Scotland should be proud of its role in developing video games into an artform – Scotsman comment

Things have moved on since the early days of games like Asteroids and Space Invaders

In 1978, the world was hit by an alien invasion. Or, at least, the world of teenage boys (and some others). Arcade game Space Invaders saw many a youth happily misspend endless hours zapping a relentless horde of spaceships before they could land.

Forty-six years later and video games have become something almost entirely unrecognisable from those early days. Not only can players compete against each other online, but they can pretty much become the central characters in their own film. Thankfully, Scotland has many firms at the forefront of gaming technology, giving this country a major stake in a global industry with an exciting future.

The upcoming ‘Game On’ exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh – which will feature 120 games, including Space Invaders – will highlight Scotland’s role in developing titles like global phenomenon Minecraft and Viewfinder, awarded Best British Game at the Bafta Game Awards this year.

Space Invaders was a firm favourite among early gamers (Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Once looked down upon – for some fairly good reasons – video games have now become a genuine art form of which Scotland can be proud.

Get our weekly opinion newsletter for expert analysis from The Scotsman’s team of columnists