GAME-ER, recently marked a significant milestone at DiGRA 2025, the annual global conference of the Digital Games Research Association. Our partners from the University of Turin delivered an insightful presentation titled “History and operational mechanisms in the video game industry: the case of the Turin cluster“, emphasizing the unique dynamics of the Italian gaming landscape.
The Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA) is widely recognized as the most important and well-known academic conference in the field of digital games and gaming culture. As a global annual event, DiGRA brings together leading scholars, researchers, and industry professionals to explore the multifaceted aspects of digital games, from their cultural impact and design principles to their economic structures and societal implications. This year’s edition, DiGRA 2025, was held at the picturesque Valletta campus of the University of Malta, serving as a vibrant hub for intellectual exchange and collaboration.
The University of Turin’s presentation was a key highlight within the “Regional/Scenes” session, a dedicated forum for exploring localized game development ecosystems. Their research provided a comprehensive analysis of the Turin video game production cluster, detailing its historical evolution and current operational mechanisms.
Specifically, the presentation explored:
This in-depth study is further conducted by GAME-ER, dedicated to understanding how video game clusters emerge, develop, and sustain themselves across five diverse European countries: France, Czechia, Portugal, Italy and Scotland. By examining these local and regional clusters, GAME-ER aims to share the best practices and provide valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders.
At the session at DiGRA 2025, the attendees gained insights into the Barcelona ecosystem and specific characteristics of players and gaming in Finland.
