Sweden: Europe’s gaming powerhouse

Digital TransformationInnovationNewsTop stories

The gaming industry all around the world is booming. According to DFC Intelligence, a market research company specialised for the video games sector, there were nearly 3.1 billion video game consumers in the mid-2020. 

The last two years were largely dominated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Though numerous industries and sectors have fallen victims to the disastrous global crisis of epic proportions, that certainly was not the case for the gaming world.

As worldwide lockdowns forced people to stay at home, many of them turned to video games. Travelling restrictions made it harder for people to meet face-to-face, which is why online platforms became a new place through which people were able to stay connected with each other.

And while the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly accelerated the growth of the gaming industry, it would be naive to think the industry’s boom would not happen otherwise. Looking at the example of Sweden, which is one of Europe’s most developed countries in numerous categories, it is safe to say that gaming is here to stay and the final limits of this thriving industry cannot yet be imagined.

According to Sweden.se, roughly one out of every four people in the world has played a game created by Swedes. Even if the shooter classic Battlefield or the sandbox video game Minecraft did not manage to catch your attention, there is a very high chance that you have kicked back with Candy Crush Saga after a long day at work at least once in your life (or every day, really).

You may be surprised to hear that the all three aforementioned games trace back their origin to Sweden. However, the impact the Scandinavian nation has had on the global gaming industry stretches much further.  According to the Swedish Game Developer Index, the video game business in the country has evolved from a hobby for enthusiasts to a global industry with cultural and economic value within just a few decades.

At the end of last year, mayor of Stockholm Anna König Jerlmyr inaugurated a major gaming centre in the Swedish capital. The Space Centre, which spans seven floors and 7,500 square metres, has already revealed its ambitions to eventually become Sweden’s national arena for e-sports. Sweden’s DreamHack festival is also the world’s largest digital festival as well as a top-tier esports competition, further proving that Sweden is rightfully considered one of the global leaders in the field of gaming.

The annual report published by the Swedish Games Industry (Dataspelsbranschen) revealed that the revenue in the Swedish games sector surged by 43 percent to EUR 3.3 billion in 2020, compared to a 20 percent increase in global sales.  The study also found that the industry generated a total profit of EUR 720 million in 2020, employing some 6,596 people in Sweden and 7,177 people abroad. Furthermore, 81 new companies were launched, raising the total number of active businesses to 667 in December 2020.

There are numerous factors which explain Sweden’s success in the field. Sweden boasts one of the fastest internet networks in the world, thanks to significant infrastructure expenditures. Due to their early investments on their front, it is no surprise that Sweden in general, and its capital Stockholm in particular have grown to be one of the hottest tech hubs in Europe.

While many people still consider gaming a waste of time, the number of gaming industry academic courses in Sweden keeps growing. Many children who were passionate gamers during their childhood now move on to study at some of the top class universities, which will undoubtedly be Sweden’s driving force as the country aims for new heights in this rapidly expanding industry. (photo credit: Sean Do/Unsplash)