Abstract

This article, as well as that of Giuditta De Prato in this issue, is based on the results of the study «Born digital/Grown digital. Assessing the future competitiveness of the EU video games software industry» produced by JRC-IPTS (one of the seven research centres of EC Joint Research Centre). The study - part of a series of researches by JRC-IPTS on behalf of the European Commission (DG Enterprises and Industry) - analyses the video games economic weight inside the entertainment and mass media industry (world, regional and segment markets), as well as its dynamics with regard to the software market produced for the different platforms (console, mobile phone, pc) and for the Internet (the online software's increasing weight). The videogames value chain changes are also taken into account, along with the middleware development and the changing roles of producers, publishers, distributors and retailers. The European competitiveness in this sector is finally considered.