Saudi Arabia's Gaming Investment Strategy and Italy's Missed Opportunity

Saudi Arabia has launched a major strategy to invest in the video game industry, acquiring a 5% stake in Nintendo and aiming to generate up to 1% of its national GDP, produce at least 30 new titles, and create about 40,000 jobs by the early 2030s. The initiative is managed by government investment funds and led by the Minister of Communication and ICT, focusing on promoting gaming through large events. The strategy targets high-knowledge jobs and cultural content production in a growing demand segment, especially among youth, allowing Saudi Arabia to diversify investments and internationalize through acquisitions of producers and distributors. In contrast, Italy missed a similar opportunity over a decade ago. When Assassin's Creed boosted international attention toward Florence and the Uffizi, Italy only developed a strategy to host game settings rather than positioning itself as a producer of video games, failing to capitalize on the economic and cultural potential of the industry.