The European gaming market has grown with leaps and bounds throughout the years, primarily driven by social demand to play games on smartphones. While hardcore gamers still prefer consoles like XBOX & Playstation, the rest of the world is hooked onto casual mobile games. With over $88 billion of revenue generated through gaming across Europe alone, it’s one of the most profitable industries, all thanks to new age announcements like Fortnite Battle Royal.
One of the most significant factors behind steady growth has been strict anti-piracy laws that have ensured that gamers are incentivized to buy games rather than steal them. There is no better example of this than the game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA5), one of the most pirated games but also turned out to be one of the highest-grossing! That’s not all; big brands like Disney & HBO have come on board with their TV series’ painstakingly converted into video games, resulting in millions of dollars worth of revenue for gaming studios like Electronic Arts (EA) Activision Blizzard, respectively.
Top European Gaming Companies In 2021
Here’s a list of some companies currently making big waves in Europe:
1. King Digital Entertainment: The company, famous for its casino-style game Candy Crush Saga, ranks number one on the list of ‘Top Gaming Companies In Europe’ with over $4 billion.
2. Ubisoft: With an annual turnover above $1.5 billion, Ubisoft is second on the list. The company has recently partnered with Netflix to produce TV series based on its Assassin’s Creed game which will help it attract more buyers. It’s also bringing upcoming titles like Far Cry 5 to next-gen consoles PS4 Pro & Xbox Scorpio.
3. Nutz Online Casino: The Estonian video game platform responsible for a variety of iGaming video games, from providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. The gaming platform is available on all modern browsers and compatible with PCs & mobile phones.
4. Electronic Arts (EA): Ranked fourth, EA has been forging partnerships with companies across Europe for decades. It’s perhaps best known for its sports games like FIFA & NBA Live. Still, the company has mastered the art of first-person shooters too with titles likes Star Wars Battlefront 2 . Not only that, but EA ranked first in Fortune’s list of 100 Best Workplaces For Women thanks to initiatives like ‘EA Female Leadership Programme’, which provides training seminars and other opportunities for female employees.
5. Activision Blizzard: With close to $6 billion in revenue, Activision Blizzard ranks fifth. The company is best known for the Call of Duty series, which debuted in 2003. But over the years, Activision has branched out from shooters to include games like Candy Crush and Warcraft.
6. Bandai Namco Entertainment: Another Japanese gaming company, Bandai Namco, ranked sixth on our list with a revenue of $5 billion. It’s perhaps best known for developing Tekken & Dark Souls.
7. GungHo Online Entertainment: With a turnover touching $4 billion annual, GungHo is seventh on this list. To put things into perspective: just one game- Puzzle & Dragons, accounts for almost 50% of its total revenue!
Conclusion
With gaming on the rise, it’s no wonder that companies in Europe are investing heavily in research & development to produce games compatible with next-gen platforms. For example, in countries like Poland & Hungary, there has been a massive 30% increase in the number of gaming studios over the past five years. However, there is still scope for improvement in PC ports- a factor that could prove detrimental in the future if not handled properly.
