GAMES COLUMN

The last week has seen uproar from the Scottish Games industry after a report commissioned by Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise found that ‘computer games’ had a rounded down value of zero to the Scottish creative economy. Edinburgh’s own Rockstar North alone employs more people than the report listed for the whole of Scotland. For the same period TIGA, the games industry trade association reported an estimated annual contribution of £30 million to HM Treasury.

“Video Games are a vital part of Scotland’s creative industries and home to some of the most successful game franchises of all time.” said TIGA’s CEO Dr Richard Wilson.

Also due to make a song and dance this week is Andrew Lloyd Webber Musicals: Sing & Dance (12+, Wii, £19.99), featuring hits like ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’, ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Memory’, and ‘Any Dream Will Do’. Developers Tubby Games had some success with previous release Now That’s What I Call Music - Dance and Sing (12+, Wii, £19.99) which stood up well next to more famous franchises Singstar and Just Dance. These performance games are only as good as the songs that are licensed for them, but Webber fans need not fear – this latest release has in-game performances by Elaine Paige, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman amongst others.

Another tapping into 80s nostalgia is download title Double Dragon Neon (12+, PS3, Xbox360, £7.99). A reboot of a classic co-op arcade brawler of the 80s, Double Dragon features two brothers on a rescue mission through endless waves of goons. The game is repetitive, but developers WayForward have pulled a masterstroke by combining your powers with whichever cheesy 80s rock track you’ve picked as the soundtrack. This ‘mix-tape’ levelling system and the lurid neon colours make this a camp retro celebration worth a look.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (16+, PS3, Xbox360, £39.99) is released this week. The gameplay in Tekken hasn’t changed much for a decade or more, allowing for casual players to win by mashing buttons. The online is smooth. A refinement of an existing formula then.

Over forty individuals or teams have now signed up to take part in the third Sick Kids Save Point, a 24 hour video games marathon to raise money for Edinburgh’s Sick Kids Friends Foundation. The marathon takes place on the weekend of the 12th – 14th October and gamers will keep in contact during the ordeal via twitter and facebook. To join in visit sickkidssavepoint.org