Europe must take more control, says Nordic Game boss

Nordic Game Program director Erik Robertson has told GamesIndustry.biz that European games companies must focus on distribution in order to compete successfully on a global scale.

Speaking in an interview published today Robertson said, "We know the market is very large, but certainly the Nordic viewpoint is that too much control of these markets, and the access to our markets, are in Asian or North American hands.

"That's the way the market looks now - it makes sense from a cultural, political and strict business viewpoint to try and change that."

According to Robertson, the key to evening up the balance between Europe and other markets lies in gaining more control over distribution. "That means digital distribution but it also means non-proprietary platforms," he said.

"The PC is the independent developers best tool for market access. Xbox Live Arcade is very nice but the decision to publish games is still made in the US rather than Europe.

"The closer that the decision is made to where the game is actually produced increases the likelihood of getting your game published. That's just a given."

Robertson conceded that geography is an important factor which can hold European companies back in some ways: "Doing local business is easier. If you're a developer in Tokyo it's much easier to talk to your local developers than to some strange cold country that you couldn't even place on the map."

Read the full interview for more from Robertson, including the latest news on the Nordic Game conference. This year's event will take place in Malmö, Sweden from May 14 - 16, and looks to be the biggest yet.