EGDF response on Future Networks Research and Innovation in HORIZON2020

TWF_ EGDF_PAPER

• In a rapidly growing industry worth nearly €19 billion globally, Europe is the second largest consumer of video games but its position as the world’s third largest producer of video games is under threat from a lacklustre European publishing sector, globalisation and non-EU government-assisted competition.

• While games developers often create the most profitable Intellectual Property, they are often the weakest players in the games value chain, rarely sharing in the large profits of publishers due to an advance recoupment business model. Furthermore publishers increasingly require developers to produce demonstration content produced at the developer’s risk before agreeing to market and distribute the content.

• North American and Japanese publishers dominate the global market, including Europe. An imbalance between the relative strength of Europe’s developers and relative weakness of Europe’s publishers communities is creating challenges for the future of the European industry which threatens developers’ ability to create valuable new intellectual property, share in royalty revenues, and produce content that is culturally appropriate for Europe’s many domestic markets.

• There is a growing gap between the costs of development in  developing nations and in Europe. This gap is reinforced by government subsidies and tax advantages provided by some developed nations (Canada, Korea, Australia). This results in a “brain-drain” of development talent as well as increased consolidation pressure on an already pressurized European development market.

• Developers struggle to raise funds for new projects, largely because Europe lacks the tax environment used elsewhere to encourage this important sector.

• The Challenges can be summarised thus: high barriers to entry, human resource shortages, fragmented sector, rising costs, global competition, increasing power of platform holders, poor access to new technology, reduction in opportunities to create new IP, lack of market data.

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First of all, with Game Co-op Malmö we run a website www.gamemiddleware.org. It is like a phone book of the game middleware. The game middleware is important. It is between a platform and a game itself. It allows higher portability and allows better maintainability.This event has been made possible by the NEM initiative.

Stellungnahme des Game- Bundesverbands zur Studie des VDI-VDE anlässlich des Experten- Workshops September 2010 Der Game- Bundesverband begrüßt zunächst die deutliche Anhebung der Bedeutung der interaktiven Medien im Bereich der konvergenten Medien, konvergenten IKT-Technologien insgesamt. Die Neustrukturierung der Umgebung ist sicherlich in vielerlei Hinsicht sinnvoll und zu begrüßen.

Hier findet sich die gesamte Stellungnahme GAME Stellungnahme VDI VDE STUDIE BMWI

Zunächst ist noch einmal zu betonen, dass es aus unserer Sicht begrüßt wird, den Bereich „interaktive Medien” ein eigenständiges Kapitel zu widmen. Negativ fällt auf, dass die eigent-lich analogen und linearen Medien Musik und Film/TV vorrangig behandelt werden, obwohl sie sicherlich nur in begrenztem Umfang als interaktive Medien angesesehen werden kön-nen. Vollkommen vergessen wurden Produktionstechnologien.

Question 1: What use case and scenarios in your area would you consider the most appropriate and representative for all large large-scale experimentations with the future internet platform to be built starting from 2013?

The most important application scenario for the game development community will be content. It is appreciated, that apparently it is a goal to involve creative industries and media into this from the beginning. We also support the idea of having trials which focus on the whole content production chain. The internet is not just about content management but also about developers and producers for the content itself. Of course from a technology point of view the idea to develop also the network and infrastructure and to develop middleware in this context is important (e.g. in the latency context). The games industriy has however developed server management technologies and other tools which can deliver quality of experience without perfect networks.

The most important role in this content use case of the EGDF is to keep the content application layer open for creators. That means that we will try to steer this research approach into a direction, where it does not leed to new gatekeeper scenarios.

Networked game development can also be one of the main user scenarios for the content layer; context questions of gaming platforms and human machine interfaces are to be complemented by games themselves. It should be clear that neither offline game publishers nor pure technology providers can do the job properly, but only game developers themselves. The PC based internet of today, which allows independent developers to communicate directly with the consumer, has been good for the European game and media development community and this should be brought further.

Another aspect of the involvement of game development are other user scenarios like energy, transport, logistics, and health.  These other user scenarios can be interesting application scenarios for applied games (also called serious games). Special attention could be devoted to health related computer games, not only from a traditional stand-point, but also seen from a “how to get people to move” standpoint. For too long have computer games been given the “blame” for still-standing kids, it’s time to look at the potential positive use of it. This means that computer games are used not only as motivation trainer and softtools, but potentially also as real medical equipment in a psychatic context for example.  

