Game Development reports and market data
Documents
Slovak Game Industry 2019
Slovakia's game industry in 2019 is a small but fast-growing sector, and its development is traced here through industry statistics, a directory of studios, education providers, community events and public funding.
- The Slovak game development industry is growing, with increasing numbers of studios, profits, project quality, and employed professionals.
- Self-funding is the primary source of funding for Slovak game companies (81%), followed by public funding (35%) and investors (22%).
- 42% of Slovak game studios self-publish their games, while 42% use a publisher (11% foreign, 8% Slovak) and 16% are publisher holders.
Libro Blanco del Desarrollo Español de Videojuegos 2019
El Libro Blanco del Desarrollo Español de Videojuegos 2019, sexta edición elaborada por la asociación DEV a partir de una encuesta a estudios españoles y datos de consultoras internacionales, tiene como propósito diagnosticar una industria joven y fragmentada y defender un paquete de diez medidas para 2020.
- The Spanish video game industry is young, with 80% of companies less than 10 years old, and 61% of companies generating less than 200,000 euros annually. Only 3% of companies exceed 10 million euros per year, but they contribute 67% of the total annual revenue.
- In 2019, Spain's video game industry recovered from a growth stagnation in 2017-2018, now boasting over 520 established companies and 250 projects in development. However, a hundred inactive companies introduce uncertainty about future growth.
- Catalonia leads in the number of video game studios (28%), followed by Madrid (24.7%), and Andalusia (16%), which surpassed Valencia (12.2%) in 2019.
Die Wirtschaftliche Bedeutung Der Österreichischen Spieleentwicklungsbranche 2019
Die 2019 vom Industriewissenschaftlichen Institut (IWI) im Auftrag von UBIT/WKO erstellte Studie untersucht Profil, Leistungskraft und volkswirtschaftliche Effekte der österreichischen Entwicklung digitaler Spiele.
- The Austrian game development industry generated 24.1 million euros in revenue in 2017, with projections to reach 26.4 million euros by 2021. For every 1 euro of revenue generated by an Austrian game development company, an additional 1.11 euros of revenue is generated nationwide.
- Four out of ten Austrian game developers (37.5%) use Augmented Reality (AR), 34.4% use Virtual Reality (VR), and 28.1% use both technologies in their games. Austrian developers use VR more than their German counterparts, where 24% use AR and/or VR.
- Personnel costs account for seven out of ten euros (70%) of total costs for an average Austrian game development company, similar to the 68% found in a comparable study by Hamburg Media School.
Arbeiten in der Games-Branche: Kreativität trifft Technologie
Der Karriereguide des game-Verbands (3. Auflage, 2019) will jungen Menschen den Einstieg in die deutsche Games-Branche erleichtern und stellt sie als Schnittstelle von Kultur, Technologie und Unterhaltung dar.
- The German games market is experiencing significant growth, with revenue increasing by 15% in 2017 compared to the previous year, and projections showing continued growth from 3689 million Euros in 2016 to an estimated 5295 million Euros in 2021.
- Digital sales and microtransactions are booming in the German games market, driven by mobile games and the free-to-play model, while sales of physical media are stagnating or declining.
- The average German gamer is 36.1 years old, with the largest player group being over 50, and women constitute 47% of players, indicating a broad and diverse audience for games.
Meditation for Devs: Maintaining Your Sanity for Crunch and Beyond
Game development environments characterized by high-pressure crunch periods necessitate proactive mental and physical health strategies to sustain long-term productivity and professional longevity.
- Proactive mental and physical health strategies are essential for mitigating the cognitive and physiological toll of high-pressure crunch periods and preventing long-term burnout.
- Developers can shift from reactive, stress-induced states to resilient mindsets by practicing mindfulness techniques such as body scanning, breathwork, and non-judgmental thought redirection.
- Restorative practices like Yoga Nidra and guided visualizations are effective tools for lowering cortisol levels and clearing the cognitive fatigue associated with demanding production cycles.
