D4.4 - Mapping of Actors

This report presents findings from the GAME-ER project, specifically the findings relating to Task 4.4 - Mapping of actors. T4.4 employs qualitative methodology based on social network analysis and prior research on video game production ecosystems. Building on previous deliverables from WP4, this task aimed to further map and analyse actors and collective actions within each of the six GAME ER clusters. Furthermore, the goal was to explore and visualize the relationships between cluster actors. The empirical research took the form of mapping interview sessions conducted with the cluster representatives. Based on interview transcripts and individual actor maps created during these sessions, research teams created final actor maps, which were confirmed during a workshop with cluster representatives. Beyond mapping the various actors involved in each cluster, including developers, publishers, service providers as well as educational institutions, local governments, and cultural intermediaries, the task also used the collected empirical evidence to describe each cluster’s relation to the global video game production value chain – a concept, which addresses how (monetary) value is extracted by actors who do not produce games themselves but participate, for example, as publishers, distributors, or intellectual property owners. The structure of the report reflects the comparative nature of the project. Each of the six chapters is dedicated to one of the regional clusters, offering an overview of the key cluster actors, collective actions, cluster perimeter, and value chain. These chapters draw on data collected during mapping sessions and workshops. By focusing on regions often overlooked in digital innovation research, the GAME-ER project contributes to a better understanding of the driving forces behind the dynamism of a local video game industry and, as a result, a more inclusive understanding of where and how creative industries can succeed in Europe. This report specifically analyses the actors and relationships key to the functioning of each of the cluster, providing concrete findings about the arrangements and logistics sustaining the six GAME-ER clusters.