Video gaming in the Czech Republic

The video game industry in the Czech Republic has produced numerous globally successful video games such as Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis and the subsequent ArmA series, the Mafia series, Truck Simulator series, the Samorost series and others. There are 300–400 video game developers and around 30 video game companies focusing on video game development, and video games are also considered by some experts to be the country's biggest cultural export.^[1] The video game industry did not enjoy a good reputation and was unsupported by the state until 2013, when the Ministry of Industry and Trade started to seek ways to kickstart the economy. By 2014, programs were planned to support the video game industry. Another problem is a lack of video game development specialization at any university.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Czech video game site Bonusweb made a Survey for the best video game developed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The victor of the Survey is Mafia: City of Lost Heaven that received 3866 votes out of 13,143. Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis was second and Vietcong third.^[7]

History

The first games were developed in Czechoslovakia during the late 1970s as part of experimentation with SM 52/11 computers. These titles lacked graphics and were not meant for wider distribution.^[8]

In the 1980s, the video game development in the country was part of the Svazarm clubs.^[9] Hobbyists could come explore computing and teach themselves programming. Games developed by members of these clubs include Hlípa and Flappy., mostly inspired by western titles. Text adventures were very popular, accounting for more than half of the total output of Czechoslovak programmers. The most popular game platform of the time were ZX Spectrum computers. Czechs produced games for them even in 1990s when were outdated. Other Video game platforms of 1990s include Czechoslovak computers PMD 85 or less common Atari 8-bit computers.^[9][10]

After 1989, the market changed, improving opportunities for programmers and gamers alike. In 1993, the first officially distributed Czech video game was released: an adventure game called Světák Bob, distributed by Vochozka Trading. The game was not particularly successful; however, the following year Vochozka Trading released two other adventure titles – Tajemství oslího ostrova (Donkey Island) and 7 dní a 7 nocí (Seven Days and Seven Nights). Both were developed by Pterodon and widely regarded as successes. Among the most widespread Czech DOS games was also "Vlak", made in 1993.

Other widely distributed adventure games included Dračí historie (1995), Horké léto (1997) and Polda (1999). Games released in the 1990s also include real-time strategy games Paranoia and Paranoia II, and racing game Turbo Speedway. Dungeon RPG Gates of Skeldal by Napoleon Games was also very successful.

Gates of Skeldal is considered to be the best Czech RPG. Vochozka Trading became Illusion Softworks in 1997, and developed its first in-house game, Lurid Land.

The first internationally successful Czech game was Hidden & Dangerous in 1999.^{[11][12][13][14]}

In 2001 Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis by Bohemia Interactive was released. It was a worldwide bestseller.

More notable games of this era include Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven but also Vietcong (both by Illusion Softworks). Czech development studios such as Amanita Design, Black Element Software and Mindware Studios were established in these years. Other developers include Altar Games with its Original War and UFO series and SCS Software with 18 Wheels of Steel, but many of these companies are now defunct.

Bohemia Interactive became the most successful Czech developer with the series of ARMA games, along with Machinarium, released in 2009. The success of Bohemia Interactive is regarded as having overshadowed other independent development studios.^[13][15][16]

Consumer availability

The video game market in the Czech Republic is currently growing, with a spend of 2.202 billion Czech koruna (CZK) across both the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2011.^[17] The corresponding total for 2012 was 2.436 billion CZK, a growth of 10.6%.^[18] Purchased video games made up one third of this amount.

The most popular genres among Czech players are action and sports games. The growth of the market is expected with next-generation consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.^[18][19]

Video game associations

Czech Games is a community of video game developers in the Czech Republic. It was established in 2001 and since then it has supported video game development beginners. It has its own phorum where developers can share its experience and show their work. The association also organizes Game Developers Session and GAMEDAY Festival.^[20]

Video Game Association of the Czech and Slovak Republic exists to promote video games in the two named countries. Video game developers, publishers, importers and distributors all belong to the organization. The association also organizes the BOOOM Contest.^[21]

MU Game Studies is an association composed of Masaryk University students and graduates. It aims to improve and support video game education at Czech universities.^[22][23]

Education

Some Czech universities offer programs of study related to video games. These universities are Masaryk University in Brno, Charles University in Prague, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Technical University in Prague and Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.^[24]

