Diversity & Inclusion reports and market data
Documents
Association Canadienne du Logiciel de Divertissement Rapport Annuel 2024
The 2024 annual review presents a comprehensive assessment of Canada’s video-game sector, emphasizing its expanding regulatory influence, economic contribution and strategic diversification.
- The Canadian video game sector contributed $5.5 billion to the national GDP in 2024, supported by a resilient, virtual-first operational model.
- The industry successfully secured exemptions from the Streaming Act levy and the Online Harms Act, signaling significant growth in its regulatory and political influence.
- Major global publishers including Epic Games, Roblox, and Tencent joined the association, driving revenue beyond forecasts and expanding the sector's reach.
Big Games Industry Employment Survey 2024: Salaries, Compensation Trends and State of the Games Sector in Europe
The European games industry in 2024 is characterized by significant volatility and structural transformation, with 15% of the workforce experiencing layoffs and 10% exiting the sector entirely.
- The European games industry faces significant instability, with 15% of the workforce experiencing layoffs and 10% leaving the sector entirely, disproportionately impacting junior professionals.
- AI adoption has surged by 17% year-over-year, with 54% of industry professionals now integrating these tools into their daily workflows.
- Systemic workplace issues persist, as 32% of respondents reported gender-based bias and 26% cited ageism, contributing to a gender pay gap rooted in a lack of female leadership and technical representation.
Toxicity and the Bottom Line: The Impact of Hate and Harassment on Player Retention and In-Game Purchases
Toxicity and harassment in online gaming environments significantly impact player retention and monetization, creating a direct financial incentive for studios to prioritize trust and safety.
- Toxicity directly suppresses revenue, as 19% of players spend less money and 21% reduce their overall playtime to avoid harassment.
- Safety is a critical player priority, with 75% of the 2,408 surveyed gamers identifying protection from hate and harassment as a high priority.
- Harassment causes significant engagement loss, with 44% of players disabling voice chat, 31% abandoning active matches, and 27% leaving lobbies to avoid abuse.
State of the Game Industry 2024
The global game industry entered 2024 in a state of profound volatility, defined by a painful market correction following post-pandemic overexpansion.
- The industry is undergoing a severe market correction characterized by widespread layoffs affecting one-third of the global workforce and a surge in studio closures.
- Support for unionization has reached 57%, driven largely by younger professionals (ages 18–24) facing economic instability and dissatisfaction with corporate management.
- While 49% of developers have adopted generative AI, 84% of the workforce reports significant concerns regarding copyright infringement and potential job displacement.
Empowerment Playbook: Making and Measuring Change in the Games Industry
The games industry faces persistent systemic gender inequality, necessitating a shift from individualistic empowerment strategies toward community-based, grassroots interventions.
- Sustainable gender equity in the games industry requires a shift from individualistic empowerment strategies to community-based, grassroots interventions that foster professional solidarity.
- Since its 2013 founding in Montreal, the nonprofit Pixelles has demonstrated that providing marginalized creators with mentorship and safe spaces effectively challenges the industry’s historical climate of exclusion.
- Traditional quantitative metrics are insufficient for measuring progress because they fail to capture the non-linear career paths and nuanced professional growth of marginalized developers.
NSPCC’s Kevin Antao And Andy Sallnow On How To Prevent Child Abuse In Games
Gaming serves as a primary digital gateway for children, with 91 percent of individuals aged 3 to 15 engaging in interactive entertainment.
- Gaming is a primary digital gateway for children, with 91 percent of individuals aged 3 to 15 engaging in interactive entertainment.
- Nearly one-fifth of all contacts to Childline are now directly linked to gaming-related issues, highlighting a significant surge in predatory behavior and harmful interactions.
- The industry must shift toward a 'safety by design' model, where protective measures are integrated into the fundamental architecture of games rather than treated as secondary features.
MY.GAMES’ Elena Grigorian On Smart Strategies To Stay Afloat During This Industry Downturn
The gaming industry currently faces significant volatility, necessitating a shift toward operational agility and diversified business models to ensure long-term stability.
- Companies can mitigate the risks of a hit-driven market by adopting a grid-based organizational structure that balances centralized marketing expertise with decentralized studio-level execution.
- Operational resilience is supported by a hybrid, remote-first workforce model capable of managing a diverse portfolio of over 80 titles across mobile, PC, and console platforms.
- Diversifying business models through a combination of internal development, third-party licensing, and strategic investments allows firms to maintain marketing and operational scale during economic downturns.
Breaking Down Barriers: How Great Mentors Become Even Greater Leaders
Effective mentorship functions as a primary catalyst for leadership development within the game industry, transforming individual contributors into empathetic and strategic managers.
- Effective mentorship requires active listening, which involves paying attention to non-verbal cues, avoiding distractions like phones, and resisting the urge to prepare counterarguments while the mentee is speaking.
- Managers should avoid micromanagement by using guided questions to help team members reach their own conclusions, which fosters a sense of ownership and improves the decision-making process.
- Mentors must proactively discuss industry realities, including potential discrimination, harassment, and microaggressions, while ensuring mentees are aware of the legal and mental health resources available to them.
DIARY OF A (retired) CEO with Carol Miu
Leadership in the gaming industry demands a sophisticated balance between creative vision and rigorous market discipline.
- Women occupy only two percent of CEO roles in the gaming industry, necessitating that female leaders prioritize authentic management styles over conforming to gendered stereotypes.
- To mitigate the risks of market saturation, studios should prioritize maintaining small, highly skilled teams for as long as possible rather than scaling operations prematurely.
- Effective leadership in distributed environments requires replacing traditional oversight with structured communication and intentional, periodic in-person collaboration.
Female Gamers in Asia
The Asian gaming landscape is experiencing a significant shift driven by the increasing influence of female players, who now represent 35% of the region’s 1.42 billion gamers.
- Female gamers represent 35% of Asia’s 1.42 billion players and are a primary growth driver, with their population increasing by 7.6% year-over-year compared to the 5.0% total market growth rate.
- The female demographic shows high commercial potential, with 84% of players willing to make in-game purchases, specifically favoring items and gacha mechanics.
- Mobile gaming is the dominant platform for female players across China and the Asia-10 markets, which include Japan, Korea, India, and several Southeast Asian nations.
Building a Well-Rounded Party Fireside Chat: Wizards' Everyday Commitment to Representation in Games
Wizards of the Coast is actively reshaping its corporate strategy to prioritize inclusivity and accessibility as foundational pillars for the long-term health of the Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons franchises.
- Wizards of the Coast has transitioned to a model of radical transparency, notably placing core system documents into Creative Commons to lower barriers for independent creators following the Open Game License controversy.
- The company’s focus on authentic cultural representation and inclusive storytelling has contributed to record-breaking financial performance, including a billion-dollar revenue year for the Magic: The Gathering franchise.
- Wizards of the Coast has achieved an even gender split within its global player base, a demographic shift that informs the company's ongoing product development and corporate strategy.
Roundtable News | Gen Z Impact on the Workplace | 329
The gaming industry is currently undergoing a structural realignment characterized by a shift away from pandemic-era remote work toward mandatory return-to-office policies.
- The gaming industry is shifting from pandemic-era remote work to mandatory return-to-office policies as economic leverage returns to employers amid contracting venture capital funding.
- A significant mentorship gap has emerged for Gen Z employees, as remote work environments hinder the development of essential soft skills and communication abilities.
- Industry professionals are increasingly migrating from startups back to established studios in search of stability, driven by the operational difficulties of independent production in a high-interest-rate environment.