作者：Dan Pearson

“赫尔辛基是个奇妙的地方。它什么也没有，但又接近拥有一切。”有人微笑着告诉我。

我坐在赫尔辛基的NewCo Factory的会议室里。NewCo Factory是由国家赞助产业孵化器和加速工场，它的业务涵盖了这座城市乃至整个国家的各行各业。此时我正在与这个项目的主管、原诺基亚公司的员工 Mika Valtasaari交谈。从他口中，我知道了这个人口仅540万的国家首都如何崛起为整个欧洲游戏开发行业的最热门的孵化基地。

“我的行业资历还不够深，不敢说它的游戏业是已经非常繁荣了还是刚刚兴起。但我们正在目睹许多有趣的事情，”他说得很谨慎，谦逊乐观的态度正是这个民族的传统。

Valtasaari不是唯一发现这个城市的游戏行业正在迅速发展的人。随着欧洲经济衰退的浪潮冲刷着这个国家的海岸线，受雇于这一行的2200人预计今年将帮助产业创收约8亿欧元，这还不包括Supercell贡献的51%的销售额（游戏邦注：该公司出售了51%的股份）。在经济萧条的时期，这样的收益规模不能不引起人们的注意。

“我认为创造了一个不是为了复制Supercell的公司是一个巨大的成功——带来了非常良好的环境，一个万物共存和交流的生态系统。他们不怕互相竞争，因为他们知道他们其实不是在互相竞争。他们不害怕走向全球。大公司做了一些值得尊敬的事，为在他们之后的公司树立学习的榜样。”

NewCo的经营方式与其他孵化工场类似（如Mika所言，“帮助新工作室获得立足所必需的资源，以尽可以少的成本获得成功”），但它反映了一种流行于整个芬兰游戏行业的看法：Rovio和Supercell的成功以及Remedy、RedLynx和Bugbear等工作室的成长壮大，正在把全球的注意力引向这个国家的迅速发展的游戏业。结论是：充分把握这股发展势头、注意力和时代精神，以及为后世留下永恒的遗产。

Valtasaari的部分工作是寻找有前途的行业新星，比如像Playraven和Grand Cru这样的工作室，帮助他们站稳脚跟和发展壮大——这是这个城市乐意投入的过程。

“目前，我们帮助新公司获得初创拔款，我们当地的费用是一个月280欧元，如果是在城市中心的热点地区，还要在这个基础上再加120欧元。我们是要收费的，或者说你可以看作是一种公共模式——我们帮助你拿到钱，我们自己取走一小部分，然后帮你你如何充分利用剩下的钱。

“这是公共资金，是城市的钱。当我们有自己的融资活动时，也就是找到投资商，我们不希望公司依赖政府资助，我们希望他们学会如何用钱。另外，当他们寻求基金资助机构时，或者当有人把15万欧元或300万欧元或11亿欧元放在他们面前时，他们不会不知所措。”

政府投资在北欧地区是非常普遍的事，这归功于这个地区最近出现的许多成功。这体现在像北欧游戏节之类的活动上以及这个地区无数的新兴商业上。政府投资被证明是成功的，有回报的。比如，Supercell以11亿美元出售公司51%的股份时，就在国家报纸上宣传公司高管为如此支持游戏行业的国家纳税而自豪的事迹，并立即偿还了政府贷款的资金。

可惜的是，这样的慷慨大方在世界上的其他地区是极少见的，Mika认为正是赫尔辛基允许失败和积累教训的态度使这股精神弥漫于整个行业，促进了行业的繁荣。

他解释道：“我认为如果你对别人好，别人也会对你好。如果他们从花在他们身上的钱中得到好处，他们也会相应地回报出钱的人。另一方面，有些大公司居然会无耻到‘优化税收’（逃税漏税）。我觉得真是耻辱。他们忘记了他们其实也从税收中拿到了回报。

（“愤怒的小鸟”的周边产品几乎随处可见，与芬兰童话中的森林小人一样成为“国家名片”。）

“Supercell曾说过，我们会知恩图报的，我们说到做到。我们不会耍花招。在我们国家不会发生那种事，真是令人欣慰。”

