Europe

We are honored to present The Games Monitor 2018 edition with the latest facts, figures, trends and developments in the Dutch games industry. The Games Monitor was first published in 2012 and was followed by new research in 2015. Both reports generated a lot of interest into the Dutch games industry’s facts and figures, which is why we are pleased to be able to provide you with an update for 2018.

The Games Monitor 2018 provides a comprehensive analysis of the Dutch video games industry, tracking its evolution and maturation between 2015 and 2018. The industry is defined by companies whose core activities involve the development, production, publication, or distribution of electronic games, categorized into entertainment and applied (serious) games. The research methodology combined desk research with a survey of 165 companies, supplemented by industry roundtable discussions to validate findings.

The Dutch games sector experienced accelerated growth during the 2015–2018 period, characterized by an average annual job increase of 10 percent. By the end of 2018, the industry comprised 575 companies and 3,850 jobs, generating an estimated annual turnover of €225–300 million. While the average company size remains small at approximately seven employees, there is a clear trend toward scaling up, evidenced by a significant increase in mid-sized firms employing between 11 and 100 people. Geographically, the industry is concentrated in major urban centers, with Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven accounting for over 60 percent of net job growth.

Market dynamics show a strong expansion in entertainment game development, which grew by 33 percent, while the applied games sector—primarily serving healthcare, education, and government—has stabilized. Business models in the entertainment sector rely heavily on premium monetization and in-app advertising, whereas applied studios frequently utilize work-for-hire models. The educational landscape remains robust, with 44 game-related study programs producing over 900 graduates annually. Overall, the industry is transitioning toward a more mature, competitive state, marked by increased productivity, strategic acquisitions, and international expansion.

This report was made possible thanks to funding provided by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the Ministry of Development, Creative Europe Desk Poland and the Agency The research part of the project was coordinated by the Kraków Technology Park. The partners of the report include the Polish Games Association, Indie Games Poland Foundation, Grupa Onet S.A. and Gry-Online S.A.

HOW TO Game developer studios in Europe 4 What EGDF does 5 ENABLE Number of people working in game development 7 Turnover of the national game development ecosystems 9 DIGITAL The shorter the value chain, the more growth in Europe 10 Games are the driving force of the digital revolution 11 Content drives innovation 12 GROWTH Creative E...

Źródło fotografii: Materiały royality free z portalu Depositphotos.com oraz materiały prasowe z konferencji Digital Dragons Jeszcze kilkanaście lat temu gry wideo wydawały się obszarem zarezerwowanym jedynie dla największych entuzjastów technologii oraz młodszej części społeczeństwa. Dziś obraz gracza przedstawia się zgoła inaczej – w różnej formie ten rodzaj rozrywki wybiera coraz więcej osób, bez względu na wiek, za- wód czy wykształcenie.

In 2012 the first edition of the Dutch Games Monitor was presented. Whilst maybe not the first research focusing on the Dutch games industry, it was the first where an extensive survey and a series of interviews provided a broad insight into the state of the industry. In the past few years interest in games and data about the games industry has increased. Many people were interested in an updated version of the Games Monitor .

The Dutch games industry experienced significant expansion between 2011 and 2015, characterized by a 42% increase in the number of companies, which grew from 320 to 455. This growth was primarily driven by a surge in new, small-scale game development studios. Despite this rise in firm count, the industry remains dominated by micro-enterprises with an average of seven employees. While the total workforce expanded from 2,730 to 3,030 professionals, the rate of job creation was slower than the rate of company formation, reflecting the challenges start-ups face in scaling operations and achieving long-term sustainability.

The industry is bifurcated into entertainment and applied games, with the latter maintaining a particularly strong foothold in the Netherlands compared to other European nations. Applied game studios, which focus on training, education, and health, faced significant market volatility between 2013 and 2014, though demand for these services rebounded sharply by 2015. To mitigate risks associated with the hit-driven nature of the entertainment market and the project-based cycles of applied games, many studios are shifting toward product-based models and forming strategic alliances for marketing and funding.

Data for this analysis was gathered through a questionnaire sent to over 400 companies, with 130 responses, supplemented by industry roundtable discussions and existing databases. Financial performance remains modest, with most companies reporting annual profits under €100,000. While the number of game-related educational programs has increased by 25%, a persistent skills gap remains, as studios struggle to find employees with the necessary entrepreneurial and business acumen. Ultimately, while the Dutch ecosystem shows robust growth, the industry continues to grapple with the difficulty of transitioning from small start-ups to larger, commercially stable entities.

The European Online Game Survey 2012 provides a comprehensive analysis of the European game development landscape, focusing on industry trends, technical infrastructure, and gamer behavior. Conducted by the European Games Developer Federation and i2 Media Research, the study utilizes quantitative data from 93 industry members and qualitative insights from 1,154 gamers across Germany, Spain, France, Finland, Denmark, and Norway. The primary objective is to evaluate the operational realities of European studios and identify opportunities for enhancing community-driven gaming experiences.

Key findings indicate that the industry is heavily invested in Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs), with 58% of surveyed studios having worked on an MMOG in their three most recent projects. Developers prioritize community interaction and user-generated content, viewing these as essential components of modern game design. To support these goals, the research highlights the development of peer-to-peer architectures and in-game graphical insertion technology, which allow for enhanced social features without requiring costly modifications to existing game code or central server infrastructure.

The survey also details the technical profiles of European studios, noting that the sector is dominated by small-to-medium enterprises, with nearly half of all studios employing fewer than 10 people. Production environments are characterized by a strong preference for high-performance hardware, with a clear trend toward prioritizing processing speed over cost. Furthermore, the research segments the gaming audience into distinct categories—ranging from casual players to community-minded fanatics—to help developers optimize product development and monetization strategies. Ultimately, the findings underscore a shift toward integrated, high-performance social gaming experiences that minimize technical friction for the end user.

Sinds entertainment games ook de smartphones en tablets hebben ver - overd dankzij hits als Wordfeud en Angry Birds, staat de gamesindustrie volop in de schijnwerpers. Met deze casual games is het spelen van com - puterspelletjes doorgedrongen tot het grote publiek en tot elk moment van de dag. Een laagdrempelig, onderhoudend tijdverdrijf, waarmee mensen zich op een speelse manier kunnen meten met tegenstrevers.