Video game companies from the Czech Republic

Defunct video game companies

Video games developed in the Czech Republic

• Achtung, die Kurve!
• ARMA
• The Black Mirror
• DayZ
• Euro Truck Simulator
• Hero of Many
• Hidden & Dangerous
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance
• Machinarium
• Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven
• Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis
• Shadowgun
• Space Engineers
• Vietcong

Appearance of the Czech Republic in video games

The country has been featured in numerous games written by Czech developers, such as Euro Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

Command & Conquer takes place in Central Europe and some missions occur within the country's borders.^[51] The country was also the inspiration for fictional countries featured in Operation Flashpoint: Resistance and ARMA 2.

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a fictionalised uprising occurs in Prague. The city also features in a mission from Sly 2: Band of Thieves.

In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the title character is sent to save kidnapped Czech scientist Dr. Kio Marv. One character, Smoke (real name Tomas Vrbada), in Mortal Kombat is also Czech.

As part of Czechoslovakia

There are some missions in Contract JACK that are set in Czechoslovakia. The former state also appears in the game Hidden & Dangerous.

World of Tanks released Pilsen map in December 2015. Ths update also features Czechoslovak Tanks.^[52]

Video game events in the Czech Republic

Game Developers Session is a game development conference that has been held annually in Prague since 2003. Video Game Culture figures including Developers have Presentation there about Video Gaming and players can meet Video Game developers for Chat about their project. They can also sometimes try video games that are in development.

Game Access is a game development conference that has been held annually in Brno since 2010. It is considered to be competition to Game Developers Session.^[53]

GameFFest is a Game Festival held in Prague. Video Game Players can try Video Games for various Platforms and look around a Video Game history Museum. The Festival is a Part of PragoFFest.^[54]

The GAMEDAY Festival has been held every May in Třeboň since 2010, part of Anifilm Třeboň. The Czech Game of the Year Awards are held at the festival.^[55][56]

The Booom Contest was held annually from 2011 to 2013. Prizes were awarded in various categories, including Game of the Year, Best Czech Video Game and Computer Game of the Year.^[57] It was replaced by Player's Awards for next years.^[58]

The Central and Eastern European Game Studies conference is held in Brno as an event designed to allow the discussion of video gaming by academics, journalists, developers and members of the public. It is organized by the Game Studies civic association.^[59]

Game Jam Prague is annually held in January as part of almost 200 Game Jams over the World.

Game Brew Plzeň is a meeting of video game developers, graphic designers and business enthusiasts. It has been held in Plzeň since 2015.^[60]

Gamer Pie is a video game festival held in Brno.^[61]

Media

Print Media

Defunct print media

Television

Programs

Programs no longer broadcast

Online media

• BOOOM.cz
• Bonusweb.cz/
• Doupě.cz
• Eurogamer.cz
• GamePark.cz/
• Games.cz
• PLAYzone
• Hrej.cz
• Zing.cz
• Databáze-her.cz

Notable people in the Czech gaming industry

• Petr Vochozka — founder and a former CEO of Illusion Softworks (now 2K Czech), the company responsible for games like Hidden & Dangerous or Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven.
• Marek Španěl and Ondřej Španěl — founders of Bohemia Interactive, the biggest video game development company in the Czech Republic. The company developed Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, ARMA series and DayZ.^[62]
• Daniel Vávra — author of Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. He also founded Warhorse Studios, which developed Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
• Jakub Dvorský — CEO of the independent video game company Amanita Design, developers of Samorost and Machinarium.
• Miloš Endrle — CTO and founder of Geewa, a company awarded the Red Herring 100 Europe award.
• Lukáš Macura — founder and CEO of Cinemax. He is also responsible for Database of Czech and Slovak Video games.
• František Fuka — programmer and musician who made video games for the ZX Spectrum during the 1980s and 1990s. Currently working as a film translator, preparing English language movies for Czech release.
• Lukáš Ladra — founder and first editor-in-chief of Excalibur, the original Czech video gaming magazine.
• Marek Rosa — founder and CEO of Keen Software House, developers Space Engineers.

References

External links

• A database of video games developed in the Czech Republic