Game Development and Digital Growth in Europe - Dr. Malte Behrmann, EGDF
Things are looking good for the gaming industry
Games and movies are growing in popularity, while video and music are declining. After 2008 the popularity of physical games started going down while digital started moving upwards. Online and mobile games are taking up more presence and are growing more and more important every day.
Only about a half of the European game studios focus only on game development and almost half of them have less than 10 employees, which shows us that the industry does not have large company structures.
Game studio CEOs are highly educated
Statistics show us that CEOs of game studios are still largely males and most of them are university graduates as 74% have a postgraduate degree and 17% of them have an undergraduate degree.
One of the challenges is the need for a better way of formalizing game education on a global level. We need to push this through in our governments!
The online space is a gross space in Europe. You can react fast to the needs of your customers, in our case - players. You improve your game while the game itself is already released to the market. This is now known as viral innovation, a relatively new form of innovation.
We need to fight for the gaming industry
Games are an important cultural, economic and an innovation drive! Europe hosts some of the brightest developers out there and we also have a special cultural taste. We could benefit much more from our production efforts, cultural heritage and technical skills if we worked together.
Lets fight for culture
Games are a culture in their own right, no longer a marginal form of culture. They are influencing the imagination and thinking structures worldwide.
Games influence how we
- Perceive values
- Organize structures
- Express ourselves
- Learn!
Many games lead to new entertainment forms
Europe produces very good and valuable games such as Heavy Rain, Angry Birds, Alan Wake etc. (quite Finland based, but they do make some epic games. Max Payne is one the best games I have ever played!)
The trend is upwards!
Gaming sector has enjoyed 2 digit increases per year and the trend is highly likely to continue.
Main reason for this lies in rapid and piracy proof development of online gaming, but game development is still a highly risky business venture and innovation risks can cause us some crippling pain; especially at the beginning of the value chain.
Video games are innovation drivers
Games serve as a model of innovative content, services and business models and the sector itself is leading the way into the innovation ecosystem of tomorrow. Innovation means much more than just R&D and design thinking.
Innovation means capturing a dream and fulfilling it!
Creative Europe
- Game development needs to be in the program and not linked to film anymore!
- We need prototype grants!
- We need substantial sums!
Horizon 2020
- Simplified systems
- Direct access
- SME friendly
- No large projects
- No pseudo stuff!
Regulation should assist developers
- It should be entrepreneur friendly
- It should drive network neturality
- It should be innnovation friendly
- State aid regulations
- Protection of minors
Advice for everyone who is thinking about becoming a game developer
- Set up a studio
- Start your own association
- Go for the low hanging fruit
But be prepared because nobody is waiting for you and the competition is tight.
EGDF is a trade association that focuses on policy development, dissemination and elaboration and through the organisation you can reach more than 600 game studios in 12 countries that employ over 17 000 game industry professionals.
