eGamesLab
Electronic Games (eGames) exhibit the potential to transform our world by channeling our imagination and our understanding of reality. In a global economy torn by the pandemic and threatened by new belligerence, eGames have kept us continually connected, sharing experiences, enabling positive behavior change, and teaching us more about history, climate change, humanities, and arts. This vision of transformational games as the new default entertainment medium of our millennium has driven this consortium to establish a new national cluster for truly developing a much-longed eGames industry in Portugal.
From an economic perspective, the eGames industry is booming. In recent years, it has experienced outstanding growth. More than 2.5 billion people worldwide play games regularly. Sony Interactive Entertainment’s estimated value is $13.4 billion. Annual global gaming revenue will exceed $200 billion by 2023, which is more than worldwide film box office earnings, music streaming, and album sales, as well as the top five wealthiest sports leagues, combined.
However, in Portugal, this sector has been known for its fragmentation and difficulty in leveraging despite the great potential and highly-skilled human resources. Therefore, the eGames Lab aims to address technological specific and operational challenges identified in Portugal, which will leverage the competitiveness of the members and position them in a worldwide context.
Covering the country from Évora to Lisbon, Madeira, and the Azores, the project will diversify the Portuguese economic fabric that is heavily dependent on a single industry (tourism), thereby increasing the country’s competitiveness in IT and Web 3.0 industries. The eGames Lab will build capacity for retaining in the country a young, well-trained generation of different backgrounds: design, storytelling, engineering, marketing, and fine arts. It will also attract key stakeholders to Portugal and create a long-lasting sustainable ecosystem for game design and development, playtesting, and successfully bringing to market the results from creative research and development efforts in interactive entertainment.
The Agenda focuses on the following core areas:
● Blockchain-based framework for games;
● Advanced in-game Virtual and Augmented Reality;
● Transformational Games for Health and a Green Agenda;
● Artificial Intelligence for Interactive Storytelling;
● Development of Pre-Market Ecosystems.
and brings together:
● 14 private companies ranging from software development, blockchain, cybersecurity, and creative industries with a strong R&D experience;
● 6 R&D Entities (IST.ID, CMF/ITI-LARSyS, PACT, APCA, AFTM, ACIF) and entities recognized for their highly-developed R&D skills in the identified core areas;
● 2 non-corporate entities with significant know-how in acceleration, marketing, promotion, innovation, and internationalization;
● 5 worldwide high-visibility brands from the business sector as supporting partners (PlayStation; Amazon, Dell, and EnjinStarter);
● 3 International Universities and Labs as supporting (Carnegie-Mellon; IT Copenhagen and New Zealand’s HitLab).
This mobilizing project was structured for a duration of 36 months, involving the allocation of 222 highly skilled Human Resources (23 with a Ph.D. level) and a total investment of 30.6M€.
The Consortium encompasses a set of scientific and technological skills and guarantees the participation of co-promoters from several backgrounds and regions that will ensure the necessary mechanisms and procedures for an effective transfer and exploitation of the outcomes of the project.
The eGames Lab is a game-changer agenda.
Summary
eGames Lab aims to build capacity for retaining in the country a young, well-trained generation of different backgrounds: design, storytelling, engineering, marketing, and fine arts.
Start/End
10/01/2022 - 10/01/2025
Funding scheme
IAPMEI/ANI/FCT
Project reference
C645022399-00000057
Partners
Wowsystems Informática, Lda.; Yacooba - Turismo, Lazer e Tecnologia Lda.; Redcatpig - Desenv. e Comercialização Lda.; WEBAVENUE, Unipessoal Lda.; Walkme Mobile Solutions; FOOTAR, Lda.; Fapptory - Soluções Tecnológicas Lda.; Solvit - Innovation & Dev. Telecommunications Lda.; 4Spiro - Sociedade de Consultoria Lda.; Greener Act, Lda.; Subtle Nomad Unipessoal Lda.; NOS Madeira, S.A.; Jupiter Wisdom Lda.; Dream Expectation Lda.; Interactive Technologies Institute, Universidade de Lisboa; Funchal City Hall; Startup Madeira - More Than Ideas Lda.; Funchal Commerce and Industry Association; Association for Promotion of the Atlantic Culture; Association of Film and Television (Madeira); Scientific and Technological Park of Évora; Young Entrepreneurs Association
Project website
HCI Subfields
Accessibility and Aging; Design; Games and Play; Health; Interacting with Devices: Interaction Techniques & Modalities; Interaction Beyond the Individual; Specific Applications Areas; Understanding People; User Experience and Usability; Visualisation
