Unlocking Portugal's game development industry

gamesindustry.biz:

The Portuguese games industry had a big presence at GDC last month, with over 50 delegates from 20 companies attending, 14 companies represented in the country's pavilion (its first ever at the event), and a reception organised at the Consulate General of Portugal welcoming over 100 attendees.

This reflects Portugal's upwards trajectory over the past few years, as also evidenced by the opening of a games-specific co-working space in Lisbon a few months back. The Gaming Hub aims at becoming a "focal point for innovation, collaboration, and growth within the gaming industry in Portugal and beyond," executive director of the Portuguese Game Developer Association (APVP) Diogo Rato said at the time.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Rato tells us more about the impressive trajectory of the industry in the country.

"The official public data shows that since 2010, the number of studios in Portugal has been increasing year-over-year by more than 20%, and [at] a rate of 33% since 2018," he says. "Impressively, the revenue generated has observed an even bigger CAGR: since 2010 a CAGR of 41% and since 2018 a CAGR of about 63%. The official turnover was over €38 million in 2022 – the most recent data available. Since 2018, the number of people working in the game industry has grown by approximately 53% each year."

Portugal started making its mark in games over the last decade, Rato continues, but he points out its roots in indie development dating from the '80s.

"One remarkable example is Elifoot – one of the first football management games – developed for ZX Spectrum," he points out. "[But] only after 2005 it is possible to observe new games being released every year, such as Toy Shop Tycoon from Seed Studios, or Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward by Camel Entertainment."

Miniclip establishing itself in the country in 2010 ahead of 8 Ball Pool's hit release had a lasting impact on the Portuguese games industry. An increased number of professional developers established