This article is about the video game market and culture in the Netherlands.
As of 2008, the game industry in the Netherlands is worth nearly 1 billion Euro. In 2007, the Dutch game industry surpassed the Dutch film industry for the first time in history. The growth of the games industry in the Netherlands is about 50% higher than any other industry in the Netherlands' region. A significant part of the Netherlands's gaming industry is in serious games, in which Dutch companies make a significant part of the worldwide industry.[1]
The Netherlands' mainstream video games market, not taking into consideration the serious and casual games, is the sixth largest in Europe. The Dutch market takes up 3.95% of the entire European market in total sales and 4.19% in software sales.[2]
In the Netherlands, an estimated of 1,500 people are working in game development in the Netherlands, and more than 100 companies are active in the industry.[2]
Despite the global financial crisis of 2008–2009, the situation of video gaming in the Netherlands is not all that bad. Both publishers and retailers report that the crisis has certainly not caused a drop in sales, while at times, sales have even improved. [3]
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Although the first generation of video games were obtained by a select few, video games became first available during the second generation of video games, when a select few Dutch electronic stores carried the earlier systems. With the third generation, more stores started carrying video game related products, a trend that has been setting through ever since.
In the early '90s, independent video game stores first started to open in the Netherlands, with a fast expansion in the early 2000s. Since 2004, video games have gotten more important for general stores however, which has led to the closing of a number of game stores, and a merger of others.
Currently, there are about 1,200 stores, of which about 75 independent, in the Netherlands that carry video games and related items, and numerous online stores.
Distribution in the Netherlands is usually done by publishers or major distributors such as Micromedia BV in Nijmegen that cover the entire Benelux, although most of the publishers' offices are located in the Netherlands, and only a few have offices in Belgium. Since not every publisher has a separate office for the Benelux, certain publishers take care of multiple labels, including those of other publishers.
Currently, there are only two actual Dutch video game publishers: Lighthouse Interactive and Playlogic Entertainment, although the actual distribution is done through wholesalers.
The game division of publisher Davilex, Davilex Games, was ended in 2005 because it was not profitable enough, and their games were generally not well-received.
Konami is the only publisher that does not have an office in the Netherlands, or anyone covering their label. The distribution of Konami's games is done via the European office in Germany.
The Netherlands is not often used as an originally created setting for video games, other than certain Dutch games such as A2 Racer and Efteling Tycoon. Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, was planned to be a featured city in The Getaway 3, before its development was cancelled. The first big non-simulation game to use the Netherlands as a setting is Hitman: Codename 47, which has a level set in Rotterdam. Resistance: Retribution also featured a Rotterdam-level. Casual game Youda Legend: The Curse of the Amsterdam Diamond has the Dutch capital as the setting for the entire game.[1]
The Netherlands does however appear at times in several types of simulation games.
During the second world war, the Netherlands was the location of some of the heaviest battles between the allied forces and Nazi Germany. Especially Operation Market Garden is a much-used setting for World War II games. The game Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway focusses entirely on Operation Market Garden and accurately depicts the Dutch towns and landscape along the operation's route.
In most of the international sports games, such as the FIFA football games and olympic video games, teams or players from the Netherlands are featured.
| Company | Location | Founded | Type |
| Engine Software | Doetinchem | 1995 | core games |
| Elements Interactive | Almere | 1996 | technology developer and mobile games |
| Triumph Studios | Delft | 1997 | core games |
| IJsfontein | Amsterdam | 1997 | serious games |
| MAD Multimedia | Groningen | 1998 | serious games |
| White Bear | Amersfoort | 1998 | casual games |
| RANJ | Rotterdam | 1999 | serious games |
| Khaeon | The Hague | 1999 | core games |
| Nixxes Software | Utrecht | 1999 | technology developer and video game conversions |
| Guerrilla Games | Amsterdam | 2000 | core games |
| Two Tribes | Harderwijk | 2000 | core games |
| Codeglue | Rotterdam | 2000 | core games |
| E-Semble bv | Delft | 2000 | serious games |
| Zylom | Eindhoven | 2001 | casual games |
| Monkeybizniz | Utrecht | 2001 | serious games |
| Ex Machina | Amsterdam | 2001 | technology developer |
| Trade Games International | 2002 | core games | |
| Playlogic Entertainment | Amsterdam | 2002 | core games |
| VSTEP | Rotterdam | 2002 | serious games |
| Pixel Pixies | Leeuwarden | 2002 | serious games |
| Grendel Games | Leeuwarden | 2002 | core- and serious games |
| Eximion | Eindhoven | 2003 | technology developer |
| Team6 Game Studios | Assen | 2003 | core games |