这种公共责任态度，这种奇特的实用主义和非常斯堪的纳维亚式的资本主义国家的社会主义，在我的旅行中随处可见。甚至在Rovio的神圣大厅，占据Espoo城的中心商业区的四座大厦若干层的办公室，这种合作和交流的精神也是很明显的。Rovio营销总监Peter Vesterbacka是个非常热情的人，基本上不缺席当地游戏节和独立开发者见面会——他的名字经常被开发者拿来开善意的玩笑。

另一家资深的本地工作室Bugbear，更加关注社区活动。比如，政府举办了一个旨在培养儿童学习游戏开发的活动，他们就提供了代码课程。

这个活动是由Hannes Pasanen主持的。这个男人是天生的教师。他既有严肃沉稳的一面，也有热情活跃的一面，他对自己的“教师”副业非常上心。作为赫尔辛基的Pelitalo Happi Game Room（城市资助的代码俱乐部，每周一开放一次）的核心管理人员，他负责教约30名13-25岁的青少年学习基础代码课程。

“我们现在正在争取更多资金我，以便继续拓展这个课程，我们的目标是劳工部。我们还准备与其他地区的代码培训课程合作——我们正在把这个课程整合到二年级的专业课中，作为公共课选项，这样芬兰学生都能学习了。”

每一周都有两名来自赫尔辛基的社区的专业开发者来到俱乐部，向学生们传授他们的知识；他们还自愿帮助主持俱乐部在周五和周六晚上举办的开放游戏之夜活动，以及俱乐部为社交障碍年轻人举办的特别活动。

“我们的基本想法是，在游戏行业专业人士的帮助下，他们能学会游戏开发的工具和找到一起开发游戏的朋友。我们从行业中找来不同专业的专业人士，教年轻人学会从脚本编写到图像和声音制作的整个过程。我们也关注教他们学会建立自己的公司——商业方面。”

“这个想法源于Bugbear。有些芬兰游戏网站关闭了，因为没有足够的积极性维持下去，所以他们想解决这个问题。我们想拯救和创造新的网站，使新的开发者有机会聚在一起，交流工具和做项目。然后，我们决定尝试这种实验室环境，把新人们汇聚起来，让专业人士来指导他们。

（这是一座低调的城市，但赫尔辛基已经展示出巨大的发展和投资潜力。）

“此外，我们有一个旨在创造一系列针对芬兰其他地区的年轻人的游戏开发网页的项目。这样我们就能把工具和技术介绍给偏远地区的孩子了。这个项目还考虑到其他社交和教育方面，以及与其他游戏开发者的交流和工作介绍。”

社会的支持和政府的资助在当地的游戏业发展中当然发挥了重要作用，但Rovio和Supercell，作为游戏工作室的成功榜样，也产生了巨大影响力。他们是这个城市的手机行业的标杆，但当地的许多工作室还有其他商业模式和平台可选择。以下列举了赫尔辛基的主力工作室和新星。

Bugbear

游戏机领域的资深工作室，以《Flatout》系列以及《SEGA Rally》等外包项目而闻名。Bugbear积极参与当地社区活动。目前这家工作室已经在Kickstarter网站上为它的下一个项目《Next Car Game》进行众筹。这款游戏显然是《Flatout》系列的精神延续之作。

Grand Cru

广受赞誉的新工作室，它尚未发行的游戏处女作《Supernauts》已经筹到大量资金。Grand Cru的员工是来自欧洲各地的知名游戏工作室的人才。它经常被人们称为“Supercell第二”。

Housemarque

又一家人才荟萃的开发工作室，代表作为PS4独占游戏《Resogun》。Housemarque杰作层出不穷，再加上与索尼的合作，使它成为当地游戏业的又一道靓丽风景线。该工作室最近翻新的办公室还配有史上最舒服的游戏测试室。

Lifeline Ventures

（Lifeline Ventures合伙创始人Timo Ahopelto）

在芬兰，本地投资公司是很少的，大部分资金来自外部合作方。Lifeline是例外之一，它专注于游戏和生物技术的投资，是Grand Cru和Supercell的早期投资人。它的合伙创始人Timo Ahopelto还投资了Grey Area、Uplause和Applifier。这家投资公司目前还有多个项目正在筹备中。

