EGDF calls for creating a new group “58.3 video game development and other interactive media publishing activities
Under this group, we should have specific classes for J58.3.1 – development and self-publishing of digital games, J58.3.2 – Publishing of digital games (old 58.2.1), and J58.3.3 eSport activities.
This approach would have many advantages:
- It would be easy to implement for the companies: This solution would provide a precise class for game developers to register themselves to a class that is close to the already existing classification for video games. Furthermore, it would include words “game developer” that is needed for game developers to identify it as a right group for them.
- It would treat film, books, games and music industries as equal cultural industries:Games are a field of art and the leading cultural medium of the 21st century. Most game developers identify themselves in the field of art and culture instead of information and communication technologies. Therefore, game development needs a place close to the rest of the audiovisual industries and other cultural publishing industries like music and books. For example, European support for video game development is operated under Creative Europe media funding, the same instrument for production support for the film industry. The structure of the class should follow the same logic as the one for the movie industry.
- It would make the statistical framework more future proof: Having a specific group for consumer-facing digital interactive media would make the statistical framework much more future proof, as it would leave room to introduce new classes for Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) content if needed.
The full position paper can be downloaded from here: https://www.egdf.eu/documentation/5-fair-digital-markets/building-a-functional-digital-market-area-2/business-statistics-2021/ or as a pdf from here https://www.egdf.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/202004-EGDF-position-on-the-games-industry-statistical-classification-NACE-code.pdf