Game industry and esports
The intersection of the game industry and esports is a vibrant space where innovation meets competition. Whether you are a gamer, developer, or enthusiast, this exciting landscape offers endless opportunities for growth and engagement. Stay updated on the latest trends, technologies, and tournaments shaping the future of gaming and esports. Dive into the dynamic world where virtual realms and real-world skills converge to create unforgettable experiences for players and spectators alike.
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Presentation Transcript
Game industry and esports 12/22/2020 1
PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION 12/22/2020 2
Key points and main messages Finland is the best place in the world to develop games. Finland has world-class know-how which has evolved over decades. Today games education is an established and respected field in Finland. It is offered in adult education centers, vocational colleges, universities of applied sciences and universities. The Finnish games industry does not only focus on entertainment. Serious games , or games for a purpose other than entertainment, are also developed here. These games can be for education or training purposes, for example. The industry and gaming community has supported its own growth, such as through the Assembly and Slush events, as well as industry camaraderie. The game industry in Finland also has major institutional support from policy makers, educational institutions, trade groups and public innovation groups. Funding is a major strength, as Finland has a public funding basis through Business Finland which enables risk sharing and private investment in gaming. Many global venture capital firms have had success participating in the Finnish funding system. The global game industry is also heavily involved in the Finnish scene, from major companies like EA setting up Finnish studios to Silicon Valley investors scouring Finland for the next billion-euro gaming company. How to portray Finland? Position Finland as having extensive experience and success in the game industry. HighlightFinland s strengths in a variety of platforms, from console to PC to mobile. Profile Finland as the best place in the world to develop partnerships and create games. 12/22/2020 3
Elevator pitch: Game industry and esports Finland has decades of experience developing both globally successful and ground- breaking games. Gaming is deeply ingrained in the Finnish culture. Playing and developing games is more of a lifestyle for many Finns than a hobby or profession. The Finnish games industry is both local and international. Major global companies and investors have set up shops in Finland. So many foreigners work in the field that English is the normal language in many firms. Still, the sector keeps a distinctly Finnish flavor. The global games industry is tough. You need experience, talent, bravery, resources and institutional support to succeed all of which you can find in Finland. Finnish authorities have supported the industry for decades. Public innovation and funding groups support gaming, as do universities, trade groups and industry associations. Finland is a stable country and there is little risk of sudden policy shifts. The youth of Finland is the bedrock of the industry. For example, the Slush startup and technology event is actually organized by university students. The universities themselves have extensive programs to train the game developers of the future. Yet education doesn t end with graduation: Finnish educational institutions also offer lifelong learning for the necessary creative and technical skills to create games. The Finnish market is small so it looks abroad. The games industry is eager to work with international partners to create the great games of the future. 12/22/2020 4
Background 1/3 Finns have been interested in computer games for almost as long as there have been computer games. In the early 1950s the mathematical strategy game Nim was used by computer scientists as demonstration tools. Finnish researchers had their version in 1954. In 1966 the Finnish military started to use computer war games for training and simulation purposes. By 1968 Finns began to realize computer games were fun. So many people queued to play games on the Helsinki School of Economics machine that the administration recommended having food and drinks prepared in advance for them. The first commercial computer game officially developed in Finland was chess, developed in 1979. The first globally distributed commercial Finnish game was a space-based shoot em-up launched in 1986. The Assembly demoscene and gaming event began in 1992 and is still held twice a year. The community has helped several generations of Finnish games professionals. Assembly is also one of the major Finnish esports events. Esports is a form of sport competition using video games. Not only do such events draw many competitors, they also attract many spectators. Finland s oldest existing game studios are Remedy Entertainment and Housemarque, both founded in 1995. 12/22/2020 5
