Dutch Game Garden

Casual or applied, gaming is here to stay! Viktor Wijnen, Managing Director, Dutch Game Garden, which has the EU’s largest concentration of game companies under one roof, talks about this upcoming industry.

Where does the Dutch gaming industry stand at this time in the global framework?

The Dutch game industry shows some remarkable similarities with other famous Dutch creative industries, such as television and design. Our game industry is creative, surprising and not afraid of global entrepreneurship. As such, we are frontrunners in the field of casual online games (and platforms, with Spill Games being the largest platform for casual games). The Dutch are renowned for their ability to develop concepts for the rapidly growing field of applied games with many award-winning companies that developed games ranging from project management, urban city development to surgery simulations.

What is the main purpose of the Dutch Game Garden? When was it established and what have been your achievements till now?

The main purpose of the Dutch Game Garden (DGG) is to accelerate the growth of the Dutch game industry. We officially started end of 2007. Our achievements are many, ranging from:

• Building the largest (online and offline) game community with more than 590 active students and professionals in our Developers’ Club;
• Supporting five successful companies in our Game Company Incubator;
• Facilitating eight established companies in our Business Centre and ramping up to 40 companies in our recently rented new building thereby creating the largest concentration of game-companies in the EU in one building;
• Organising more than 75 events for more than 2500 participants (workshops, summer schools, prototyping);
• Organising five Gamesjams for 250 professionals and students (including two of the largest in-house Global Game Jams worldwide);
• 100+ consults for companies, universities, governments;
• 150+ (Inter)national articles in newspapers, and on the Internet, radio and television;
• Established sustainable cross-over with film, music and animation sector;
• International promotion: brochures, promo-movies and venue presence (US, Japan & Germany).

What would you consider the advantages of locating here?

The Dutch Game Garden offers companies, including foreign companies, an instant network of facilities, knowledge, connections with the best universities, flexibility, affordable and scalable housing on a very attractive, central location in the Netherlands.

Gaming is at the forefront of the entertainment sector today. How do you view the future of gaming in a global context?

The gaming industry has shown a rapid and proven increase over the last ten years. The development and growth that took the film industry more than hundred years has been done outdone by the game industry in less than forty years. Games are here to stay and to further infiltrate and enrich our lives for many years to come.

Gaming is also cross-cultural often times. Do you think specially developed games can help youth from different parts of the world understand each other better, through the interface with social networks, for instance? What are the cutting-edge applications of gaming today that will really make gaming a part of everyone’s life?

Many aspects of games touch the hearts of cultures across the globe. The Homo Ludens is a term that puts this in perspective. Play is universal. Digital games can be a very important tool to connect people. One of the important cutting-edge applications of games, in my opinion, is the further development of platforms such as Android and iPhone OS. Smart phones, with their fast mobile data connections, developing battery life, location-based technologies such as GPS, digital compasses and video cameras, will make games an intrinsic part of our modern day life.

Do tell us about any of the projects in the Dutch Game Garden that you consider of great value.

Some examples are our Indigo connected by Ziggo showcase (www.indigoshowcase.nl), Gamejams (e.g. www.globalgamejam.nl) and many more to come. Follow us at www.dutchgamegarden.nl and twitter.com/dutchgamegarden, to know more.

How does the gaming sector in the Netherlands view India at this time? Have you visited India?

To my knowledge, the main focus right now (depending of course on the specific area of game development) is the US, EU and some parts of Asia. India is not a central focus point for the Netherlands yet. I have not visited India before. For me it would be very interesting to see how our countries could work together as global partners in this fast-moving industry.