Video games 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 Kingdom Come: Deliverance series, the Samorost series and others. There were 300–400 video game developers and around 30 video game companies focusing on video game development in 2014. In 2017, the country had 1,100 developers and 47 companies.[1] Video games are also considered by some experts to be the country's biggest cultural export.[2] 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.[3][4][5][6][7]

In 2014, 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.[8] In 2019, Games.cz made a list of the 15 best video games developed in the Czech Republic. It was also topped by Mafia: City of Lost Heaven.[9]

History

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Czechoslovak personal computer PMD 85
 
Dračí Historie (Dragon History) was the first Czech dubbed game on CD.
 
Bohemia Interactive booth on E3 2011

The first games were developed in Czechoslovakia during the late 1970s as part of experimentation with Czechoslovak computers SM 52/11 (minicomputer version of PDP-11). These titles lacked graphics and were not meant for wider distribution.[10] Card games were particularly popular. Card games were played through printer due to lack of displays. There were also games based on chances such as electronical version of Rock–paper–scissors. Some games were competitive such as Dělostřelba (Cannonade) in which player had to count the trajectory of his cannon shot to hit his rival. Some games were developed on universities. Some universities taught programming at the time. Games at universities included Chess and Plivátko. The first real-time game was Přistání na měsíci (Landing on the Moon). One of the first games for character displays was Zombíci (Zombies). Players had to run for zombies and stay alive as long as possible.[11]

In the 1980s, the first graphic video games development in the country were mostly part of the Svazarm clubs.[12] The most popular video game platform of the time were ZX Spectrum, Czechoslovak computer PMD 85 and Atari 8-bit computers (mainly Atari 800XE).[12][13] Hobbyists could come explore computing and teach themselves programming. Games developed by members of these clubs include Hlípa and Flappy. Text adventures were very popular, accounting for more than half of the total output of Czechoslovak programmers. Czechs produced games for these platforms even in 1990s when were outdated. After 1989, the market changed, improving opportunities for programmers and gamers alike.

In the 90's, the most known Czech video games are of the adventure type. During this period, the company Vochozka Trading was established, which first distributed games for Amiga computers, such as Světák Bob. The game was not successful; however, in 1994 Vochozka Trading released the first Czech commercial games for PC, two 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. This was followed by adventures like Dračí Historie (Dragon History, the first Czech dubbed game on CD, 1995), Gooka (the first Czech game on Windows, 1997), Horké léto (Hot Summer, 1997) and DreamLand: Final Solution (1999). Games released in the 1990s also include real-time strategy game Paranoia (1995) and RPG Brány Skeldalu (Gates of Skeldal, 1998). Among the most widespread Czech logical DOS games were also Vlak (Train, 1993), Achtung, die Kurve! (1995) and Boovie (1998). The game Polda was released in 1998, this was the beginning of the most popular Czech adventure series.

The first internationally successful Czech game was Hidden & Dangerous by Illusion Softworks, a third person action game released in 1999.[14][15][16][17] More notable games by Illusion Softworks include Flying Heroes (2000), Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven (2002) and Vietcong (2003). In 2008 American publisher Take-Two Interactive acquired Illusion Softworks and renamed it to 2K Czech. The dark adventure Black Mirror from 2003 was a great success abroad, but two more sequels have already been made in Germany.

Bohemia Interactive became the most successful Czech developer with its worldwide bestseller[18] Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis and the series of ARMA games, first released in 2006. The success of Bohemia Interactive is regarded as having overshadowed other independent development studios.[16][19][20]

Czech development studios such as Amanita Design along with their Machinarium from 2009, Altar Games with its Original War and UFO series and SCS Software with its Euro Truck Simulator were established in these years.

In July 2011, several people formerly of 2K Czech and Bohemia Interactive opened Warhorse Studios, which produced Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018).

