Introducing: the Games from Portugal Newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of the Games From Portugal newsletter, a monthly newsletter bringing you the biggest updates and news stories from Portugal's video game development sector and creative industries. This newsletter is brought to you by eGames Lab, a unique egames development and creative industries cluster in Portugal, bringing together 14 companies, R&D centres, and public and private entities to leverage the sector's competitiveness and position Portugal as a global leader in the video game industry. 

This month’s newsletter explores the foundations of eGames Lab: why the consortium was set up, the diverse nature of its companies, and the consortium’s mission to put Portugal on the map as a leader in the video game and technologies space. 

Elsewhere, and following this year’s EUROs, we speak to David Olim, CEO of FootAR, about how the company is fusing the worlds of technology and football to create a metaverse for live sports. This is football like you’ve never seen it before. 

Also, did you know that eGames Lab is now the biggest video game research group in Portugal? We reflect on the key achievements of eGames Lab so far and the biggest lessons from our 2023–2024 Midterm Report.

eGames Lab and the Future of Portugal’s Video Game Development and Creative Tech Industries

The video game industry has experienced phenomenal growth over the past few years. More than 2.5 billion people worldwide play games regularly—be that on console, PC or mobile devices—and that’s expected to generate $189.3 billion in 2024 alone.

Much of the discussion about video game success centres on major studios in the US, such as Epic Games, Activision-Blizzard, and EA, alongside the dominating mobile sector in Japan and China. However, one region with the potential to boost this thriving industry to an all-new level is Portugal, and eGames Lab is working hard to make that happen.

In many ways, Portugal's entry into the video game scene has been a long time coming. The country is home to a talented workforce passionate about making games. Figures from Portugal’s Trade and Investment Agency, AICEP Portugal Global, show that as of 2021, it had around 7,100 students in areas related to gaming or multimedia.

The issue, however, has been that this passion and knowledge have always been somewhat fragmented—divided between small studios and other organizations. 

Of course, that’s not to say that the country hasn’t seen success in video games. Portugal’s video game industry is expected to reach revenues of around 258 million dollars in 2024, with the annual growth rate exceeding 11% by 2027. Much of that is fueled by Portugal’s love for mobile games. The country is home to over one million mobile players (around 10.6% of the population), reaching an annual turnover of around 56 million dollars.

Be that as it may, Portugal’s video game scene still has room to expand significantly, and eGames Lab hopes to achieve just that by uniting the region's diverse insights and expertise under one cohesive banner. 

The eGames Lab consortium already comprises 22 entities (14 micro and small companies, two scientific organizations, and six public and private institutions) based in various cities nationwide, including Madeira, the Azores, Lisbon, and Évora. And, given the growing number of companies operating in Portugal’s video game industry, which increased from 36 to 114 between 2018 and 2022, there’s plenty of opportunity for further expansion, too.

The project also maintains close connections with several international entities, such as Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh), Amazon Web Services GameTech (London), and the Games Hub in Copenhagen (Denmark). It is further bolstered by support from industry giants, including PlayStation, Alienware, and Singapore’s EnjinStarter Launchpad.

In terms of its workload, eGames Lab members produce a range of products and services, including tools for programmers, facilitating video game development, and new titles for various platforms – all incorporating scientific advances. These are spread across areas such as blockchain, Web3, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and even specific components, like developing a new IXP (Internet access point) to reduce online latency.

eGames Lab also offers a flexible program that supports its developers, managers, designers, and employees by providing training on topics such as data compliance, privacy, legal matters, digital marketing, venture capital, and business acceleration. It also provides members with access to an international acceleration program and hosts international gaming events to promote Portugal’s gaming sector.

By creating and boosting a national video game ecosystem in this way, eGames Lab aims to establish Portugal as one of the world's leading video game players.

This will, in turn, attract more investment—be that from investors, publishers, or the media—and encourage more budding Portuguese developers to establish their own studios. This should also diversify the Portuguese economic fabric, heavily dependent on tourism, and improve its standing in the highly competitive IT and Web 3.0 industries. 

Increased investment should also improve Portugal’s capacity to retain and further develop its skilled workforce, building on the region’s expertise in design, storytelling, engineering, marketing, fine arts, and other areas. You can already see this taking shape, with eGames Lab having created more than 116 highly qualified jobs.

Accomplishing all of this will be a lofty challenge, but history tells us that it can be done. Just a decade or so ago, Poland was in a similar position to Portugal: a relatively unproven region that sought to enter the video game scene to diversify its economy by leveraging a robust higher education system with excellent technical training.