Another area for development is a more active use of games and games experiences in tourism, museums and school-systems, where both travellers and students can get more pointed and better experiences through the use of the gaming medium. 

It is very important to observe and to be heard in refelctions on new business models (which are well developed in the game industry and can be a new piracy proof model for other content applications) and legal and other observations in this context. EDGF is offering to participate in this think tank approach.

Question 2: What innovative internet functionality and technologies would you consider important for your suggested use case scenario?

Most important internet functionality would be the reliability and pan-European speed of the network, also if large volumes of data are driven in real time. It is widely acknowledged that computer games have contributed in the past to the development of computer hardware worldwide more than any other application. So far, computer games have been the most demanding mass-application for computer hardware and they will be in the future. The development of microchips inside the hardware as well as the development of graphic cards and other elements, like displays, is deeply related to the more and more demanding architecture of modern computer games. Today this approach spreads to networks themselves, as computer games played in the networks are a high technical challenge for them. Therefore computer game developers and companies can be seen as an indicator for innovation on computer based systems and networks. As of such it is difficult to exactly pin-point the exact innovation of the functionality, as its content based, and hence it already moves in all directions. Recent evolutions have however focused around real-time streaming, user-created content (for i.e. uploads to larger gaming universes), 3D gaming, touch-based gaming, advanced AI, reality “lay-overs” and multiple other new scenarios.

Of course it would be important to connect mobile and online services with the cloud in a real time -level. Especially, if the network becomes more content aware in a non-discrimatory way. These days we even see the start of the first gaming working-class, people working within games to serve other users inside games, and hence the legislators and net-work creators must also ensure that the rights of the innovative consumers are protected.   

Question 3: Wich of the identified functionalities would you expect the Future Internet core technology platform to deliver to support your and other usage aerea scearios?

First it is important to develop open application scenarios which are not too much linked and twisted into testbeds, but are also tested as mass- application. It is not necessarily useful to be too little innovation driven and hiding from reality. One of the things which, should be thought about is that standardization is useful, but only when it does not lead to a situation where a group of stakeholders creates lock in effects. Generic enablers, for example, must be designed in a way, that they are also acceptable from an open community in a real context. This has to do with technology but also with business models and platform policy, where the voice of those, who create the cotent, should be heard from the beginning.  If this is not secured, the whole effort might be deemed to fail.

It is also of the outermost importance of laying down fast and reliable networks, with the ability to securely stream or distribute large amounts of data / content, across Europe. If the trend towards cloud computing continues, which it seem to do, it’s vital that the infrastructure is capable of supporting this trend.

Moreover it’s important that the eco-system surrounding the online games when it comes to personal security as well as payments systems. Today Europe is a “mess” when it comes to payment systems, and a more homogenous approach to this could prove to be effective for content developers. This is in particular important for the many new “free 2 play” micro-transaction initiatives from the gaming sector. This mind-set to free gaming and small payments is now spreading fast, across the entire eco-system, from small Facebook games to large virtual universes, and it’s important that Europe seeks to ease its diversity on mechanical aspects like payments. This will also help decrease development and support costs, as well as pave the way for this future when it comes to newspapers, TV and many other forms of media. 

Question 4: What kind of experimentation environment would you consider necessary for broad large scale testing of platform to be developed in your user area? What would be needed to experiment new services and applications cutting across use areas (services and applications mash-ups) and building a new services and application eco-system around the prototype implementation of the platform?

The experimentation environment should be realistic. It is not necessary to develop at too much unrealistic scenario. If experimentation testbeds have any large scale interest for game developers, it is at the crossover between cloud computing, mobile services and online services, where large databases are used in real time with low latency. As computer games have contributed to the development of computer hardware as no other application, they can be demanding applications for networks in the future. The experimentation should be therefore not only seeing computer game development the possible mass application but as the test scenario itself. Developing large scale computer games on new test arenas would be the possibility to insuresure that it actually runs. This concerns also the mix up of game technology with other more linear media technologies in an internet context.

It is important to notice here that even though “games” is placed under one umbrella, it’s really branching out to encompass a multitude of directions and use scenarios. This eco-system of games is now spreding into new fields at an ever faster rate, and the experimentation environment will differ from developer to developer and project to prohject. This goes not only for pure online gaming on the PC / Mac platforms, but also on experiences related to the consoles and on portable devices. This means that one should not necessarily bind the scenarios down to a few variations, but rather allow a mindset where one can expect, and should adapt for, many new (as of now unknown) applications.  As most of the larger developers in this field already posses their own specialized pipe-line for testing their own content, often built to spec on technology they have spent years developing, it’s important that the environment, like today, is kept open for self-experimentation, and not locked down by strict regulations. 

