Here we are in Amsterdam for our third year. Who would have ever imagined that in three short years we would have already grown so large—it seems everyone is talking about casual games. For those of us who were here in Year One, the growth of our association is nothing short of amazing.
We have truly become an international industry: our development occurs all over the map, with hotbeds in Eastern and Western Europe, in Russia, and in South and North America. That internationalization of the industry did not happen merely by chance. On the contrary, as an industry we have focused since the very beginning on creating this global industry we now enjoy.
Which perhaps begs the question: Why is internationalization important for the success and health of our industry? I can think of several good reasons:
1. Since electrons are easy to move around, it is really easy for us to reach customers all across the globe. With this great opportunity comes a small complication which must be addressed flawlessly: understanding of the local market. I would guess that three years ago most of us (including myself) didn’t truly understand the importance of taking into account the differences in the local market. Localization is more than just getting the right translations—it is about creating a game that appeals to a culture through language, art, and themes.
2. Different cultures and regions have come to excel in different ways. This is one phenomenon that never fails to amaze us—the differences in focus that seem to appear almost spontaneously when we meet with industry members throughout the world. That multiplicity of talents is a sign of great promise for our industry, especially as we learn to better take advantage of our individual strengths.
3. New ideas flow from the meeting of minds with different backgrounds. Think of the various business models and design elements we have come to take for granted and the wide range of continents from which they sprang: micro-transactions (Asia & Russia), trial-to-purchase (North America), mobile (Asia & Europe), Wii (Asia), DS (Asia), Xbox (North America), Solitaire (Europe), Mahjong (Asia). None of our business models would be complete without influence from other cultures.
4. Interaction helps to broaden our perspective—which in turn leads to greater stability. The marked differences in the market dynamics in different regions of the world enable us all to watch, learn, and modify without the risk that might otherwise be associated with trying something new. For example, sitting comfortably in North America one may have never conceived of the micro-payment business model. Seeing it flourish elsewhere, North American developers and publishers can’t help but wonder how they might adapt that approach to their market as well.
5. Working together, across borders and oceans and many, many time zones, makes us better global citizens. Face-to-face contact and collaboration go a long way toward dispelling prejudice and ethnocentricity.
While we have made much progress, we still have quite a way to go. But as we learn to accept other cultures and work as one big team, the barriers will continue to fall. I’m convinced, in fact, that our industry is uniquely positioned to succeed precisely because our cultural differences tend to enrich rather than divide us.
Ultimately we speak the common language of play. Fun knows no borders.
