Europe’s game developers are moving in a mass migration to the future of games. And for them, that means the PC, mobile devices, and the PlayStation 4 video game console.
The GDC Europe conference, which takes place in Cologne, Germany, in August, found in its survey of European game developers that 18 percent are currently working on games for the Sony PS4, compared to 13 percent for the Microsoft Xbox One. For the future, 33 percent said they expect their next game to be made for the PS4, versus 23 percent for the Xbox One.
About 58 percent said they are working on PC games, and 60 percent expect to release their next game on the PC. About 65 percent are making mobile games, and 64 percent plan to release their next title on mobile devices.
Meanwhile, less than 10 percent of European developers are using crowdfunding for their current projects. But 41 percent plan to use it in the future. About 11 percent of North American respondents said they are using crowdfunding.
Many saw Sweden rising in the game pantheon as it is home to the developers who created Minecraft, Goat Simulator, Candy Crush Saga, and the Battlefield franchise. The survey said that many expect the United Kingdom and Germany to surpass Sweden in five years.
About 47 percent said that the U.K. offers the best tax breaks for local game development while Finland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands tied for a distant second with 9.5 percent of the votes each. The U.K. is seen as inferior to Canada in tax incentives.
The GDC Europe 2014 event will run Aug. 11 to Aug. 13 in Cologne, Germany, close to the giant Gamescom fan conference. The survey was based on responses from 400 European game developers.