Sabine Suorsa, project manager for the Interreg Central Baltic 2014-2020 project Baltic Explorers tells me that often the enthusiastic player becomes a game developer, or starts their own company. Perhaps the gameplay leaves something to be desired, the plot needs improving, or the graphics are lacking. This motivates them to take matters into their own hands. She adds that due to extreme competition, the leap from idea to game and then to getting a publishing deal is a tough challenge. To put this into perspective, over 11 000 new games were published on the Steam platform in 2021.
Making the transition from idea to game and finished product is where Baltic Explorers comes into play. The project helps gaming start-ups gain ground through connections, networking, and by exposing them to markets in South-East Asia and North America – with the goal to sign that publishing deal. Suorsa condenses the Baltic Explorers approach well by saying: “We ask how can we help, where are you struggling?”
Within the Central Baltic area, there is clearly a need for such facilitation. Suorsa explains that during their first round of acquisition, 42 gaming companies from Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Latvia and Åland signed up. Now there are over 90 companies in the BE Community. The BE Community connects gaming start-ups and works well in the sense that everyone seems to genuinely wish for others to succeed, and those with more experience under their belts help newcomers. The goal in this giving-back community is to have a conversation instead of “filling out questionnaires”. Suorsa says: “It’s so much fun working with game companies, and to meet them face-to-face is just like having a big family meeting.”
Dialogue is important. Suorsa emphasises that even if a conversational tone is maintained, mentors who are either experienced game developers or investors, need to talk directly and to the point. The business side in particular is often an unknown to new companies that have developed out of a love of gaming. As the development of a title can run into millions of euros, the business aspect shouldn’t be overlooked. “We push game companies to move forward,” she concludes.
Trivia: Many big-name games have a budget of hundreds of millions of euros. According to thegamer.com, the most expensive titles are: Grand Theft Auto V, EUR 255 million; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, EUR 240 million; and Star Wars: The Old Republic, EUR 192 million.
What will happen next? While maintaining a focus on programme-related results, the project is growing steadily. Suorsa talks about the Baltic Sea game cluster and cooperating with different ecosystems in a larger geographical context. But that is a story for another article.
