A NEW BBC ALBA documentary delves into the history of the gaming industry – and Scotland’s immense contribution to it.
Trusadh: Geamadh – An Ath Ire (Trusadh: Gaming – The Next Level) follows avid gamer MJ Deans as she goes on a journey to learn more about her favourite pastime.
Voiceover artist and actor Deans – who recently voiced Moira, the central character in the video game A Highland Song – wanted to find out more about Scotland’s involvement in an industry that is now bigger than music and film combined.
Set across Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Deans uncovers the roots of video games and consoles as she goes back to the 1970s with Pong, Pac-man and the development of gaming on our own shores.
She meets Brian Baglow, director of the Scottish Games Network to hear more about the ZX Spectrum – a console brought to life in Dundee’s Timex factory.
Baglow also tells of the history of DMA Design – now known as Rockstar North – the developer of word-of-mouth success turned global phenomenon Grand Theft Auto.
From Menace and Blood Money to Lemmings, their games have put Scotland’s gaming industry on the map.
Deans also visits Abertay University, ranked as the best place in Europe to study video games, to find out more about game design and 3D animation from lecturer Kayleigh MacLeod.
At Dundonian developers Hyper Luminal Games, we learn more about the creative process and the company’s creative director Rob Madden speaks of creating “wholesome games” like their latest release made in honour of Rob’s father, who died of cancer.
Hundreds work in the gaming sector as writers, character animators and even playing games professionally as part of the booming Esports industry, which includes the likes of video game commentator John “Johnnyboi_i” MacDonald.
Deans catches up with MacDonald, a structural engineer who has made a full-time career out of commentating on Rocket League games.
Also on screen is father of four and keen gamer Paul Duke, who reminisces about his first games console and challenges his two eldest sons to try one of his old favourites, comparing it to games they play today.
Trusadh: Geamadh – An Ath Ire (Trusadh: Gaming – The Next Level) airs on BBC ALBA on Monday, October 24, at 9pm and will be available on BBC iPlayer for 30 days.