Of course, Poland is now widely respected for its video game credentials, primarily because of the overwhelming success of CD Projekt RED, widely regarded as one of the best studios in the world for role-playing games. All it took was one major success: The Witcher, a franchise that has now sold over 75 million copies, with the third instalment being one of the best-selling games ever.

With so many different entities working side-by-side under the eGames Lab umbrella, it’s just a matter of time before Portugal finds its own showstopping success.

FootAR: Bringing Football Fans Closer to the Beautiful Game with Augmented Reality

With the Euros wrapped up, David Olim, CEO of FootAR, took some time away from his desk to talk about the launch of his augmented reality football companion app, which is revolutionizing the live sports experience. 

Any football fanatic knows that it can be challenging to keep up with everything that’s happening during a match, especially when you’re at home following along on TV and are limited to specific camera angles. 

It’s something that David Olim has experienced all too often. But there was one particularly frustrating match several years ago at home, where he and his friends were distraught at the performance of a striker who kept missing all his chances to score a goal. “Oh come on,” he thought at the time. “Surely there should be a way to prove this guy needs to come off.” 

At that moment, David began to envision an experience that went above and beyond what you see on a TV screen. Something that could bring fans closer to the action, powered by the latest technology. Earlier this year, that vision became reality. 

FootAR, a free app available on iOS and Google Play, revolutionizes live sports viewing by overlaying real-time data (such as player statistics and game analytics) onto a digital recreation of the football pitch using augmented reality.

The app allows fans to relive every goal, track every pass, and stay connected with live updates, AR-enhanced visuals, and social interactive capabilities. Fans can use it to rewatch the most significant moments in a live game and view them from multiple angles, together with an accompanying audio commentary.

But FootAR offers benefits to more than just football fans, it also opens up new monetization avenues. Brands can sponsor specific AR features, such as player stats or game analytics, providing a unique way to engage with a highly targeted audience. 

Additionally, FootAR allows for in-game activations, where brands can offer real-time promotions based on game events, further enhancing user engagement and brand visibility.

“A sponsor could trigger a promotion when a goal is scored or a significant event happens, encouraging users to interact with the brand immediately,” David explains. “This creates a dynamic advertising opportunity that is closely tied to the user’s experience, driving higher engagement and conversion rates compared to traditional advertising methods.”

Given the excitement surrounding the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, FootAR arguably couldn’t have arrived at a more appropriate time. Two notable Portuguese media organizations, GMG (Jornal de Notícias) and SportsMultimedia (VSports), integrated it into their coverage, enhancing broadcast viewing with real-time statistics, goal animations, player insights, and other interactive elements.

“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many users praising the added depth and engagement FootAR provided.” David says. “This success demonstrated our platform’s potential to transform sports broadcasting.”

While FootAR can’t publicly go deep into results, David said the app saw an increase in average session duration during the Euro Championship compared to previous “follow event live” articles. Additionally, users also engaged with the app’s 3D features not only live but also post-event, going back time and time again to relive the highlights.

While FootAR has already hit the ground running at the sound of the first whistle, this hasn’t stopped David from exploring broader applications for the technology. He’s keen to emphasize that the concept could be used across a multitude of sports, including everything from tennis and rugby to Formula 1 and even the Olympic Games. 

“FootAR’s technology has vast potential for wider applications,” David says. “Brands can use our XR platform for interactive marketing campaigns, clubs can enhance fan experiences during live events, and artists can create immersive performances and exhibitions. By providing real-time data and interactive elements, we can transform how audiences engage with entertainment experiences, opening new avenues for creativity and monetization.”

More immediately, David is in the process of launching VR versions of FootAR that will allow users to see everything that the app has to offer from an all-new perspective. Users will be able to step into a virtual stadium, watch replays in a gamified environment, and interact with 3D data overlays replicating a “mini field”.

This will not only enhance the viewing experience but also create new opportunities for fan engagement and interaction, setting a new standard for sports entertainment.

Excited to see it for yourself? Then we’ve got good news! The Apple Vision Pro version of the FootAR app has just become available for download. A version for the Meta Quest is also set to hit the net sometime later in 2024.

The eGames Lab 2023–2024 Midterm Report: Portugal’s State of Play 

eGames Lab recently published its 2023–2024 Midterm Report, highlighting the consortium’s achievements while showcasing its work across products, processes, and services in three main areas.

