The Norwegian gaming industry's gross turnover from games was 550 million NOK in 2018, with 388 million NOK directly by companies and 162 million NOK through other distribution channels.
02
Export revenue from Norwegian games is significant, estimated at 377 million NOK in 2018, substantially higher than the 87.3 million NOK from Norwegian film exports in 2015.
03
Funcom is the largest company in the Norwegian gaming industry, a pattern seen in Finland (Supercell accounted for 88% of turnover in 2015) and Sweden, where dominant players drive overall industry growth.
04
Access to private capital is a major barrier for growth in the Norwegian gaming industry, as many small companies with low equity struggle to secure funding for long development cycles.
05
The Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) provided 23.7 million NOK in grants to data games in 2018, with 13.7 million NOK (58%) going to professional companies, indicating a focus on smaller-scale game development rather than growth-phase companies.
06
Recruitment of foreign talent is crucial, as Norway, like Sweden and Finland, does not produce enough skilled game developers domestically; in Finland, the share of foreign employees in gaming companies rose from 18% in 2016 to 27% in 2018.
07
There is a positive trend in the proportion of women in the gaming industry, with the establishment of 'Women in Games Norway' in 2019 aiming to strengthen gender balance.
Insights
01
The Norwegian gaming industry's gross turnover from games was 550 million NOK in 2018, with 388 million NOK directly by companies and 162 million NOK through other distribution channels.
02
Export revenue from Norwegian games is significant, estimated at 377 million NOK in 2018, substantially higher than the 87.3 million NOK from Norwegian film exports in 2015.
03
Funcom is the largest company in the Norwegian gaming industry, a pattern seen in Finland (Supercell accounted for 88% of turnover in 2015) and Sweden, where dominant players drive overall industry growth.
04
Access to private capital is a major barrier for growth in the Norwegian gaming industry, as many small companies with low equity struggle to secure funding for long development cycles.
05
The Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) provided 23.7 million NOK in grants to data games in 2018, with 13.7 million NOK (58%) going to professional companies, indicating a focus on smaller-scale game development rather than growth-phase companies.
06
Recruitment of foreign talent is crucial, as Norway, like Sweden and Finland, does not produce enough skilled game developers domestically; in Finland, the share of foreign employees in gaming companies rose from 18% in 2016 to 27% in 2018.
07
There is a positive trend in the proportion of women in the gaming industry, with the establishment of 'Women in Games Norway' in 2019 aiming to strengthen gender balance.