The Costa Rican legal framework, in conjunction with copyright law, places video games in a category analogous to computer programs or cinematographic works. However, neither of these classifications is suitable for comprehensively covering and safeguarding the elements that make them stand out as a complete creation in themselves without the need to fragment the work and, consequently, the author’s economic and moral rights.
It is essential to emphasize that, although the subject of this study encompasses the video game development industry at a national level, it is a global market projected to reach US$400.00 billion annually by 2027. According to the latest report from ICOMM, the European firm specializing in the analysis of the video game industry, in its Global Games Market Report, 2022, the industry registers worldwide revenues of over US$103.5 billion per year, with US$4.5 billion corresponding to purchases generated by individuals in Latin America.
Regarding the countries in the Central American region, Costa Rica leads the list as the country that invests the most money in this industry. It is worth mentioning that, according to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation, the consumption of these products in 2017 reached figures worth US$30 million, and by 2022, there was significant growth that reached US$42.9 million in revenue for the video game industry. In this case, the supplied data demonstrate, on the one hand, the quality of the work performed by video game developers and producers in Costa Rica, and on the other hand, it is evident that, in terms of investment, video games are an important activity for the entertainment of the Costa Rican population.
