a try, what else do we have to lose?’

“It’s been pretty tough, people might not appreciate how much work goes into running the company.”

“It was a learning process, but I wouldn’t have chosen any other path.”

It is companies like Jordan’s that are growing the gambling industry in Northern Ireland.

NI Screen’s Kerry Michelle O’Brien said this meant there were more career opportunities for young people in the industry.

“It’s actually more than just a viable option,” Kerry said.

“There is an entry point into the industry and we also encourage companies to actually embrace people and take a risk.”

“Things like Play My Demo, a bi-monthly event, allow people to see what talent is out there.

“The talent is there, we are great storytellers here, let’s keep that talent here.”

Belfast Met offers gaming courses, including undergraduate degrees in games art and design and esports.

Tutor Michael Smyth said he has noticed more opportunities for students.

“All of the students have secured a place on the island of Ireland and are working at games companies and production companies,” he said.

“Many students went on to work in the industry.”

“Students do things like commentary, they do game design, they also do freelance work while completing their qualifications.”