Innovation Opportunities: An Overview of Standards and Platforms in the Video Game Industry

The video game industry offers insights into the significance of standards and platforms. Furthermore, it shows examples of how new entrants can offer innovative services, while reducing their own risk, through bridging the boundaries between standards. Through an exploration of both past and present, this article aims to serve as a primer for understanding, firstly, the technological standards and platforms of the video game industry, and secondly, the recent innovations within the video game industry that have enabled products to be made available across platforms.peerReviewe

Game Over? How Video Game Console Makers are Speeding Toward an Antitrust Violation

There has been a recent trend in the video game industry that console makers (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo) have been acquiring video game developers to make games solely for their console. With a surge of acquisitions, these three console makers have rapidly increased their market share of the console video game industry. But in doing so, have they started to run afoul of antitrust law? Do these three console makers now have enough market power to exert control over the video game industry like a monopoly? This article seeks to answer these questions, while also suggesting several steps that console makers can take now to avoid the head-ache that is an antitrust violation in the future

The video game industry in Portugal

Despite the impressive growth of the video game industry in Europe and a growing interest emerging in that industrial sector (e.g. from the European Commission), there is still a knowledge deficiency in respect of its characteristics and regional impact. By mapping the most relevant active agents participating in this economic activity in Portugal, this paper explores the characteristics the industry communities, types of games developed, tools used, marketing and sales channels and economic impact. This research is based on data collected in Portugal through a survey of 70 economic agents, under the auspices of the First Atlas of video games Industry in Portugal research project. The paper concludes with an elaboration of the opportunities and challenges associated with the industry and the potential role of public and institutional policies in supporting its development and sustainability.This study is part of the RAGE project. The RAGE project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 644187. This publication reflects only the author's view. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains

The Dynamics of Interfirm Networks along the Industry Life Cycle: The Case of the Global Video Games Industry 1987-2007

In this paper, we study the formation of network ties between firms along the life cycle of a creative industry. We focus on three drivers of network formation: i) network endogeneity which stresses a path-dependent change originating from previous network structures, ii) five forms of proximity (e.g. geographical proximity) which ascribe tie formation to the similarity of actors' attributes; and (iii) individual characteristics which refer to the heterogeneity in actors capabilities to exploit external knowledge. The paper employs a stochastic actor-oriented model to estimate the - changing - effects of these drivers on inter-firm network formation in the global video game industry from 1987 to 2007. Our findings indicate that the effects of the drivers of network formation change with the degree of maturity of the industry. To an increasing extent, video game firms tend to partner over shorter distances and with more cognitively similar firms as the industry evolves.network dynamics, industry life cycle, proximity, creative industry, video game industry, stochastic actor-oriented model

Attack Of The Clones: Copyright Protection For Video Game Developers

This comment focuses on the case Tetris Holding, LLC v. Xio Interactive, Inc. and uses it to explore how video game developers’ original innovations are protected under copyright law so as to fully restrict those wishing to “clone” these innovations for their own financial gain. The comment begins by outlining relevant copyright concepts and statutes, using case examples, and detailing the analytical framework courts use to evaluate claims asserted under copyright law. It then discusses the accommodations by both the video game industry as well as online marketplaces in order to protect original content from being cloned. After evaluating these existing accommodations, the comment outlines the financial and intellectual effect full compliance under copyright law would have on the video game industry. Lastly, the comment suggests possible action for courts and those within the video game industry to take in order to protect original ideas by developers, ultimately concluding that games on all platforms be awarded copyright certification before their release

Current Trends in the Video Game Industry

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Events Center, 185 West Broadway Interested in a career in the video games industry? Curious about where the highest grossing entertainment industry is headed in the near future? Our discussion will center on both of these questions as panelists discuss how they became successfully involved in the field and what they believe the future holds. So whether you’re unsure about your plans, but are in law school and enjoy Mario Kart, or you’re an avid reader on everything tech, you will be sure to leave this event with more direction toward your career.https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/iilp/1102/thumbnail.jp