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A Patchwork of Potential: A Survey of the European Game Industry

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Global Game Industries and Cultural Policy

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Abstract

Nieborg and de Kloet surveys the expansion of the game industry in Europe and argue that what binds national game industries within the European Union is cooperation on a cultural and policy level. The chapter shows government’s creative-industry policies have played a vital role in the industry’s ascendance. Numerous government-issued reports have quantified the volume of the Dutch game industry and as well as its growth potential. Yet, less attention has been paid to how this growth has come to be and its implications for issues of labor security.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The majority of which are proprietary and often custom-made research reports. A new subset of companies (e.g., Newzoo, SuperData Research, App Annie, Flurry) offer game-related data on players, revenue, and industry trends.

  2. 2.

    https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/global-games-market-reaches-99-6-billion-2016-mobile-generating-37/.

  3. 3.

    “Middleware companies develop products and services aimed at game development studios rather than final customers” (Kerr & Cawley, 2012, p. 411).

  4. 4.

    See: https://www.tekes.fi/en/tekes/.

  5. 5.

    See: http://gate.gameresearch.nl/index.php.

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Nieborg, D.B., de Kloet, J. (2016). A Patchwork of Potential: A Survey of the European Game Industry. In: Fung, A. (eds) Global Game Industries and Cultural Policy. Palgrave Global Media Policy and Business. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40760-9_10

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