EGDF Survey Results: Impact of COVID-19 on the Belgian Games Industry

Key insights

5 slides

Business challenges

Project delays and stalled negotiations affect 40% of studios.

Approximately 40% of studios reported significant uncertainty, leading to project delays and stalled business agreements.

Investment hurdles

Most developers faced cancellations or delays in securing investment or publishing deals.

Ninety percent of Belgian developers experienced cancellations or delays in critical business negotiations.

It's like a major trade show being cancelled, leaving companies without a place to meet potential partners.

Deal impact. Ninety percent of Belgian developers experienced cancellations or delays in critical business negotiations, such as securing investors or publishing deals, following the cancellation of major industry events like GDC.

90%

of Belgian developers experienced cancellations or delays in critical business negotiations.

Long-term outlook

Only half of studios believe they can maintain operations for six months or longer.

While 50% of studios believe they can maintain operations for at least six months, the majority of respondents were small companies. Eighty percent of the survey respondents were companies with fewer than 10 employees.

50%

of studios believe they can maintain operations for at least six months.

of survey respondents were companies with fewer than 10 employees.: 80%

Industry response

Industry organizations prioritize virtual networking to reconnect developers with partners.

In response to these findings, industry organizations have prioritized the facilitation of virtual networking opportunities.

Support efforts. Industry organizations have prioritized the facilitation of virtual networking opportunities, such as the European Games BizDev Gathering, to help developers reconnect with investors and publishers.

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Summary

The European Games Developer Federation conducted an opt-in survey in early 2020 to assess the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Belgian games industry. The findings reveal a sector facing significant instability, with three out of four surveyed studios reporting serious business disruptions. The sample primarily consisted of small-to-medium enterprises, as 80 percent of respondents represented companies with fewer than 10 employees.

Key data points indicate that 40 percent of studios are experiencing project delays and uncertainty regarding business negotiations. Furthermore, 90 percent of developers reported that their plans for securing investment or publishing deals were either cancelled or delayed due to the loss of major industry events. Financial viability is a primary concern, with 30 percent of respondents fearing for their business survival if the crisis persists beyond three months, while only half of the studios believe they can maintain operations for six months or longer.

The analysis highlights that one in five studios has already initiated downscaling measures and faces a potential risk of closure. In response to these findings, industry organizations have prioritized the facilitation of virtual networking opportunities, such as the European Games BizDev Gathering, to help developers reconnect with investors and publishers. The survey underscores a heightened sense of pessimism among Belgian developers compared to their broader European counterparts, prompting calls for increased support measures to stabilize the local industry during the pandemic.