Playraven

这家工作室经验丰富，名声在外，是由来自Remedy、Wooga和Digital Chocolate等公司的资深人士组成的。它的第一款游戏《Spymaster》现在正在测试中，不久即将登录iOS平台。Spymaster已经积累了许多策略游戏玩家，它的游戏也特别受女性玩家的欢迎。

RedLynx

作为育碧子公司，RedLynx是赫尔辛基本地大发行商的代表。多年专注核心市场为它培养了大量忠实的粉丝，该工作室目前正在为它的旗舰产品《Trials》系列制作两款新游戏，一款为游戏机游戏，另一款为手机游戏。

Remedy

又一个血统高贵的开发工作室。作为《Max Payne》和《Alan Wake》的开发者，它已经经营了近20年了。但它没有止步不前，这家工作室目前正在野心勃勃地制作Xbox One冒险游戏《Quantum Break》。据说这款游戏具有全新的玩法，剧情将由游戏中的活动决定。

Rovio

手机游戏行业的超级明星，Rovio的《愤怒的小鸟》已经成为学习增值和多样化原创产品的教科书。从不可思议的品牌混搭到与Pixar和《星球大战》的合作，这家工作室迅速培养出一个产品遍及咖啡到帽子品牌。Rovio不愧为品牌培养大师，是芬兰最大的游戏公司。

（《Clash of Clans》能否达到像《愤怒的小鸟》那样的全球知名度，仍然有待时间的验证，但Supercell有足够的钱做实验。）

Supercell

作为本地行业的新英雄，Supercell使玩《Clash of Clans》成为一个全球现象。这家工作室一边赚钱一边回馈赫尔辛基的游戏生态圈。这家工作室目前面临一个艰难的选择：把这款游戏培养成更大的品牌，或者开发新作品。Supercell准备证明自己不是一个昙花一现的工作室。不愧为赫尔辛基游戏行业的英雄！（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Helsinki: Picking the Right Acorns

By Dan Pearson

“Helsinki has a wonderful location,” I’m told with a smile. “It’s nowhere, but it’s close to everything.”

I’m sat in the meeting room of the Helsinki NewCo Factory, a state-sponsored start-up incubator and accelerator which serves a number of industries for the city and the country at large. I’m speaking to Mika Valtasaari, the energetic and intense ex-Nokia employee who heads up the scheme, who is trying to explain how the capital of a country with just 5.4 million inhabitants is suddenly one of the hottest crucibles of European game development.

Finland’s Games Industry

180 companies employing 2200 people, 35 per cent of which operate in or around Helsinki

An estimated revenue of €800 million for 2013, a huge increase from last year’s €220m.

50 per cent of gaming companies are less than two years old

One of the world’s best education systems and a wealth of knowledge from ex-Nokia staff means qualified staff are abundant.

“I haven’t been in the game long enough to know if it’s a boom or if it’s just getting visibility,” he qualifies carefully, in a style of humble optimism which proves to be endemic amongst his countrymen. “But we’re seeing lots of very, very interesting things.”

Valtasaari isn’t alone in finding the city’s burgeoning games industry interesting. As Europe’s rolling recession front prepares to break on the nation’s shores, the 2200 people currently employed in the sector are due to pull in an estimated €800 million in revenue this year, and that’s aside from the massive cash injection which the sales of 51 per cent of Supercell has just raised. That sort of economic activity, in a time of sparsity, begins to get people’s attention.

“I think it’s made it a lot more acceptable,” Valtasaari tells me of the Clash of Clans developer’s deal with SoftBank. “It’s in financial papers, not just magazines made for boys. Family mothers are talking about it. It’s done a world of good, and it’s done a world of good at a time when we basically only have bad news. So it’s really the right time and the right place for a success.

“It’s a great success to have business which isn’t just trying to breed Supercell clones – it’s brought about a really good environment, an ecosystem of things that are living of each other and communicating. They’re not afraid to compete with each other because they know that they aren’t really competing against each other. They’re not afraid to go global. The big companies have made things respectable and they’ve also created a curriculum of education for the companies behind them.”