You can also say that “what do developers need” goes just as much on good support programs, as specific new experimentation scenarios. In Europe we now have a big chance, the biggest to date in the history of gaming, to become a lead player, but we are also fighting against other states and their support programs. It’s therefore vital that within the experimentation, one must also experiment with online games dedicated support programs, which allow a higher degree of risk for our best and most innovative developers. We now see that active states, like Canada, are actively “stealing” all of our best companies through great support programs; and many of our leading companies have decided to move large parts of their production outside of Europe.

Question 5: How do you see the potential role of your organization in the FI-PPP, in the context of usage areas ttaking a prominent role in the Initative, to ensure an appropriate application driven approach?

The Role of the EDGF in the FI-PPP is to a certain degree the trust- holder of the independent and in the most cases content driven SME’s which have been and will be the main driver of the internet. The fast and thrilling technological and cultural changes have been made possible by unleashing the possibilities of setting up new services and business models beyond existing hirarchical structures. From the entrepreneurs perspective it is therefore very important to keep the pace going, which is made possible by many small enteties, rather than few large ones.

Therefore end-user aspects as entertainment and fun of users are not to be underestimated as drivers of innovation and should not be pushed to the side. They must be in the very center of the future internet. It is therefore the mission of EDGF to make sure, that the developed elements (as generic enablers) are not used by other partners in the long run as tools to gatekeep European SMEs for business purposes. The role of the EDGF – as an association of more than six hundred game developing companies in Europe – is to keep innovation  open and healthy during the development of this public private partnership.

Within the development phases of the PPP the EDGF could have following roles:

In phase 1 EGDF should be involved in the definition of the basic principles, governance models and key set-ups from the perspective of its very community in trusteeship for the content driven SME’s. It must be involved in the steering group also to support relevant user areas from a game developer’s perspective. Especially it is about preparing the set-up of phase 3 – the application scenarios.

In phase 3 there should be several application scenarios from a game developer perspective, such as Funcom. So to say the involvement in phase 1 is necessary to be able to define the previous positions of applications from a game developer perspective in phase 3. Therefore EDGF is prepared to participate in a respective support action now.  

Games are apt as represenatives for drivers of – sometimes – destructive innovation and many other content and application layers can learn from the game industry, its technology and buisness models. The EGDF’s voice should therefore be involved also in the think tank activity.This concerns cross domain applications and services (so called mash-ups) especially the interlinkage between content and technology as well as between content and networks. It also concerns political and legal issues from a technology perspective like freedom and non-discrimination as innovation driver.

Keeping game developers in the center of the future internet PPP is a cornerstone of implementing a user centric apporoach.  Not only are game developers themselves early users of professional services, but they know and sense probably more and better than other parts of the industry what the users need as they are more than others depending on the users joy only.

It is also noteworthy to mention that the “open” internet  allows European game developers and publishers to operate without having “forced” fees to American and Japanese players platform holders (Microsoft,  Sony, Nintendo, Apple).  With these new types of online games, where European companies can for the first time communicate directly with their users, they also control their own future to a much bigger degree. Ultimately this means that the revenues, industry build-up and innovation also comes directly back to Europe. Over time will not only positively impact the tax income of Europe, but also the creative gaming industries of Europe. This in turn will have a direct impact on many other European industries in need of the visualization and interactivity which the gaming industry has always advocated.

Durch die vorgezogene Bundestagswahl haben sich die Spielepolitischen Koordinaten nur unbedeutend verschoben. Für die Entwickler von Computerspielen in Deutschland heißt das vor allem, dass unsere politische Arbeit auf den Gebieten Wirtschaft, Technologie und Innovation, sowie Kultur- und Medienpolitik fast unverändert weiter gehen kann. Gerade die große Koalition wird sich Innovationen auf die Fahnen schreiben und so versuchen, der Arbeitslosigkeit zu begegnen. 