You can find the full report HERE and a summary of the report below. 

Ongoing Research

eGames Lab's current work has been mostly structured around interactive storytelling, process innovation, VR for health and wellbeing, and process innovation. During the 2023 to 2024 midterm, eGames Lab published over 40 works highlighting advancements in fundamental and industrial research projects across these four pillars. 

Notable works include:

• Periodic Fable in the Wild: A gamified experience contextualizing basic concepts about the Periodic Table and organic chemistry through Augmented Reality.
• CBT Darts: An immersive VR game where players match statements to cognitive distortions by throwing darts at balloons. 
• Waste Rush: In collaboration with a local food bank, eGames Lab created a game to teach children ages 8-12 about household food waste reduction practices.
• Partiplay: A participatory game design kit for neurodiverse classrooms based on observing robotic ostracism’s effect on children's prosociality and basic needs.

Scientific Events: LevelUp!

On the last Tuesday of every month, eGames Lab researchers come together to show their ongoing work, connect with their peers, and forge new ideas at LevelUp! Tuesdays. eGames Lab also hosts a suped-up version of these events called Mega LevelUp!, where researchers showcase their work at poster sessions, attend workshops with scientific advisors, and attend talks from guest speakers (typically university professors).

This report covers two Mega LevelUp! Sessions, which were hosted in Fuchal:

• Mega Level Up! - 1st Edition (12 - 21 February) involved presentations and one-to-one mentoring sessions with six special guests. These included Prof. Lene Nielsen from the University of Copenhagen, who specialises in “Personas for Games and Gamification Design”, and Prof. Rui Prada from the Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST), who specialises in “socially interactive agents in games.”
• Mega Level Up! - 2nd Edition (12 - 21 February) included talks with Prof Patty Kostaka from the Univeristy College of London on “Serious Games for Digital Publish Health” and Prof Norbert Stretiz from Smart Future Initiative on “the role of AI and human-centred design in future smart hybrid environments”. 

Media

eGames Lab has generated substantial media coverage this year which has primarily been in business journals and publications based in Portugal. This content has revolved around attendance at GDC and creating an international investment fund.

Some of the coverage we have gained includes:

• A success story spotlight in AICEP’s Portugal Global on all of the work eGames Lab is doing to add value to the Portuguese video game industry and the consortium’s future goals.
• Coverage by multiple publications of the 112 jobs created by eGames Lab and 29.9 million euro the consortium has invested into the industry.

Updates from the eGames Lab Consortium 

• Sustainable Summer in Madeira launched, a unique program that unites community, sustainability and technology joinable through the Greener Act app. This included a range of environmentally friendly activities at the Summer Opening Festival in Santa Catarina Park, such as a whale-shaped sculpture designed by a local artist that attendees were encouraged to fill with rubbish.
• Tickets are now available for the Madeira Blockchain Conference 2024, which will be held from 18 to 20 November at the Cultural & Research Centre of Funchal (CCIF). The event will feature renowned speakers from top-notch enterprises and rising stars in the blockchain industry, and be attended by more than 400 people.

• Walkme Mobile Solutions completed the Indie Games Accelerator (IGA), a globally renowned program organized by Google that allows independent mobile game studios to accelerate their growth and improve the quality of their products. Walkme was one of a handful of companies selected for the program out of more than 1,000 applicants. 

Business & Gaming Stories Affecting Portugal 

• Play By The Rules: A new and pioneering legal forum dedicated to the esports sector will be launching at ESI Lisbon in September this year. The forum, in cooperation with Esports Legal News and international lawyers, aims to provide a platform for legal professionals, stakeholders, and esports fans to explore topics such as streaming rights, player contracts and regulation.
• #PensarEsports: A Parliamentary conference on the need to recognise and regulate esports was held on 2 July with support from the Portuguese Socialist Party and promotion from the Portuguese Electronic Sports Federation. The conference sought to form a clear government stance on esports regulation.
• A virtual Portuguese road-trip: Authentic Simulation, a professional modding studio, has decided to create “the last great mod” for Assetto Corsa by modding a fully drivable version of Portugal. A Kickstarter has been set up to help build the 500km+ open-world map; however, a video shows that a lot of work has already been done to make it a reality.
• Enhancing The Esports Ecosystem: The Portuguese Electronic Sports Federation has taken on the responsibility of building up Portugal’s esports ecosystem. To help with this project, it is working with other Portuguese sports federations, universities and schools, and brands that work with esports organisations.