Background 2/3 Nokia encouraged the development of games for their phones. In 1997 they released the now-iconic mobile game Snake. In 2003 Nokia began selling the N- Gage, a device which combined the features of a mobile phone and a handheld game system. By 2007 smartphones had improved enough that they could play advanced mobile games, so Nokia discontinued the device but continued N-Gage as a gaming platform for their phones. The new Millennium saw the release of two groundbreaking Finnish games: the social networking game Habbo Hotel by Sulake in 2000 and the third-person shooter Max Payne by Remedy Entertainment in 2001. In 2009 the mobile game came of age with Rovio s release of Angry Birds, the most successful Finnish game franchise to date. Angry Birds has expanded to movies, toys, music and even drinks. Finnish games companies are not afraid to innovate and take risks. For example, the company Grey Area released the revolutionary location-based augmented reality game Shadow Cities in 2010. It shocked critics, such as when the New York Times reviewer announced: I have played the future of mobile gaming. It is called Shadow Cities. Supercell was founded in 2010 and released the mobile games Hay Day and Clash of Clans a few years later. By 2016 Supercell was valued at over 10 billion USD, making it the most valuable Finnish games company. Nokia deserves credit for much of Finland s current success in games. Nokia developed their first computer in 1971-1972. As Nokia mobile phones exploded in global popularity they encouraged mobile gaming experiments. In the late 2000s when Nokia exited the mobile device market some of their international talent moved to the games industry. 12/22/2020 6
Background 3/3 Today games education is an established and respected field in Finland. It is offered in adult education centers, vocational colleges, universities of applied sciences and universities. The Finnish games industry does not only focus on entertainment. Serious games , or games for a purpose other than entertainment, are also developed here. These games can be for education or training purposes, for example. Some Finnish companies are also experts at gamification , or bringing game design or principals into non-game contexts. Today the Finnish games scene is extremely international. Finnish companies and institutions are eagerly looking for international partners to continue to develop great games. The games industry in Finland receives significant public support, including advice and funding. Major international games giants like AMD, Nvidia, EA, Ubisoft, Unity and Zynga have a presence in Finland. 12/22/2020 7
Facts and stats At the end of 2018 Finland had over 220 game development studios, according to Neogames. The games industry in Finland employs over 3,200 people at the end of 2018, Neogames says. The Finnish gaming industry is very international. About 27% of employees were foreign in 2018, and between 2016 and 2018 the number of foreign employees grew 75%, according to Neogames. In 2019 Finnish companies published about 80 games, according to Neogames. The current trend is for studios to focus on developing current titles in the games as services model instead of bringing out entirely new games. For example, only 5 of the biggest 30 games studios published a title in 2018. In 2019 the turnover for the Finnish games industry was about 2.2 billion euros, up 4.7% from 2018. 20 new game companies were founded in 2018 and 10 were founded in 2019. Rovio, the maker of the Angry Birds franchise, say they have had over 4 billion downloads of their games. 12/22/2020 8
Some Finnish companies in the field Bugbear part of THQ Nordic, Bugbear is famous for action driving games Colossal Order known for creating city-building games Critical Charm Virtual Reality game studio which developed A Giant Problem Critical Force creates mobile multiplayer games which are popular in esports EA / Tracktwenty Studios Electronic Arts mobile games studio in Helsinki Fingersoft famous for mobile hit Hill Climb Racing Finnish Esports League organizes game competitions in Finland Frozenbyte independent studio who created the popular Trine series Hempuli indie developer Arvi Teikari had a breakout hit with Baba Is You Housemarque the oldest active game studio in Finland focuses on console and PC games Kajak Games publishing coop for the students of Kajaani University Lightneer mobile game studio Next Games free-to-play studio specializing in games for franchises like The Walking Dead Nitro Games focuses on shooter games for mobile platforms NordicEdu develops serious games and gamified solutions RedLynx develops console, PC and mobile games; part of Ubisoft Remedy known for story action games like Max Payne and Alan Wake Rovio developer studio of the Angry Birds franchise Seriously maker of the puzzle game Best Fiends Small Giant Games creator of Empires & Puzzles; owned by Zynga Sulake social entertainment company most famous for Habbo Supercell maker of mobile games like Hay Day and Clash of Clans 10Monkeys makes math learning games for children Yousician gamified learning for musical instruments and singing 12/22/2020 9
Programs and main markets Gaming Business Finland has significant experience helping gaming companies get started in Finland. Business Finland can help with loans or grants to develop a new game, create new business models or use gamification in new products and services, for example. Neogames services Neogames is not a program, but a non-profit association for the Finnish gaming industry. They offer services for game companies and educational institutions, investors and publishers, the public sector and media, and people looking for a job. 12/22/2020 10
Sites to visit in Finland GDA Hubs The Finnish branch of the International Game Developer Association has local hubs in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Jyv skyl , Kotka, Pori, Vaasa, Joensuu, Kajaani, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Kuopio and Lahti. Slush Helsinki Slush is not a site, but an event. It is one of the largest startup and technology events in Europe and is typically held in November or December. It is not a pure gaming event, but most gaming companies will be there in some capacity. Experts who can give good lectures on the topic Please let VIE-50 know if you have suggestions of good speakers. We will update this material. 12/22/2020 11