“The big companies have made things respectable and they’ve also created a curriculum of education for the companies behind them”
Mika Valtasaari, NewCo Factory

NewCo operates in a similar way to any incubator, (“helping start-ups get access to what they need so they can get established, hitting as few mines as possible on the way,” as Mika puts it.) but it reflects an attitude prevalent in the Finnish industry as a whole: the success of Rovio and Supercell, along with the pedigree of studios like Remedy, RedLynx and Bugbear, is bringing global attention to an industry which moves very quickly indeed. The conclusion: capitalise on that growth, attention and Zeitgeist and build a lasting legacy.

Part of Valtasaari’s job is to identify the up and coming stars, outfits like Playraven or Grand Cru, and get them a foothold on the ladder – a process that the city is happy to invest in.

“Currently we help companies get a start-up grant, and our local fee is €280 a month, to hire a hotspot in the middle of town is another €120 on top. It’s either fee based or you can look at it like the public model – we help you get money, take a little bit ourselves, then help you make the most of what’s left.

“It’s public money, city money. When we have our pitch events, that’s investors, we don’t want companies to be government supported, we want them to learn how to deal with money. Also when they approach a crowd-funding agency, or when someone drops €150,000 or €3 million, or €1.1 billion in front of them, they don’t go to pieces.”

That public investment is a common thing across the Nordic region and has been credited with firing a great deal of the area’s recent success. It’s visible at events like the Nordic Game Festival and in numerous young businesses across the area, and, it’s proven, it pays dividends. Supercell, upon taking delivery of €1.1 billion in exchange for 51 per cent of the company, took out an advert in national newspapers proclaiming how proud the company directors were to pay tax on the windfall in a country which does so much to support the sector, and immediately paid back the cash it has received in government loans.

Such social largesse is pitifully rare elsewhere in the corporate world, and Mika believes that it’s Helsinki’s attitude to enabling useful failure and lesson learning which imbues that spirit amongst its successes.

Angry Birds merchandising is predictably ubiquitous, competing with Moomins as the ‘national brand’.

“I think if you treat people right, they’ll treat you right,” he explains emphatically. “If they see a benefit tax from money being spent on them, they pay it back. On the other hand, I think it’s a real shame that the big established companies are going to such an extent to ‘tax optimise’. That they forget that they’re actually getting something in return.

“Supercell have said, you know what, we’re going to pay that back. We made something out of it. We’re not going to play any tricks and route it through the Cayman Islands, then Lichenstein then Switzerland etc etc. None of that is there and that’s really cool to see.”

That attitude of social responsibility, that curiously pragmatic and very Scandinavian capitalist socialism, is a running theme throughout my visit. Even in the hallowed halls of Rovio, which occupy several floors in four towers of a commercial estate in the city of Espoo, the spirit of collaboration and community is apparent. Peter Vesterbacka, Rovio’s ebullient marketing head and most visible face, is a regular attendee of local events and indie meet-ups – his name is spoken with a respectful chuckle by more than one developer.

Another veteran local studio, Flatout producer Bugbear, has taken its community invovlement a little further, offering their assistance to a government funded scheme which aims to help kids interested in joining the industry learn to code.

“They were worried about the games industry in Finland not having enough skilled and enthusiastic workers in the future and they wanted to do something that would engage young people”
Hannes Pasanen

That scheme is run by Hannes Pasanen, a man who seems born to teach. He combines a quiet authority with geniality and an obvious passion for education and talks with open enthusiasm about his charges. As the key supervisor at Helsinki’s Pelitalo Happi Game Room, a city-funded coding club which meets every Monday, Hannes oversees groups of around 30 13-25 year olds who are all learning the basics.

“We got some funding from the ministry of education – our main aim was to find ways to use computers and games to help kids. We founded this place, then we had the contact from Bugbear – they wanted to do something. They were worried about the games industry in Finland not having enough skilled and enthusiastic workers in the future and they wanted to do something that would engage young people.

“We’re now trying to get more funding to try and develop this program, we’re aiming to approach the ministry of labour. We’re also trying to get it linked to some areas of the curriculum – we’re in the process of trying to integrate a second grade professional study into the open study options which Finnish students can choose.”

Every week, two professional developers from Helsinki’s community come along to the club and pass on their knowledge to the youngsters there, also volunteering to help supervise the open gaming nights which the club hosts on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as the special sessions the centre holds for socially restricted young men.

