Learn locally. Test in practice. Share globally.
Games Ark Ecosystem
Researching and strengthening the ecosystems behind sustainable game studios.
Our purpose
A not-for-profit organisation focused on sustainable careers and businesses.
Games Ark Ecosystem CIC is a not-for-profit organisation focused on understanding how emerging games talent, early-stage teams and new studios can build sustainable careers and businesses.
We believe supporting the games industry requires more than developing individual skills or funding individual projects. Sustainable studios depend on the wider ecosystem around them — including education, incubation, mentorship, workspace, business support, investment, publishing, professional networks and access to talent.
Our work brings these areas together through research, experimentation and collaboration.
What we do
Research, test, connect and share.
Research Games Ecosystems
We investigate the barriers facing emerging developers and early-stage studios, examining how different local and international games ecosystems support people from skills development through to studio formation and sustainable business growth.
Research-Led Incubation
We use incubation as a research environment where new approaches to talent development, studio formation and business support can be tested and evaluated in practice. We look at what works, what doesn't, for whom and under what conditions.
Connect Talent and Studios
We explore new pathways between education, professional experience and entrepreneurship, helping emerging developers understand not only how to work within the games industry, but how teams can form, create opportunities and develop sustainable studios.
Work With Existing Ecosystems
We collaborate with universities, incubators, industry organisations, studios, mentors, public bodies and other support organisations rather than trying to replace existing provision. Our aim is to understand where support already works, where gaps exist and how different parts of an ecosystem can work together more effectively.
Share What We Learn
Research has greater value when others can use it. We aim to share evidence, insights and practical findings with the wider games industry so that incubators, universities, policymakers and support organisations can make better-informed decisions about how they support emerging talent and studios.
Our approach
There is no single model for a successful games ecosystem.
Different places have different strengths, challenges and resources. An approach that works in one city or country may not work in another.
Our work therefore combines local ecosystem research, international comparison and real-world experimentation. By studying existing approaches and testing new ones, we aim to build a stronger evidence base around a fundamental question:
What conditions, support and ecosystem infrastructure enable emerging games talent and early-stage teams to develop into sustainable studios?
Our long-term vision
Clearer pathways and ecosystems that learn from one another.
Our ambition is to contribute to a games industry where talented people have clearer pathways from learning and early experience to team formation, studio creation and sustainable careers.
Over time, we want to help build a network of research-led games ecosystems that can learn from one another, test new approaches and continuously improve how emerging developers and studios are supported.
Learn locally. Test in practice. Share globally.
Games Ark Ecosystem
Take part in the research, or work with us.
Register your interest in research-led incubation, or talk to us about collaboration across education, industry and studio support.