Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Game Software Ecosystem
Jean-Paul Simon
This chapter analyses the state and trends of the video game software
industry, focusing on the position of and opportunities for the European
industry. It starts with a description of the policy and research background,
followed by a review of its traditional value network, or ecosystem, high-
lighting the key positions held by console manufacturers and publishers,
where the European industry is relatively weak. Then, recent trends and
their implications for the video game ecosystem are analysed, in particular
the potentially disruptive growth of online and mobile games. The chapter
concludes with implications from a European perspective.
INTRODUCTION
This chapter analyses the European video games software industry, its cur-
rent strengths and weaknesses, as well opportunities and threats providing
potentially disruptive trends. The chapter draws on and updates a recent
report (De Prato et al. 2010) published by the European Commission's Joint
Research Centre—IPTS (Institute for Prospective Technological Studies).
As such, it also contextualizes the research conducted, in terms of its objec-
tives, outcomes of and rationales behind. The latter objective is also the
starting point of this section.
The research was conducted, mainly during 2009, by the authors of
this chapter and other colleagues at the Information Society unit of the
European Commission's Joint Research Centre—IPTS, within the frame of
the Competitiveness by Leveraging Emerging Technologies Economically
(COMPLETE) project. The COMPLETE project, launched by DG ENTR
(Enterprise and Industry) and IPTS, had the objective to analyse the pros-
pects of success of the EU information and communications technology
The project was in turn based on the background that the ICT indus-
try, indeed, is very important for Europe, both as a major and growing
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