Dutch Games Monitor 2022: Factsheet

The Dutch Games Monitor 2022 provides a comprehensive analysis of the Netherlands' video game industry, covering the period from 2018 to 2021. The primary objective is to evaluate the sector's growth, maturity, and structural evolution. The research methodology incorporates desk research, roundtable discussions, and a survey of approximately 500 companies, yielding nearly 200 responses. The analysis focuses on two distinct domains: entertainment games and applied (serious) games, which serve sectors such as healthcare and education.

The industry demonstrates significant maturation, characterized by a shift from an initial increase in the number of companies to a more recent surge in revenue and employment. By the end of 2021, the sector comprised 630 companies, generating between €420 million and €440 million in annual revenue. This represents an average annual revenue growth of nearly 18%, outpacing global industry averages. Employment also expanded, reaching 4,560 jobs with an annual growth rate exceeding 5%. This job creation is particularly concentrated in larger organizations, with the number of scale-ups employing over 50 people doubling to 12 companies over the three-year period.

Geographically, the Greater Amsterdam region leads in total employment, while Utrecht maintains the highest concentration of applied game developers. Although the number of dedicated game education programs has slightly decreased, the industry is seeing a rise in diversity, with the percentage of women in the workforce reaching 23% by 2021. Furthermore, the sector is increasingly characterized by international expansion, a rise in external investments, and a growing number of mergers and acquisitions, signaling that the Dutch games industry is successfully transitioning into a more mature and globally competitive market.