Pendragon's Silvio Negri-Clementi on Italy's board game market

Silvio Negri-Clementi, CEO of Italian studio Pendragon, discusses the state of the board game market in Italy. Italy lags behind Nordic, Anglo-Saxon, and Central European countries due to a different gaming culture and more sunny weather. The German market is the benchmark, with 1,500 new releases at the Essen fair. Italy's serious development began only in the last 15 years, spurred by Asmodee's entry. Pendragon imports games like 'Pianeti Sconosciuti' (winner of Gioco dell'Anno at Lucca Comics & Games 2024) and creates originals like 'The Thing' with Universal and 'Bonelli Kids'. The market is growing but remains non-driving for Pendragon, which sells mainly abroad. The target audience includes families, teens, and kidult collectors. Success factors include good mechanics, aesthetics, and distribution. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter serve as communication tools. The Italian market is hampered by regional divides, with the South poorer. Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Baltic states, Poland) and Ukraine (post-invasion growth) are more profitable. The Play fair moved from Modena to Bologna, indicating growing interest.