The ONLY 2019 Resolution Indies Should Make
The primary objective for independent game developers in 2019 is to shift the internal framework of self-definition from external validation to internal conviction.
- Independent developers must shift their primary framework of self-definition from external validation to internal conviction to ensure professional and personal growth.
- Relying on the opinions of peers, critics, and societal expectations inhibits artistic excellence and undermines individual well-being.
- Developers should establish a self-determined vision for their future, setting ambitious goals for game releases, physical fitness, and emotional regulation.
The CVAA and Gaming: Your Legal Responsibilities
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act mandates that all video games incorporating real-time communication services must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
- Since the industry-wide waiver expired on January 1, 2019, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) legally mandates that all games with real-time communication features must be accessible to users with disabilities.
- Compliance requires developers to prioritize accessibility during the initial design phase rather than treating it as an afterthought.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not mandate specific technical formats but requires companies to provide evidence of proactive engagement with the disability community.
1 Year Indie Dev! (2018 Results)
This retrospective analysis evaluates the first year of a solo indie game development career, focusing on the symbiotic relationship between game production and content creation.
- Building a YouTube audience serves as a critical engine for indie development, directly facilitating game visibility, playtesting, and essential feedback loops for solo creators.
- Transitioning from daily low-quality content to a weekly high-production-value schedule increased average video views from 200–300 to 1,000.
- The developer’s YouTube channel grew from zero to 1,500 subscribers over the 2018 calendar year, demonstrating the effectiveness of consistent content creation.
Player-Driven Stories: How Do We Get There?
The modern game industry frequently prioritizes high-fidelity, linear storytelling, yet this reliance on scripted cutscenes often diminishes player agency and undermines the unique potential of the interactive medium.
- Developers should shift from linear, scripted cutscenes to unified agency, where player actions trigger systemic consequences rather than pre-designed narrative branches.
- Design frameworks should be grounded in Self-Determination Theory, specifically prioritizing autonomy, competence, and relatedness to foster meaningful player interaction.
- Narrative delivery should be integrated directly into core gameplay verbs—such as exploration, hacking, or conversation—rather than treating mechanics as isolated reactive toys.
Physics Animation in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End achieves high-fidelity character movement by integrating physics-driven animation with traditional key-framed techniques.
- Uncharted 4 utilizes a hybrid animation system that blends traditional key-framed techniques with physics-driven movement to maintain artistic control while ensuring environmental responsiveness.
- The development team integrated the Havoc physics engine to manage rigid bodies, constraints, and motors, preventing the 'floaty' movement typically associated with purely procedural systems.
- A script-based ragdoll profile system allows animators to independently manage mass, friction, and inertia, enabling nuanced character reactions like independent torso movement during high-speed sequences.
Halo Wars 2: A UX Postmortem
The development of Halo Wars 2 required a complex user experience (UX) strategy to bridge the gap between a legacy console-based real-time strategy (RTS) franchise and the demands of a modern, cross-platform audience.
- The development of Halo Wars 2 required a collaborative partnership between 343 Industries and Creative Assembly to adapt the legacy RTS franchise for a modern, cross-platform audience.
- To lower the barrier to entry, the team introduced Blitz mode, which successfully integrated card-based strategy with RTS mechanics.
- Iterative design testing for Blitz mode revealed that initial interfaces were too cluttered for console play, leading the team to adopt a simplified 12-card deck system with a streamlined horizontal interface.
5 Steps To Start Making Games
Game development is a viable career path that can be pursued through self-directed learning rather than formal education.
- Independent game development is a viable career path that prioritizes self-directed learning and disciplined, daily study over formal degree programs.
- Aspiring developers should commit to a consistent routine of three hours of daily practice to master the technical and creative aspects of production.
- The launch phase requires a significant marketing investment of 40 hours per week for one month, focusing on trailer production and outreach to journalists and influencers.
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