“Basically the idea is for them to find the tools and friends to develop games, with the help of games industry professionals. We bring professionals from different aspects of game development to teach the young people the whole process from script writing to graphics and sound and production. We try to focus on things like setting up your own company – the business side as well.

A pleasantly low-rise city, Helsinki nonetheless exhibits plenty of signs of expansion and investment.

“The original idea came from Bugbear entertainment. There were some Finnish games sites which were going out of business because nobody was active enough to keep them going, so they tried to save it. The idea was to save it and create a new site that brings new developers together and they could provide the right tools and forums for people to get together and start projects. Then we decided to try this sort of laboratory environment instead, to bring them here and have professionals come to help.

“As well as this, we have a project which aims to create a set of game develop web pages for young people in other areas of Finland. That way we can start to introduce tools and techniques to children living remotely. It also has other social and educational aspects, as well as ways to communicate with other developers and follow up job opportunities.”

These support networks and high levels of government engagement have certainly played a part in the growth of the local scene, but Rovio and Supercell, as excellent local examples of just how successful good game development can be, have been a huge influence too. They’re pushing a growing and highly visible mobile agenda in the city, but there’s a wide range of business models and platform preferences amongst the city’s many studios. Read on for a brief summary of the city’s major players and upcoming stars.

Bugbear

Veterans of the console scene with their Flatout series and contract work on titles like SEGA Rally, Bugbear is an active member of the local community, too. Looking to secure its next project, the studio has just opened a Kickstarter for Next Car Game – the unambiguously titled siritual successor the the Flatout titles.

Grand Cru

A much-lauded start-up which received generous funding for as yet unreleased debut game Supernauts, Grand Cru has staffed itself with a selection of staff from leading mobile developers across Europe. Very much one to watch and referred to as “the next Supercell” more than once.

Housemarque

One of a very select club of developers to have a game available for the PS4 at launch in the shape of Resogun, Housemarque’s broad portfolio and special agreement with Sony makes it an up and coming member of the local scene. The company’s newly refurbished office also holds the most comfortable playtesting room ever constructed.

Lifeline Ventures

Lifeline Ventures founding partner Timo Ahopelto

Local investment companies are a rarity in Finland, with most money coming from outside partners. Lifeline is one of the exceptions to that rule, specialising largely in games and biotech investment. Early seed funders for Grand Cru and Supercell, founding partner Timo Ahopelto has also put money towards Grey Area, Uplause and Applifier, as well as having a few more projects in the pipeline.

Playraven

A start-up full of experience already being spoken about with great reverence, Playraven is formed of vetrans from companies as diverse as Remedy, Wooga and Digital Chocolate. The developer’s first game, Spymaster, is in beta now in preparation for an iOS launch soon. Aiming for a core strategy audience with extended play sessions, Spymaster is already seeing great engagement from players, with a particular interest from female gamers.

RedLynx

As a part of Ubisoft, RedLynx is Helsinki’s local representative of big publishers. Having created a tremendously loyal following with years of catering to core markets, the studio is currently working on two new titles in its flagship Trials series, one for console and another for mobile. For a more insight into their current plans, read our recent interview.

Remedy

Another developer with a grand pedigree, the Max Payne and Alan Wake developer has been in business for nearly 20 years. It’s not staying still, however, the studio is currently working on ambitious transmedia adventure Quantum Break for the Xbox One, a project which will bookend sections of gameplay with episodes of a ‘TV’ show, the plot of which will depend upon in-game actions.

Rovio

Whether Clash of Clans becomes a global brand like Angry Birds remains to be seen, but Supercell have the cash in the bank to experiment.

The original blueprint for mobile gaming super-stardom, Rovio’s Angry Birds is a textbook study on how to proliferate and diversify an IP. From incredibly high-profile band mash-ups with partners like Pixar and Star Wars to a rapidly growing merchandising business which produces everything from coffee to hats, Rovio is the master of brand iteration and Finland’s largest games employer.

Supercell

Current heroes of the local industry, Supercell have turned Clash of Clans into a global phenomenon whilst ploughing cash and experience back into the city’s eco-system. Now looking at a choice between trying to turn that game into a wider brand or risk launching a new IP, Supercell is poised to prove itself much more than a one-hit wonder. Definitely the current local heroes.(source:gamesindustry)