International Factfile 2016: Romania

Romania might not be known for its gaming scene, yet it’s actually behind one of the biggest franchises of all time.

FIFA is (in part) being developed by EA Bucharest, alongside the firm’s flagship studio in Canada.

And it’s not the only triple-A developer in the country, as mobile giant King and Assassin’s Creed creator Ubisoft both have Bucharest offices.

The Romanian Game Developers Association (RGDA) was created in 2013 to support the growth of development companies in the country. The RGDA organised Dev.Play last week, the first conference entirely dedicated to the games industry in the country.

Data firm Euromonitor confirms in its latest report that gaming is becoming an increasingly popular practice in Romania, with the country recording one of the highest rates of interest in video games in the region.”

One of the reasons behind this added demand is the increasing number of people with access to a computer. In 2015, 62 per cent of Romanian homes owned a computer, according to the National Institute of Stastistics. In 2013, only 55.8 per cent of them had one.

But consoles remain popular, as Sony remains the market leader, with a 47 per cent value share, Euromonitor reports.

The study concludes: Video games is projected to expand by a seven per cent annual growth rate, being projected to reach RON529 million (102m) in 2020.”

Population: 19,373,000

Capital City: Bucharest

Currency: Romanian New Leu (RON)

GDP (Per Capita): $10,128.7

KEY RETAILERS

Carrefour, GameShop, Emag, Auchan, Real, Altex, Flanco, Diverta

TOP DISTRIBUTOR

Best Distribution

TOP DEVELOPERS

EA Bucharest, Ubisoft, MavenHut, King, Mobility Games, Amber Studio, IDEA Studios, Quantic Lab, Transylgamia, Angry Mob Games, Big Blue Studios, Deep Byte Studios, Green Horse Games, Doorkickers, Mobility Games, Sand Sailor Studio

PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION

Ubisoft, EA, Gameloft, King