Consumer availability

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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.[21] The corresponding total for 2012 was 2.436 billion CZK, a growth of 10.6%.[22] 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.[22][23]

Video game associations

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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[check spelling] where developers can share its experience and show their work. The association also organizes Game Developers Session and GAMEDAY Festival.[24]

Video Game Industry Association of the Czech Republic and the 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.[25]

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.[26][27]

Education

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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 Plzeň, Czech Technical University in Prague and Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.[28]

Video game companies from the Czech Republic

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Company Location Founded Type
1C Publishing EU[29][30]
(Now Fulqrum Games)
Prague 2002 Publisher
2 Stupid Devs Czech 2020 Developer, publisher
2K Czech Brno 1997 Developer
About Fun[31] Prague 2011 Mobile game developer
Alda Games[32] Brno 2013 Mobile game developer
Allodium Games[33] Prague 2007 Online game developer
Amanita Design Brno 2001 Developer
Ashborne Games Brno 2020 Developer
BadFly Interactive Uherské Hradiště 2014 Developer
BeerDeer Games Prague 2011 Developer
Blue Brain Games Prague 2016 Developer
Bohemia Interactive Prague 1999 Developer, publisher
Boomer Games s.r.o. Prostějov 2021 Developer, publisher
CBE Software Brno 2010 Developer
Cenega Czech Prague 1988[34] Publisher
Centauri Production Prague 2000 Developer
CGE Digital Prague 2014 Mobile game developer
Charged Monkey Prague 2014 Mobile game developer
Charles Games Prague 2017 Developer, publisher
Chaos Concept 2002 Developer
Cinemax Prague 1997 Developer, publisher
Computer Games Distribution[35] Prague 2002 Publisher
ConQuest Entertainment[36] Prague 1990 Publisher
Craneballs Studio Ostrava 2008 Developer, publisher
Digital Life Productions Hradec Králové 2009[37] Developer
Dreadlocks Ltd Prague 2011 Developer
Electronic Arts Czech Republic[38] Prague 2001[39] Publisher
Fineway Studios Brno 2004[40] Developer
Fiolasoft Studio[41] Prague 2002 Video game developer, audiovisual production, graphics, web, marketing
Flow Studio[42] Prague 2011 Developer
Gamajun Games Brno 2012 Mobile game developer
gamifi.cc[43] Brno 2007 Developer
Geewa Prague 2005 Mobile game developer
GoldKnights Prague 2015 Developer
Grip Games Prague 2010 Developer, publisher
Hangonit Brno 2012 Developer
Hexage Prague 2009 Developer
Honestly Games Limited Prague 2019 Developer
Hyperbolic Magnetism[44] Prague 2010 Developer
Icarus Games[45] Brno 2011 Developer
inDev Brain Brno[46] 2013 Developer
INGAME STUDIOS Brno 2020 Developer
JRC Interactive Prague[47] 1988 Video game distributor. Former publisher (1988-1999), dev & localizer.
Keen Software House Prague 2010 Developer
Kubat Software Czech 2011 Video game, app & web developer
KUBI Games Brno 2013 Developer, publisher
Latest Past Ostrava 2021 Developer
Lukáš Navrátil Games Znojmo 2013 Developer
Madfinger Games Brno 2010 Developer and publisher (Mostly mobile & online)
McMagic Productions Prague 2012 Developer, publisher
Microsoft Česká Republika[48] Prague 2006 (video game division) Publisher
Mingle Games[49] Prague 2012 Developer
Nepos Games Prague 2019 Developer
Neronian Studios Prague 2023 Developer, co-dev (AR/VR, apps, sims), publisher
North Beach Games Prague Prague 2024 Developer, co-dev
Oxymoron Games Prague 2017 Developer, publisher
Paper Bunker s.r.o. Ostrava 2014 Developer and publisher (Mobile, core & VR)
Paperash Brno 2014 Developer
Perun Creative Ostrava 2017 Developer, publisher
Playito Prague 2012 Mobile game developer
Playman[50] Hradec Králové 2001 Publisher
Purple Nebula Czech 2017 Developer
Rake in Grass Prague 2000 Developer
Rocking Toy Prague 2022 Developer, publisher
Running Pillow Brno 2009 Developer
SCS Software Prague 1997 Developer
Silver Eye Studios Prague 2023 Developer, publisher
SleepTeam s.r.o.
(See CS wiki)
Prague 1996 Publisher, developer
Sony Czech[51] Prague 1993 Publisher
Soulbound Games Zlín 2013 Developer
T19 Games Czech 2021 Developer
Team 21 Prague 2012 Developer
Touch Orchestra Brno 2015 Developer
Trickster Arts Brno 2012 Developer, publisher
Valdabro Games Liberec 2015 Developer
Vicious Mime Olomouc 2013 Developer
Volcanoid s.r.o. Prague 2017 Developer, publisher
Warhorse Studios Prague 2011 Developer
Wube Software[52] Prague 2014 Developer
Zima Software Prague 1995 Developer

