Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The position of the Swedish industry within the global structure sug-
gests that the situation may be similar in other countries, most likely the
Nordic countries, but also small countries in the rest of the world. It would
be valuable to have more research done in other countries that also com-
piled basic economic data from the game developing companies. To be able
to compare the historic development between dif erent counties it would be
valuable to have time series of the economic data going back at least to the
end of the 1990s. A comparative approach along with a somewhat more
quantitative approach would broaden the understanding of the game indus-
try and the situation for game developing companies. It would also reduce
the dependency on journalistic sources and other sources that might not be
appropriate within the academic framework.
FUTURE
As long as the technological development is rapid and Moore's law holds, it
seems likely that the majority of Swedish game developers will move over to
the use of modules available on the market. Without a large fi nancial back-
ing it is unlikely that new start-up companies that aim for big-budget games
will be able to compete with their own developed technology. New com-
panies will most likely have to buy their game engines or physics engines
and use them to create more technically advanced games. Even the larger
companies have to adapt to this strategy. By doing so they keep the devel-
opment outside the company and can focus on the other aspects of game
development and still make more advanced games. This will most likely, to
some extent, hinder future companies from taking the lead and pushing the
technological boundaries. One can wonder if Starbreeze could have created
the Riddick games without the Starbreeze Engine and if Battlefi eld Bad
Company 2 would be as fun without the digital mayhem and destruction
created in the Frostbite Engine.
The new, mobile platforms and new distribution channels have meant
new opportunities, especially for smaller companies and indie developers.
A large number of new Swedish companies have moved into these markets.
Even more established game developers and publishers have started to move
into these markets with their large franchises. With the amount of compa-
nies attracted, one must also wonder if there will be a risk of overpopulat-
ing. It remains to be seen how many of these new companies can overcome
and if they can become more profi table than many of their predecessors.
NOTES
1. Arnroth (2009); Lundmark (2008); Mjöbring (2011).
2. Kocieniewski (2011); Bbc.co.uk (2011)
 
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