Nicolas Cannasse (Shiro Games) on Europe as a Gaming Location

The European games market is large and varied, but how does its level of competitiveness compare with that of the USA and Asia? So, how are companies dealing with these challenges? This series of interviews features numerous executives answering all these questions. We interviewed Nicolas Cannasse, Chief Executive Officer of Shiro Games (France).

GamesMarkt: What is your opinion of the current state of the European games market?

Nicolas Cannasse: "What we can see at our level is a focus of the players on bigger games than on smaller indie titles. Our core games such as Northgard or Wartales are not affected as they have already proven themselves and our next games Farever and SpaceCraft are "big enough" to retain the players attention. But this can affect a lot of smaller studios and publishers focusing on more niche games. While there's still the possibility for single-dev or small team releasing a hit, it's a though market.

Producing games inside the EU is still a good trade-off, with a great pool of talents, quality of life and innovation."

GamesMarkt: Is Europe able to compete with the other major markets, particularly North America and Asia?

Nicolas Cannasse: "Definitely, the level of salaries have exploded in North America which makes the EU competitive for investments into new games that can be sold globally."

GamesMarkt: How would you say Shiro Games is positioned in terms of the opportunities and challenges it faces in the European market?

Nicolas Cannasse: "Our focus on PC games is paying off, with our reputation in the strategy and rpg genres allowing us to address players that want quality and long term support for this kind of games."