French Game Studios See Growth in Sales, Diverse Workforce, and Optimism for 2023

A recent report from the French trade body SNJV sheds light on the state of the gaming industry in France, revealing several noteworthy trends and insights. In 2022, there was a significant upswing in the number of game studios reporting annual sales exceeding €10 million, marking a 14.4% increase year-on-year.

Over 12% of French game studios achieved this noteworthy milestone, with approximately 8.3% of them exceeding the €20 million revenue mark. However, a majority of studios reported more modest earnings, with over half indicating annual revenues below €300,000 for 2022.

The French games industry was comprised of 1,000 companies in the previous year, with 577 of them being game development studios. Independent studios constituted 39% of the industry, demonstrating a robust presence in the market.

In 2022, 38% of studios opted to self-publish their games, representing a 9% decrease compared to the figures from 2020.

According to the report, an overwhelming 85% of studios consider France an "attractive territory" for game development. Among the respondents, 31% attributed this attractiveness to tax incentives. Additionally, the report highlighted that the quality of training offered by educational institutions and the overall quality of life in France were factors contributing to this appeal.

The data also indicates positive prospects for the industry, with expectations of creating between 400 and 600 jobs in game development in 2023. Over 52% of companies expressed their intention to hire during the year.

The report further disclosed a positive shift in gender diversity within the French game industry, with women making up 24% of the workforce. This represents a substantial increase of ten percentage points over the past four years. In terms of leadership positions, women held 20% of managerial or executive roles in game company management in 2022, marking a notable increase of nine points since 2020.

These insights were gathered through a survey conducted by the Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo, encompassing responses from 577 developers between February 28 and June 26, 2023.

Source: by Sophie McEvoy, Staff Writer for GamesIndustry.biz