Working Paper

According to the most commonly cited description, the ‘video games industry’ or the ‘gaming industry’ comprises of the sector associated with the development, publication, manufacture, distribution, and sale of video games.1 Within the industry, a developer produces the games which are then financed, promoted, and marketed by publishers and delivered to the retailers by the middlemen i.e., distrib. [...] Due to the rising popularity of e-sports or electronic sports, i.e., ‘the competitive and organised video gaming’, e-sports is also included as a component of the wider video games industry.2 Tracing the history of the industry, the launch of Pong by Atari in 1972 provided the initial stimulus to the sector which was further reinforced with the introduction of Space Invaders by Taito in the late 1. [...] 6 Zahra Niazi released the first Xbox console in 2001.6 The period following the year 2001 was characterised by the rise of mobile phones and the Internet, which stimulated the popularity of mobile gaming and provided a significant impetus to the industry.7 In terms of e-sports, the first gaming event was held in 1971 which helped kick start the domain of competitive gaming but progress was partic. [...] Throughout the first half of 2020, e-sports companies grew in prominence and in fact, suffered the least from the fall in the markets.63 Likewise, in Pakistan, online gaming appeared to be on the rise following the outbreak of COVID-19,64 which led the video games industry to reach new heights.65 58 “Rise in Demand, Popularity for E-sports,” Nation, November 21, 2021, . [...] Perhaps, the need of the time is to encourage a shift towards the greater development of and engagement in such video games to ensure that the strategic potential of the gaming industry is capitalised.