Internationalisation of the Czech Video Game Industry – Success Factors of Selected Companies

This diploma thesis focuses on identifying the key attributes of game design, communication activities, and country of origin that video game consumers perceive as most significant in shaping brand image, using the Kingdom Come: Deliverance series by Warhorse Studios as a case example. The thesis draws on a literature review covering the specifics of the video game market, marketing in the video game industry, and the internationalization of game studios, supplemented by a descriptive case study of Warhorse Studios. The research component is based on a quantitative survey conducted on a sample of 171 respondents from 38 countries. The data were analyzed using a combination of descriptive statistics, one-sample t-test, Friedman test, Mann-Whitney U test, and GAP analysis. The results indicate that among game design elements, technical condition and narrative quality hold a dominant position, while in terms of communication activities, respondents value studio transparency and active community engagement most highly. The influence of viral content co-created by players proved to be a surprisingly strong factor contributing to brand image formation. Country of origin did not emerge as a direct factor influencing purchase decisions; however, the research confirmed the presence of a positive halo effect among foreign respondents familiar with Czech game production. The Kingdom Come: Deliverance series achieves an above-average positive brand image in respondents' perception and largely fulfills the attributes identified by the research as key. Based on the findings, recommendations are formulated for Czech game studios seeking successful internationalization in the global market.