INTERNATIONAL FACTFILE: Cyprus

Cyprus was hit hard by the Eurocrisis, and this has hurt the region’s video games market.

The high price of games in the territory is impacting both the customer and the retailers.

Games retail is struggling but generally at this time, it’s not good in any markets. Games are coming in but the cost is too expensive. It’s much more than in the UK,” says George Amigdalos, manager at retailer Digibits.

You can try to sell a new title for €55 but after one month you will have make a loss on it.”

Things could be getting better as parliament in Cyprus approved the country’s international bailout as to avoid further financial ruin.

Development studios are yet to utilise Cyprus as a base, but measures are in place to help it create its own pool of development talent.

The European University Cyprus runs a digital game design course and two state universities, the University of Cyprus and TEPAK, have united to offer students a Masters level course in the Design and Development of Computer Games.

This Masters programme has resulted in the creation of the Microsoft Computer Games and Emerging Technologies research lab based at the Cyprus University of Technology.

Sponsored by Microsoft, the lab conducts research into video games and technology and will hope to serve as an infrastructure to support those who want to get involved in electronic game research and development.

THE FACTS
Population: 1,099,341
Currency: Euro
GDP (Per Capita): $26,389
Capital City: Nicosia
Languages: Greek, Turkish

Key Retailers
Acapella Music Stores, Aeliotis, Bionic Electrics, Brent Cross, Electroline, Electroniki, Digibits, Mavros Larnaca, Megaland, Melesoft, Micromania, Musical Paradise Superstores, Onisiforou Electric Store and Video Game Centre, Stephanis, Visionhire, ZS Fidelity

Key Distributors
Access, G3 Great Games, Gibareio, Zilos