Zunächst ist festzuhalten: Mit der Wahl am 18.September 2005 zum deutschen Bundestag haben sich die Machtverhältnisse geändert. Aber mit der großen Koalition werden viele Projekte der vergangenen Regierung in der jetzigen Regierung fortgeführt werden. Das Personal in den Ministerien wird wohl nicht grundlegend neu ausgerichtet. Insoweit sorgt die SPD für eine gewisse Kontinuität. Trotzdem bleibt die Frage noch offen, welche Verschiebungen sich ergeben können.

Mit CDU und CSU kommen zwei Parteien in Fraktionsgemeinschaft mit an die Regierung, die traditionell der Mittelstandspolitik verpflichtet sind. Dem liegt die Überzeugung zugrunde, dass Wirtschaft nicht erst ab einer Größe beginnt, bei der Unternehmen einen Betriebsrat haben. Das kann den KMU’s aus der Spielbranche zunächst nur nutzen. Es wird insoweit wichtig sein, nachhaltig deutlich zu machen, dass nicht nur die meisten Arbeitsplätze, sondern auch die meisten Innovationen von kleinen Unternehmen kommen, die eine besondere politische Rückendeckung im Globalisierungsumfeld bitter nötig haben.

Die CDU ist bereits im Wahlkampf auf die deutschen Spieleentwickler zugekommen. So haben sich Herr Abgeordnter Günther Nooke und Herr Ministerpräsident Althaus gemeinsam bei Radonlabs GmbH in Berlin zu Wahlkampfzwecken fotografieren lassen. Das ist ein Durchbruch. Aber es zeigt auch: Berührungsängste bestehen hier immer weniger. Ob die CDU auch konkret etwas für die deutschen Spielentwickler tun will, wird sich zeigen. Mitunter scheint sie ja auch von der Innovationskraft der Grünen profitieren zu wollen, deren vorbehaltsloser Einsatz für die Belange der Spielentwickler während der letzten Regierung vorbildlich war, obwohl sicherlich viele Grünen- Wähler als Eltern besonders große Bedenkenträger gegenüber der Spielewirtschaft sind. Wenn Frau Merkel ihre Regierungsarbeit also mit etwas „Jamaica“-Charme würzen möchte, dann muss sie die deutschen Spielentwickler unterstützen.

Interessant wird es, die Regierungsbeteiligung der CSU zu beobachten. Der noch amtierende bayerische Innenminister Beckstein verfolgt den Plan eines allgemeinen Verbots der Entwicklung von Computerspielen in Deutschland. Dazu ein Zitat aus einem Brief, den er an ein Verbandsmitglied schrieb: „Letztlich kann nach meiner Auffassung ein wirkungsvoller Schutz der jungen Generation aber nur durch ein absolutes Herstellungsverbot von schwer jugendgefährdenden Videofilmen, Video- und Computerspielen erreicht werden.“ Das mit einem Herstellungsverbot, der Absatz von Spielen, die außerhalb Deutschlands hergestellt wurden auch noch zusätzlich steigt, wird dabei übersehen. Man wird sehen, was daraus wird, denn der CSU sind Erwägungen in technologie- und medienpolitischer Hinsicht nicht fremd: Gerade die CSU in Bayern verfolgt seit Jahrzehnten im Mediensektor insgesamt eine sehr erfolgreiche strategische Industriepolitik unter Einbeziehung von Mittelstand und regionaler Nachfrage. In der CSU ist bekannt, dass für nachhaltige Innovationen eine umsichtige und handlungsfähige Regierung erforderlich ist. Leerformeln genügen nicht, um die Technologie von morgen im globalen Wettbewerb durchzusetzen.

Seitens der Bundesländer ist eine spürbar größere Anteilnahme an unserer Branche zu verzeichnen. So wird mit Minister Armin Laschet aus Düsseldorf erstmals ein echter Minister an der Verleihung des deutschen Entwicklerpreises in Essen teilnehmen. Ähnlich auffällig ist übrigens eine Entwicklung, dass neben Leipzig zunehmend andere Messestandorte um die fulminante Games Convention buhlen. Das zeigt, dass das Thema Games auch hier an Bedeutung gewonnen hat. Für den Entwicklerstandort Deutschland ist natürlich eine nunmehr international etablierte Messe sehr wichtig. Insoweit setzen wir auf Kontinuität. Das Leipzig so groß und bedeutsam geworden ist, ist nicht selbstverständlich.

 Zuerst Erschienen 2006 in Gamestar Dev

RA Malte Behrmann, GF Politik GAME Bundesverband der Entwickler von Computerspielen e.V. Email: Behrmann@game-bundesverband.de