Visit the 'heart of the gaming industry' of Sweden

Sweden is the birthplace of legendary games that have conquered the hearts of millions of gamers such as Candy Crush, Minecraft or Battlefield.

For Devs 2024 event brings together Sweden's leading game developers to share industry experience - Photo: dataspelsbranschen.se

It is estimated that 1 in 4 people in the world have played a Swedish-made game, and there have been some 7 billion downloads of the Nordic country's games worldwide.

Culture of sharing

According to the Swedish Gaming Industry Association (Dataspelsbranschen), the country's domestic gaming industry revenue in 2023 will be 3 billion euros, larger than iron ore exports and larger than the Swedish film and music industries combined.

Including foreign subsidiaries, the Swedish gaming industry's revenue amounts to 7.9 billion euros.

To better understand this success, in early December, we had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Dataspelsbranschen in Stockholm - a trade association for gaming companies and representing the entire Swedish gaming industry. Dataspelsbranschen can be considered the "heart of the gaming industry" in Sweden.

The gaming industry in this Nordic country "rose" about 30 years ago, when the Swedish government proposed a program to subsidize Internet connections and support people to buy home computers at affordable prices.

"When everyone had a computer, young people started playing games and even creating their own games.

People with the same passion find each other and create hit games together, such as Dice - the developer of Battlefield" - Mr. Daniel Torbjörnsson, head of skills and development at Dataspelsbranschen, who has worked in the industry for 25 years, told Tuoi Tre.

Interestingly, the cold climate typical of this Nordic country also contributes to the development of the gaming industry.

"It's very dark and cold here. Some people spend a lot of time indoors in front of their computers," said Anna Ingler, communications and events manager for Dataspelsbranschen.

With the mission of creating the best conditions for the development of the gaming industry, Dataspelsbranschen is considered one of the key organizations that act as a "patron" for game developers in Sweden.

Around 70 companies, ranging from small game studios with two or three employees to studios with up to 900 employees, are currently members of Dataspelsbranschen. Game development training institutes and startup incubators are also members of the association.

The Swedish gaming industry's strong culture of sharing and growth is evident at Dataspelsbranschen's headquarters.

There are about 20 large and small game companies operating in an open space of about 100m2. Many of these companies only have about 2-3 employees and are taking the first steps in their development journey.

"Small startups can rent office space here. They will have the opportunity to interact and be inspired by experienced game developers.

Sometimes you'll see multiple game studios having lunch together. Many of them have been in the industry for many years and have worked for multiple studios, so they have very broad relationships," Ingler shared.

Recently, the ForDevs event by Dataspelsbranschen created a forum for member companies and other game developers to openly share their struggles, failures and experiences.

In addition, Dataspelsbranschen also provides support for policy making related to the development of the gaming industry.

Graphics: N.KH

Learn about games early

In Sweden, games are considered a subject like any other. High school students can start with basic programming, design or games. They can then go on to study more in-depth subjects at university.

Vocational education is also another option for learners to practice and engage in the industry.

“Thanks to the educational foundation, many people have been able to find jobs or start their own businesses in the gaming industry right after graduation. There are small startups in the industry that appear right from school,” Mr. Torbjörnsson shared.

According to Mr Torbjörnsson, one of the biggest challenges in the industry is finding enough talent for companies. Twenty years ago, there were only about 500 people working in the industry. Today, that number has surpassed 9,000.

He said that although Sweden has a good education system at all levels, from high school, vocational training to university, the demand for human resources in the gaming industry still exceeds supply.

“So we are trying to convince the government to increase investment in education, especially for the gaming industry,” Mr. Torbjörnsson emphasized.

Sweden's success in building a gaming ecosystem can provide valuable experience for Vietnam.

“I think markets need to find their own way to grow. Sweden has been very successful in creating gaming ‘strongholds’.

For example, the Skovde municipality has provided educational and housing support and supported local companies to develop the gaming industry. These companies then reinvest their success in local companies that come after them, thus promoting internal development.

In addition, many famous companies there have also decided to stay. The success of the region has also brought many benefits to Sweden and many other regions are also trying to achieve similar results," Ms. Ingler said.

Mr. Torbjörnsson suggested that investing in education and startup support programs is a good start for Vietnam.

"You will need mentoring from experienced people. In Sweden and many countries there are mentoring programs at different levels. We are happy to support if the game development community in Vietnam wants to receive support from European game companies or organizations such as Dataspelsbranschen," said Mr. Torbjörnsson.

Revenue from the domestic game industry in Vietnam in 2023 is 507 million USD and an additional 200 million USD from exported games. The Ministry of Information and Communications sets a target that by 2030, the Vietnamese game industry will reach the revenue milestone of 1 billion USD.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tham-trai-tim-nganh-game-cua-thuy-dien-20241215075554104.htm