Mapping the road to a fairer European video game ecosystem
With revenues having reached EUR 18 billion in 2023(opens in new window), Europe’s video game sector has seen a significant growth. But in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the industry remains cut off from cultural sectors that hold key opportunities for economic growth, job creation and social cohesion. Enter GAMEHEARTS(opens in new window), an EU-funded project bridging the gap between research, cross-sector collaboration and concrete policy recommendations. Bringing together universities, major industry players and video game associations, GAMEHEARTS set out to understand the challenges and trends of the sector to support the integration of the European video game industry ecosystems within creative and cultural industries. “Video games operate at the intersection of multiple cultural forms, combining storytelling, visual arts, design, music and digital technology,” says project coordinator Katharine Sarikakis. “This integration enables cross-sector innovation, supporting different industries to exchange methods, technologies and creative approaches.”
A fragmented landscape
GAMEHEARTS adopted a holistic ecosystem approach, analysing how developers, policymakers, cultural institutions, players and other actors interact. One of the project’s most significant findings concerns policy fragmentation across the EU. The project also documented persistent structural inequalities: gender disparities, exclusionary work cultures and online harassment hinder inclusivity and diversity within the industry. Skills shortages and uneven access to funding further deepen these divides, particularly for smaller developers and regions outside major hubs. “These challenges are not isolated problems. They are the outcomes of systemic and interconnected issues across policy, education, culture and economy that require collective action,” says Sarikakis.
Bridging games and culture
GAMEHEARTS also examined the collaboration(opens in new window) between the video game industry and cultural institutions such as museums, orchestras and sports organisations. The research found that financial incentives alone are not enough to make these partnerships work: questions of brand control, cultural ownership and different working cultures all determine whether a partnership can happen. To put these questions into practice, the project has co-developed a short narrative game(opens in new window) alongside partners of varying gaming familiarity, including the Imperial War Museum, the London Symphony Orchestra and City Football Group. The game follows a football – inspired by the uniting power of sport – as it navigates wartime environments drawn from the museum’s archives, set to orchestral recordings. The game raises questions central to any partnership of this kind: how to balance creative freedom with respect for cultural heritage. “It becomes a playable asset which directly confronts the challenges of video game and cultural collaboration,” notes Sarikakis. Workshops with partners also highlighted shared reasons for collaboration. Many cultural organisations see games as a way to reach younger audiences, while developers can benefit from new narratives and visibility in a crowded market.
A roadmap for change
Based on its findings, GAMEHEARTS proposes a coordinated EU roadmap(opens in new window) covering harmonised governance, safer online environments, inclusive workplace standards, stronger education-to-industry pathways and dedicated funding for small developers and under-represented regions. By providing research-based guidance for stakeholders, the project aims to “support more coherent regulation, reduce fragmentation across Member States and encourage fairer and more inclusive industry development,” adds Sarikakis.