Defunct video game companies

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Company Founded Dissolved Notes
7FX s.r.o. 1999 2010 Developer.
Altar Games
(CS wiki)
1997 2010 Developer & former publisher.
Black Element Software 2000 2010 Developer. Acquired by Bohemia Interactive.
Bone Artz 2004 2007 Developer & publisher.
Disney Mobile Prague Studio 2005[53] 2014[54] Developer. Former co-dev & porting.
eeGon Games 2012 2013 Mobile game developer. Inactive. Website down in 2014.
Fun 2 Robots 2013 2016 Czech office of Slovak developer.
Future Games 1996 2011 Developer. Former publisher & distributor.
Hammerware, s.r.o. 2005 2017 (Inactive afterwards) Developer & publisher.
Mindware Studios 2002 2011 Developer.
Napoleon Games[55] 1994 2016 Developer. Inactive. Website down after 2021.[56]
NoSense 1994 1997 Developer.
Phoenix Arts (game company) 1994 1998 Developer. Former publisher.
Plastic Reality Technologies 2000 2006 Developer. Closed. Staff moved to Illusion Softworks.
Pterodon (Ex-Pterodon Software in 1993-1995) 1993 2006 Developer.
Unknown Identity 1996 2005 Developer. Staff moved into Future Games, & Unknown Identity's name use ceased.
Silicon Jelly s.r.o. 2011 2017 Developer & publisher (mobile-focused).
Slightly Mad Studios (Prague) 2008 2017 Developer.
Vatra Games 2009 2012 Developer.
Vochozka Trading
(CS wiki)
1993 2008 Publisher & distributor.

Appearance of the Czech Republic in video games

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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.[57] 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 Forza Motorsport 5, one of the tracks available to play was based in Prague.

In Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, the title character is sent to save kidnapped Czech scientist Dr. Kio Marv. One part of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, occurred in Prague-inspired city with Czech signs and Vltava-inspired Volta River. One character, Smoke (real name Tomas Vrbada), in Mortal Kombat is also Czech originating from Prague.

In Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, a huge part of the story takes place in cyberpunk Prague, where the mix of modern architecture and historical building is very apparent from each other.

As part of Czechoslovakia

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

World of Tanks released Plzeň map in December 2015. This update also features Czechoslovak Tanks.[58]

Video game events in the Czech Republic

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Game Developers Session is a game development conference that has been held annually 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 first held in Brno in 2010. Since 2016, Game Access is held annually. It includes speeches of developers from all around the world, Indie Expo where all its participants compete for Game Access Awards, Business Expo and networking events. Since 2017, the organizers included workshops in the Game Access conference.[59][60][61]

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.[62]

The GAMEDAY Festival has been held every May in Třeboň since 2010, part of Anifilm Třeboň. .[63]

The Czech Game of the Year Awards are annual awards that recognize accomplishments in video game development.Awards were part of Gameday Festival until became independent in 2017.[64]

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.[65] It was replaced by Player's Awards for next years.[66]

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.[67]

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.[68]

Gamer Pie is a video game festival held in Brno.[69]

Media

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Magazine Publisher Since
LeveL Naked Dog 1995
Score Omega Publishing Group 1994

Defunct print media

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Magazine Since Ended
Excalibur 1991 2001
Game4U 2000 2006
GameStar 1999 2006
Klan 1996 2000

Czech TV programs about video games

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Programs

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Title Channel Since
Indian TV Relax 2008
Re-Play Prima Cool 2009
Game Page YouTube 2013

Programs no longer broadcast

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Title Channel Since Ended
Game Page Česká televize 1999 2012
Games TV Stream.cz 2014 2016
Hrajeme s Alim Prima Cool 2015 2016

Notable people in the Czech gaming industry

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See also

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References

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Online media

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