| Spill Group | Utrecht | 2004 | casual games |
| Spellborn International | The Hague | 2004 | core games |
| CrazyFoot Gamestudio | The Hague | 2004 | core games |
| Mindgame | Amsterdam | 2004 | serious games |
| Xform | Utrecht | 2004 | browser based 3D games |
| Tygron | The Hague | 2005 | serious games |
| Triangle Studios | Leeuwarden | 2005 | core games |
| Sticky Studios | Utrecht | 2005 | serious and mobile games |
| W!Games | Amsterdam | 2005 | core games |
| Soepel | Amsterdam | 2005 | casual- and serious games |
| Coin-Op Interactive | Rotterdam | 2006 | video game design |
| ZC Funcraft | Nijmegen | 2007 | core games |
| Blender Institute | Amsterdam | 2007 | Open content |
| FourceLabs | Utrecht | 2007 | serious games |
| Weber Sites & Games BV | Arnhem | 2007 | casual and mobile games |
| WeirdBeard | Amsterdam | 2008 | web games |
| Ronimo Games | Utrecht | 2008 | core games |
| OneBigGame | Amsterdam | 2008 | core- and casual games |
| Vertigo Games BV | Rotterdam | 2008 | core- and serious games |
| Virtual Fairground | Amsterdam | 2008 | browser based games and mmos |
| Flavour | Amsterdam | 2008 | serious games |
| Rough Cookie | Amsterdam | 2008 | mobile and handheld games |
| Company | Founded | Ended | |
| Ultra Force | 1989 | 1993 | moved to computer software development |
| Digital Infinity | 1995 | 2000 | merged into Lost Boys Games |
| Orange Games | 1995 | 2000 | merged into Lost Boys Games |
| Lost Boys Games | 2000 | 2003 | taken over and renamed Guerrilla Games |
| Davilex Games | 1997 | 2005 | Davilex continues without gaming products |
| Coded Illusions | 2004 | 2008 | filed for bankruptcy September 2008 |
| Spellborn Works | 2004 | 2009 | filed for bankruptcy in June 2009 |
| Streamline Studios | 2001 | 2009 | filed for bankruptcy in November 2009 |
| Playlogic | 2002 | 2010 | filed for bankruptcy in July 2010 |
| Company | Location | Founded | Type |
| White Bear | Amersfoort | 1993 | casual games |
| Zylom | Eindhoven | 2001 | casual games |
| Playlogic Entertainment | Amsterdam | 2002 | core games |
| Spill Group | Utrecht | 2004 | casual games |
| Lighthouse Interactive | Haarlem | 2005 | core games |
| UnitedGames | Wormerveer | 2007 | core games |
| Virtual Fairground | Amsterdam | 2008 | browser based virtual worlds and MMOs |
| OneBigGame | Amsterdam | 2008 | core- and casual games |
Up until 2002, whoever wanted to work in the gaming industry was best off pursuing a computer programming or graphic design education. In 2002, Utrecht School of the Arts offered the first 'pure' game education in the Netherlands. Currently there are 11 schools offering specific game educations in the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, several large and smaller LAN parties and other gaming events are held yearly.
A notable organization is Gameparty.net, a website that functions as a central hub in the Dutch game event scene with an events calendar and a large forum section. As an organisation, Gameparty supports organisations to help organize gaming events, large and smaller. Furthermore, Gameparty itself is responsible for two yearly events, TheParty and CampZone. TheParty is an indoor LAN-party with 1000+ visitors, held in the "Beursgebouw" (convention center) in Eindhoven. CampZone is an 11-day outdoor LAN-ing event held on a campsite, where the 1600+ visitors stay mostly in army tents, family tents and caravans. CampZone is held for the 10th time in 2010.
Other major LAN-parties and organisations that have organized 1000+ visitor events include Drome, Netgamez, LAN = Life and Regroup. Most of these organizations operate on a non-profit basis, finding sponsors within the computer and gaming world to be able to operate budget-neutral. In recent years, the 1000+ visitors have declined in popularity, with the scene seeing a shift towards smaller, more sociable events and/or events that offer more than just non-stop gaming. Additional activities include (outdoor) sports events, quizzes and other non-gaming competitions.
In addition, small LAN-parties held at home for typically 5-15 visitors, remain popular.
The Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media (NICAM) is the institute responsible for the software given for review for the European video game content rating system PEGI.
Was born in the Netherlands, and was responsible for acquiring the license to Tetris for global distribution onto video game consoles.
Started his career in video games as the main programmer behind the first demo ever to use 3D imagery on the PC and later both Jazz Jackrabbit games, and is currently head of Guerrilla Games. He is often credited with being the first successful Dutch game developer, sometimes mentioned as "the godfather of Dutch game development".
Is a computer programmer notable for his work in game programming as well as having designed several programming languages. He has worked on Far Cry, and is the creator of a number of open source game engines, and a number of games from his own hand.
Is the lead programmer of Triumph Studios, one of the first Dutch game developers. He is responsible for the Age of Wonders-series, and the recent console-game Overlord.
Is Vice President of Development, and one of the founders, of the Netherlands' oldest still working game developer, Engine Software.
Was one of the first editors for Power Unlimited, and is currently head editor of the Netherlands' biggest and longest running game magazine.
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