Video games in Ireland

Video game development is a developing industry in the Ireland, with some government attempts made to encourage investment via tax breaks.^[1][2] Of the approximately €206 million spent by Irish people on video games in 2015, Irish game developers "[saw] little of this spend".^[3]

Video gaming in Ireland grew from the 1970s and, for example, the Atari 2600 was manufactured in Limerick to meet demand for both Irish and export markets.^[4] By 2020, video game companies in Ireland included Keywords Studios, Havok and Romero Games.^[5][6][7] A video games festival was held in Dublin in 2018.^[8]

In 2007, the Irish Film Censor's Office (IFCO) was one of four European classification organisations to ban Manhunt 2.^[9] The ban, later lifted, was the first video game ban in Ireland.^[10] Under the 1989 Video Recordings Act, the head of IFCO "may prohibit a video game" if it is deemed "unfit for viewing".^[11] Ratings and classifications in Ireland are otherwise applied through the (voluntary) Pan European Game Information (PEGI) age-rating scheme, of which Ireland is a member.^[11]

Video game companies of Ireland

See also: Category:Video game companies of Ireland

Active companies

• Demonware (networking code)^[5]
• DIGIT Game Studios (mobile games)^[5]
• Havok (company) (middleware engine)^[5]
• Keywords Studios (game development, localisation, audio, art, QA, etc)^[5]
• Romero Games (independent studio)^[6]

Defunct companies

• Eirplay Games (founded 2002 and defunct 2009)^{[citation needed]}
• Emerald Software (founded 1988 and defunct 1991)^{[citation needed]}
• Funcom Dublin Ltd.(branch; 1994 to 2001)^{[citation needed]}

Publishers

• Playrix (Dublin HQ. Russian publisher & dev. Mobile games.)^{[citation needed]}