Diversity & Inclusion reports and market data
Documents
The Secret Reason Some Games Reward You Early | Extra Credits Gaming
Game design is fundamentally an exercise in psychology, yet developers often overlook how cultural backgrounds shape the player experience.
- Game design is heavily influenced by the cultural background of the developers, which often dictates how players perceive mechanics like difficulty, onboarding, and rewards.
- The practice of showering new players with free loot boxes and powerful items in some Asian markets is rooted in a cultural tradition of lavish gift-giving, where the host uses gifts to signal the guest's importance and status.
- Western players often interpret aggressive early-game rewards as suspicious or game-breaking, whereas the design intent is to make the player feel valued and respected as a guest.
CD PROJEKT Group Sustainability Report 2023
The CD PROJEKT Group’s 2023 sustainability disclosure marks a pivotal transition toward formal non-financial reporting, aligning the organization with upcoming CSRD and ESRS standards.
- CD PROJEKT Group reported 1.23 billion PLN in consolidated revenue for 2023 while maintaining a global workforce of 1,168 employees.
- The company achieved high EU Taxonomy alignment, with 81.3% of revenue and 83.9% of capital expenditures classified as environmentally sustainable.
- CD PROJEKT became the first Polish game developer to secure EU EMAS certification, despite an increase in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions due to the return to office-based work.
Employment and Career Development of Game Developers 2023
The 2023 landscape of game development reveals a professional sector characterized by high technical specialization and a concentration of talent within the Kanto region.
- The average annual income for game developers is 6.216 million yen, with specialized engineers working in VR and wearable technology commanding the highest compensation.
- A significant gender-based income disparity persists, as 64.6% of female developers earn 5.99 million yen or less, compared to 42.1% of male developers.
- The industry maintains a stable employment structure with 86.3% of the workforce employed as full-time staff.
Manifesto 2024-2029: Più di un (video)gioco
The manifesto articulates a strategic vision for positioning Europe as a leading global hub for video-game development, emphasizing the sector’s unique blend of technology and creativity.
- The manifesto advocates for EU-wide policy alignment to establish Europe as a global video-game development hub by 2029, prioritizing the protection of an open, competitive market against new taxes or distribution constraints.
- Industry stakeholders are lobbying for the adaptation of the Creative Europe programme and the extension of the General Exemption Regulation to better align public funding mechanisms with the specific economic realities of game development.
- The proposal calls for the revision of NACE codes to accurately measure and report the sector's economic contribution to the European Union.
Panel: Can Allyship Confront Toxicity?
Systemic toxicity within the games industry has evolved from overt discrimination into nuanced, pervasive behaviors that undermine professional environments and stifle talent retention.
- Systemic toxicity in the games industry has shifted from overt discrimination to nuanced behaviors that undermine professional environments and drive talent attrition.
- Industry leaders must move beyond passive observation by implementing rigorous internal metrics and proactive codes of conduct to dismantle entrenched 'bro culture'.
- Inclusive culture is a strategic business imperative that enables organizations to attract a broader, more diverse player base and sustain long-term growth.
Fler vägar in i spelbranschen: 2024
The Swedish game industry faces a critical structural challenge as a persistent skills shortage threatens its long-term growth and international competitiveness.
- The Swedish game industry is facing a critical structural skills shortage that threatens its long-term international competitiveness and growth.
- Traditional educational pathways are insufficient to meet talent demand, necessitating a shift toward recruiting from untapped pools like immigrants, adjacent sector professionals, and underrepresented groups.
- Complex work permit regulations and rigid migration policies create significant bureaucratic barriers to hiring international experts.
Inside Gaming: It's Personal!
The report examines how video games increasingly serve as a platform for personal identity and self-expression, noting that nearly two thirds of gamers feel they can be more authentic while playing.
- Nearly two-thirds of gamers report feeling more authentic while playing than in their daily lives, a sentiment that has driven a 30% increase in time spent gaming among those who view these platforms as spaces for self-presentation.
- In-game character customization is the primary driver of self-expression for 76% of players, significantly outpacing other features like usernames (48%) and communication tools or emotes (30–35%).
- Fandom’s 2024 data indicates a psychological disconnect where gamers maintain distinct online personas that they perceive as separate from their real-life identities.
Xsolla Report: State of Play – Winter 2024 Edition
The global gaming industry is currently navigating a period of stabilization following a massive 26% growth surge between 2019 and 2021.
- The global gaming industry is projected to grow from $106.8 billion in 2023 to $205.7 billion by 2026, supported by a total player base of 3.79 billion people.
- Mobile gaming remains the industry's primary revenue driver, accounting for nearly 50% of total consumer spending and reaching a projected $111.4 billion in 2024.
- Strategic investment value saw a massive 577% surge in mid-2023 to reach $7 billion in a single quarter, despite an overall cooling in M&A activity and a volatile investment climate.
The Power of Play: España
Gaming serves as a vital tool for emotional regulation and social connection among Spanish players, functioning as a primary mechanism for stress reduction, cognitive stimulation, and the development of interpersonal relationships.
- Gaming is primarily used for emotional regulation in Spain, with 78% of men and 75% of women reporting that it effectively reduces stress and anxiety.
- Social connection is a major driver for the Spanish gaming population, with 62% of men and 55% of women citing it as a primary motivation for play.
- Online multiplayer engagement is significantly higher among men, with approximately 80% reporting they play with others online, whereas women show a stronger preference for solo play.
Manifiesto de Video Games Europe 2024-2029
The European video-game sector seeks recognition as a distinct blend of technology and creative culture and urges policymakers to embed this identity in the EU’s 2024-2029 strategic framework.
- The European video game sector generated €24 billion in revenue between 2019 and 2024, representing a 16% growth rate and supporting 110,000 highly-skilled jobs.
- The industry faces a significant regulatory burden, having been subjected to 850 new obligations and over 5,000 pages of legislation between 2017 and 2022.
- Current EU financing tools are insufficient to compete with global hubs like Canada and the UK, prompting calls for a dedicated funding framework and improved tax incentives.
Video Games Europe Manifesto 2024-2029
Europe’s video-game sector has expanded by 16% between 2019 and 2024, now delivering €24 billion in revenue and employing roughly 110 000 highly-skilled workers.
- The European video game sector grew by 16% between 2019 and 2024, reaching €24 billion in annual revenue and employing approximately 110,000 highly-skilled workers.
- Between 2017 and 2022, the industry faced a significant regulatory burden consisting of 850 new EU obligations spanning over 5,000 pages of rules.
- The PEGI age-rating system has successfully classified 40,000 titles across 40 countries, contributing to a 50% reduction in non-compliance penalties and a 20% decrease in energy-consumption violations.
The Game Industry of Finland Report 2024
The 2024 overview of Finland’s game sector presents a comprehensive assessment of an industry that remains a global technology leader while confronting a tightening financing environment.
- Finland’s game industry currently employs approximately 4,300 individuals, representing about 3,800 full-time positions.
- A significant decline in private risk capital and publisher funding has forced studios to pivot toward B2B subcontracting, co-development agreements, and increased reliance on EU and national public R&D programs.
- The ecosystem remains anchored by major players like Supercell, which employs over 800 staff and has produced seven global hit titles, alongside diverse ventures like the mental-health game developer Soihtu DTx, which recently secured a $4.2 million seed round.