Video games in Italy are growing
In Italy, there are more than 160 video game development studios and they employ more than 1600 people, a sector that is growing compared to the latest surveys, with a turnover of 2.179 billion. Furthermore, Italian studies have shown an innovative approach to stand out both in the reinterpretation of existing franchises and in the creation of new ones, and are among the few industries in the country to benefit young people, with 79% of employees under the age of 36. : a set of characteristics that should have made them a fundamental element for the economic recovery of recent years.However, despite this, it is only in the last period that the institutions and other bodies of funding have begun to actively support these realities and to make Italy an attractive country for video games. As many as 93% of developers, in fact, at least initially use their savings to finance themselves. In recent times, however, the trend is reversing with an 18% growth in people who rely on public funding compared to 2018 to support their project. And on the basis of these needs of the sector, increasingly important and institutional realities are being activated to allow the Italian market to field all its technological and artistic excellence.| ); }
This is a measure that facilitates development studies, providing them with support, including institutional support. . It is essential that activities of this kind continue and be replicated throughout Italy, with the long-term goal of bringing foreign investors to the Bel Paese and making gaming a new spokesperson for Made in Italy, a goal that convinces the 57.9% of Italians.
But it is not only the institutions that deal with the financing of the Italian videogame sector: large companies are also part of this important process. A virtuous example of this type of support is Red Bull Indie Forge, the innovative project dedicated to independent Italian development studios that aims to "give wings" to the sector. From a shortlist of previously unseen titles, a panel of industry professionals will choose a winner who can rely on Red Bull's firepower to promote his video game.
505 Games Acquires 'Puzzle Quest' Publisher D3 GO!
by Rainier on June 27, 2022 @ 8:54 a.m. PDTGlobal video game publisher 505 Games broadens its Free-to-Play market reach through an acquisition of D3 Go!, the publisher behind Marvel Puzzle Quest and Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns.
The acquisition gives 505 Games the exclusive ownership of the entire Puzzle Quest franchise, following the 2021 purchase of Infinity Plus Two, the Australian game development studio and creators of the Puzzle Quest series.
D3 Go! is a leading publisher and developer of original and licensed interactive entertainment games and has created some of the best player experiences on major gaming platforms and mobile devices. The team has produced 9 titles including Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns, and the popular Super Hero match-3 game, Marvel Puzzle Quest, which has captured the attention of gamers and critics over the past 9 years and still going.
“D3 Go! has done a brilliant job bringing some of the biggest Puzzle Quest titles to market, and it was a natural fit for us to welcome them into the 505 Games family, building on our library of owned IP,” said Clive Robert, Head of Free-to-Play at 505 Games. “This acquisition marks the second for us in only two years as we continue our dedication to growing the F2P business unit and bringing to gamers the best there is to offer - from original games, to powerhouse licenses, and beyond.”
The inherited titles from D3 Go! will continue to operate and be supported with new content under 505 Games, with additional investments in the near future. The publishing team of 8 will be joining the 505 Games US office in Calabasas, California.
D3 Go! will be the company’s eighth acquisition to date and the latest to build on quality in-house talent. Other studios include Infinity Plus 2, DR Studios located in the United Kingdom and Kunos Simulazioni in Italy. The 505 Games F2P portfolio has several projects currently in development, leveraging the expertise of each studio across various genres and multiple platforms.