Norway is a country that is primarily known for its stunning nature, vast oil reserves, and skilled athletes. However, there is a hitherto relatively unknown industry in the country, which in recent years has grown rapidly.
What we are referring to is the country’s gambling industry. We will now tell you more about this particular one.
Norwegian Game Developers
However, the new game developers that have emerged in recent years are mainly of a different kind. They have chosen to focus on TV, computer and mobile games instead of casino games.
The following are some of the most well-known and successful game providers in Norway:
- Bertheussen IT
- Dirty bit
- D-Pad Studio
- Funcom
- Henchman & Goon
- Hyper games
- Krillbite Studio
- Kristianix
- Megapop
- MISC GAMES
- Ravn Studio
- Red Thread Games
- Rock Pocket Games
- SnowCastle Games
Admittedly, Sweden’s gaming industry is still far ahead of Norway’s, but if the Norwegian industry continues to grow at the rate it has done for a few years now, the gap may well be narrowed significantly. Some examples of the games that Norwegian game developers are behind include Pode from Henchman & Goon, which won the award for “Best Art” at the Nordic Gaming Awards 2019, Conan Exhiles, which Funcom is the creator of, and Draugen from Red Thread Games.
What is the reason for the increased growth?
Just as we mentioned in the beginning of the article, we will now try to answer what factors are behind the increased growth in Norway’s gaming industry. One such is the increased demand for the kinds of games that are common among these developers, not only in Norway but in many parts of the world. These are mainly so-called indie games.
Technological development
Another factor is technological development. Mobile games, for example, make up the largest part of the Norwegian gaming market, and are expected to reach a value of more than SEK 1.8 billion in 2024.
The fact that mobile gaming has become a major industry is of course a direct consequence of how much mobile devices have developed in purely technological terms. You only have to compare today’s game with Snake, which was extremely popular during the latter part of the 90’s when Finnish Nokia was the market leader.
The difference is the same as if you compare the NES 8-bit, the console that was Nintendo’s big breakthrough when it launched in 1983, with the Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X.
Funcom’s Overseas Move
A somewhat unexpected factor that has contributed is that Funcom, one of Norway’s largest game manufacturers, a few years ago moved large parts of its production to Canada, more specifically to Montreal. As a result, several experienced and skilled programmers were left behind in Norway without jobs, and many of them chose to start their own game companies.
Successful marketing
Of course, it doesn’t matter how good your product is if consumers aren’t aware that it exists. That is why successful marketing is a strong contributing factor to Norway’s gaming market expanding as strongly as it has in recent years.
Skilled personnel and the Norwegian economy
Of course, the Norwegian gaming miracle wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the skilled programmers and other staff who work for the companies in question.
It is also important to be able to attract and retain employees who possess the high level of skills required to be able to produce games of the high quality that makes them a success. This is precisely what can be done in Norway thanks to the country’s good economy and the wages that are at a very high level globally.
Live Streaming of Games
Another phenomenon linked to the gaming industry that has become very popular in Norway is live streaming of various games. Live casino games are something that has been very popular in Norway for a long time. To get an idea you can, for example explore the operators listed on svindel.info
In short, this works in the same way as it does watching traditional sports like football and ice hockey online. The following are the corresponding numbers similar to the ones we listed above but for live streaming in Norway:
- Sales in 2024 are expected to amount to approximately SEK 789 million
- The annual growth rate is expected to be around 8.72% in 2024-2027, which means a market volume of SEK 1 billion
- By 2027, the number of users is expected to be around 1.9 million
- Average revenue per player is expected to be around €538 by 2024
When it comes to live streaming of games, it is very common for users to use the Twitch platform. The following are some of the games that are at the top when it comes to live streaming:
- League of Legends
- Fortnite
- Valorant
- Hearthstone
- Dota 2
Statistics on Norway’s gambling market
Below we have listed some interesting figures that summarize the growth of the Norwegian gaming market in a good way:
- The value of the gaming market is expected to amount to approximately SEK 6.4 billion in 2024
- 2024 – 2027, the annual growth rate is expected to be 10.81%, with a market volume of SEK 8.7 billion
- The number of users of the Norwegian games is expected to reach around 1.4 million by 2027
- In 2024, it is believed that the average revenue per player in the Norwegian market will amount to SEK 5,35
How does the Norwegian market compare globally?
The Norwegian gaming industry may have made tremendous strides in recent years, but it still has some way to go to reach the very top. Below you can see the countries whose betting markets will have the highest revenue in 2024:
- China
- United States
- Japan
- United Kingdom
- Germany
The corresponding table for live streaming looks like this:
- China
- United States
- Japan
- South Korea
- United Kingdom
As you can see, the two tables are similar. That China tops both lists is hardly a surprise given their huge population.
Incidentally, all the countries from the lists are those with large populations, so competing with them will be difficult for a small country like Norway.
Since it is largely based on population, lists such as the ones above are, however, in many ways insignificant. In other words, the fact that Norway is not in the top-5 says nothing about the country’s success in the gambling market.
Summary
To summarize the success of the Norwegian gambling market and what it depends on, we can list the following examples:
- An increase in global demand for mobile and indie games
- Technological development
- The game company Funcom moved its production to Canada, a decision that indirectly led to the creation of new game developers
- They have used the right strategies when it comes to marketing
- Skilled programmers working for the companies in question
- Norway already has a strong economy, which is said to have facilitated the establishment of new companies
Of course, there may be more factors that come into play, but in our opinion, there are many indications that the above are some of the main ones. In addition to new game developers, an increased production of games and an increasing proportion of the population engaged in gambling, live streaming of games has also become very popular in Norway.
To conclude, Norway’s progress in the gaming market is impressive. It will be exciting to see if they can reach new heights in the future!
