Project description
Europe’s video game industry to bridge cultural divides
In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, Europe's video game industry ecosystems (EVGIE) face a critical challenge: the need for a more profound integration with traditional and emerging cultural sectors. The disconnect hinders the full potential of EVGIE, impacting economic growth, job creation, and societal cohesion. In this context, the EU-funded GAMEHEARTS project emerges as a beacon of change. With a consortium comprising Salford, Tampere, Vienna, Breda University, Wroclaw University, and industry leaders like Ubisoft, the project will forge strategic collaborations. Overall, GAMEHEARTS pioneers ‘ludic experiences’, exploring how video game know-how can drive innovation in the creative and cultural industries. This transformative initiative promises policy recommendations and roadmaps, propelling sustained innovation and economic growth across Europe.
Objective
GAMEHEARTS will seek to maximise the value of the European videogame industry ecosystems (hereafter, EVGIE) within a wider social context of the creative and cultural industries (hereafter, CCI). This will consider the importance of the EVGIE in contributing to economic growth, job creation, physical and mental wellbeing, and social and cultural cohesion, by particularly focusing on, how a stronger and closer working relationship between more the traditional and emergent cultural sectors, can work better to create more inclusive and socially responsible cultural experiences. The consortium will offer policy recommendations and roadmaps setting out how the EVGIE can and should develop, and where it could act as a driver for sustained innovation and economic growth. It will utilise an evidence-based approach that focuses not just on videogame development, but rather adopts a holistic ecosystem approach, utilising both established and more innovative methodologies, to consider the competitiveness and development of the EVGIE, and how videogame know-how and technologies could drive innovation in the wider CCI. In doing so, GAMEHEARTS will develop ‘ludic experiences’, to explore possibilities of more inclusive, engaging, and empowering cultural experiences. Working across seven work packages the universities of Salford (UK), Tampere (Finland), Vienna (Austria), Breda University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), and Wroclaw University of Economics and Business (Poland) will work in parentship with Ubisoft (France) and other major videogame partners and associations (including the ISFE & EGDF) to explore current and future trends in the EVGIE. Beyond this, we will work with certain cultural case studies partners to consider how game-related technologies and practices are and could be used to increased access to heritage, the arts, and sport.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
1010 Wien
Austria