For social media @remedygames @Supercell @Frozenbyte @Fingersoft @Housemarque @The Hive - a game hub of Turku! @Play Finland @Neogames #TeamFinland #playfinland #games #gamesindustry What is there do to during #Finland s long dark nights? Make #games, of course! #Finland is the best place in the world to develop #games. Find out why. #MaxPayne, #AngryBirds and #ClashofClans are all #Finnish. See why #Finland is the place to make #games. #Finnish #game developer studios aren t afraid to take risks. Their #innovative creations wow gamers and critics alike. For further information KooPee Hiltunen, Director, Neogames, koopee@neogames.fi, +358 40 532 4176 Arto Pussinen, Head of Industry, ICT & Digitalization, Business Finland arto.pussinen@businessfinland.fi, +358 50 5568 320 Kari Korhonen, Senior Advisor, Business Finland, kari.korhonen@businessfinland.fi, +358 44 2464 673 12/22/2020 12
Tools and materials Finland Toolbox: Games Includes a few presentations on the game industry and start-ups. Neogames Neogames is a non-profit association for the Finnish gaming industry. They can help game companies and educational institutions, investors and publishers, the public sector and the media, and job-hunters. Neogames also maintains a useful page on games education, including a comprehensive list of educational institutions. IGDA Finland The website of the Finnish chapter of the International Game Developers Association contains a wealth of information, from lists of members to activities. 12/22/2020 13
PART II: COUNTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION 12/22/2020 14
Key points and main messages What are the most important things to emphasize in this specific country? What is Finland s special knowhow that makes us stand out especially in this country? Why should someone from this country want to cooperate, invest or buy? 12/22/2020 15
Elevator pitch Write a clear, brief message/commercial about the sector and Finland's knowhow. Position Finland: who are we and why people should trust us in this country State the problem that needs to be solved in this country and globally Present our solution and results with focus on the needs of this country: explain what we do, how we do it and what makes us unique. Eliminate jargon but wrap everything into a good story Finish with a call to action: what do we want to happen next, where do we want to go? 12/22/2020 16
Background, facts and stats This is the part where you add facts to support and explain your elevator pitch. Short history and development of the sector in your country. List all essential facts and numbers that a person needs to understand the size and significance of the sector in your country. Why and how did this become a key sector for Finland? What is the broader role of Finland in this sector, what is our position in comparison to other countries? 12/22/2020 17
Finnish companies in the area Please list Finnish companies operating in this sector in your country. Write shortly (1-2 sentences) what they have to offer. Team Finland Name of persons in charge of this sector in your country: name, title, organization, email, phone number. 12/22/2020 18
PART III: INSTRUCTIONS AND BACKGROUND FOR THIS INTERNAL MATERIAL PACKAGE 12/22/2020 19
Material package: instructions This is an internal working paper to support all Team Finland actors globally in promoting Finland and its strengths. The Unit for Public Diplomacy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs coordinates the production of sectoral working papers in close cooperation with Business Finland and other core actors. The sectoral working papers can be found in the internal Team Finland section of the Finland Toolbox. Parts I-II Part I of consists of general information that can be used globally when preparing for meetings, visits, events, campaigns, etc. Part II is left blank. All Team Finland teams around the world are encouraged to fill in country specific information and use it actively! Hyperlinks When you read the content in normal view, the hyperlinks are not clickable. You can either open the hyperlinks by right-clicking on them and selecting Open Hyperlink or by switching to slide show view and clicking on them . Questions and comments If you have questions or suggestions concerning the format or content, please contact The Unit for Public Diplomacy at vie-50@formin.fi. 12/22/2020 20
Country branding and Team Finland work: why do we need common messages? Country branding is advocacy, communications and marketing that aims to influence target groups knowledge, opinions and eventually decisions through owned and earned media, events and meetings, among other means. Country branding is carried out by everybody who speaks about, writes about or documents Finland. Country image work is part of the normal work of our all Finnish actors abroad when they have meetings, are present in the media, give speeches, etc. It is not just about individual functions or events. It is extremely important that all relevant actors prioritize themes together and deliver the same main messages highlighting Finland's strengths. Sufficient cultural sensitivity is needed, always adapt Finland s strengths to each cultural area and current discussion. Finland s country image work is led by the Finland Promotion Board (FPB). In 2019 2023, the member organizations are: Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish National Agency for Education, Business Finland, Visit Finland, City of Helsinki, House of Lapland, Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Music Finland, W rtsil , Finnair and Iceye. 12/22/2020 21
