Mihai Pohontu: "I strongly believe that we have the talent and experience to develop AAA games"

Looking somewhat with admiration and envy towards Poland and other countries that are more advanced than Romania in the video game industry, with successful projects like the Witcher series from CD Projekt Red, I somehow awaited the moment when I would hear about such a title developed by a Romanian company.

So, I spoke with Mihai Pohontu, Chairman of Amber Studio, about how competitive the local gaming market is and about the short-, medium-, and long-term plans of Amber, the most important player in Romania in this segment.

Connect: What does the current landscape of the gaming industry in Romania look like and how will it develop in the near future?

Mihai Pohontu: The Romanian game industry is growing at a rapid pace, with over 10% annually, but it has only a moderate size in absolute terms, with just over $200 million in revenues, compared to Poland, with over $600 million. On the other hand, the Romanian game industry is relatively large compared to other Eastern European countries, with over 6000 developers actively involved in the space.

It also has a long history that dates back to the first game designed in 1976 by Viorel Darie at ITC Bucharest. The commercial side of the industry was established shortly after the regime change in 1989, with the founding of Ubisoft Romania. It's a dynamic and competitive industry, but it is still dominated by the presence of large multinational studios, unlike in Poland, where local companies are dominant.

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