666-gamers VZW’s Post

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻 Vertigo 6 | Part of Happy Horizon's Mike Hendrixen and our very own Frank Goren sat down with Marketing Report | Nederland to discuss their perspectives and opportunities of tapping into gaming culture as a brand.   Whether it is the misperception of what a gamer is to the general public, how to reach this target audience without feeling like an intruder, what the future holds, and most importantly why, as a brand, you can no longer ignore the over 10 million gamers that the Netherlands boasts.   Learn more about their viewing points in the article below! https://lnkd.in/eGxqPbnA

Returning companies, more exhibitors, greater internationality and additional areas at gamescom 2024 Interest in gamescom 2024 is high, with organisers reporting ten per cent more exhibitors than at the same point in 2023. 2K, Blizzard Entertainment and Electronic Arts (EA) will return, while The Pokémon Company will make its gamescom debut. This year also sees the introduction of the cards & boards area with Hasbro, Konami Digital Entertainment, Pegasus Spiele, Ravensburger and Ulisses Spiele, as well as the Social Stage. The event becomes increasingly international. "After the strong growth last year, we are heading for new records at this year's gamescom with even more exhibitors and even more international participation," says Tim Endres, Director of gamescom. "One thing is already clear: gamescom 2024 will once again be the games festival of superlatives. What is particularly striking is that gamescom is becoming even more international," says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche e.V., co-organiser of gamescom. https://lnkd.in/extRMu9d

The Dutch Games industry suffered a unimaginable loss today: due to a change in public funding policy, the Dutch Game Garden - which without exaggeration could be regarded as the beating heart of the Dutch games industry - has announced its closure after 17 years of service due to a lack of funding available. To put that into perspective, when I was dropping out of university, the "DGG" was where I went to start Vlambeer. Being in that building, with all the other studios and developers, was an invaluable part of accelerating my career. I don't think I'd be here without the guidance and selfless support of the team back in the days. Pick any random person in the Dutch games industry, and it's likely that at least one point or another in their career, the Garden was a critical factor, a meaningful support, or a useful resource. In the Netherlands, we have a disproportionally talented and creative games industry - but we also have had a lot to be jealous about when it comes to the structures supporting the industry in other countries. Yet, on my travels, the Garden was consistently named as something the rest of the world was envious of. An institute that enabled, incubated, organized, and connected almost every aspect of the games industry - brightly visible, a beacon, a clubhouse, a facilitator. All that now ends in 2025, and it feels borderline unacceptable to lose something that powerful in a time where the industry, more than anything, needs symbols of hope. The team at the Dutch Game Garden gave it their all to find a way forward, but that way never materialized. That means it is now up to all of us to make sure that we carry their torch forward. As a person, I have many more thoughts and tears to shed about this loss - but as a board member of the Dutch Games Association, I know there's a lot of work we can do to ensure the damage caused by their forced closure is at the very least reduced. We are already actively evaluating how our association can ensure continuity on at least some of the incredible activities of the Dutch Games Garden. And, as the person responsible for government relations, I am going to give it everything I have to ensure this will never happen again. If you are a part of our industry, and you have thoughts, ideas, or initiatives you want to share with us, or me, please feel free to e-mail me at rami@dutchgamesassociation.nl. If you just want to vent about this, express your feelings, or share a story - please do feel free to reach out too. Thank you so much to everyone who made the countless iterations of the Dutch Game Garden possible. It would not be an exaggeration that there would be far less of us without your efforts. I would not be here without your support. Your legacy remains - and while I can't speak for everyone, based on the countless messages I received today I know many of us feel the same: we'll miss the Garden, but we will make sure we grow onwards on the soil you've nurtured for us.

🔵 Club Brugge reveals new football shirt to fans in Roblox first 👇 Last week, Belgian football club Club Brugge launched its away shirt in a very unique way. ⚽️ The national champion decided to unveil the shirt in Roblox, the most popular gaming platform at the moment. One limited edition shirt - with iconic shirt number 9 - was offered for FREE to all members of the club's Young Blues membership. 🏟 The shirt was revealed in Club Brugge's own Roblox experience, a virtual hang out lounge branded in the club's colors. Almost 6,000 fans joined the launch ceremony - a HUGE success (and world premiere for a football club). 🕹 The club didn't disclose future plans yet, but mentions (on its website) that Young Blues members will get guaranteed access to all Roblox UGC of their favorite team.. Gaming is taking centre stage in many company's marketing strategy. 🧨 And rightfully so. In no time, close to 1000 fans have joined the Club Brugge group on Roblox. It's safe to say that there's quite some potential. Those who are not part of the Young Blues membership (yet) can buy the non-limited edition away shirt (with number 12) in the Roblox Marketplace for 65 Robux. 👾 A sign of the times... Not familiar with Roblox yet? ‣ The platform has over 70 million daily active users, with significant growth YoY. ‣ Roblox generated $2.7 billion in revenue last year (mainly from virtual item sales on the platform), marking a 25% year-over-year increase ‣ Users spent a total of 44.54 billion (!) hours on Roblox in the first three quarters of 2023, with the highest engagement coming from European users. ‣ Europe leads with the highest number of daily active users at 27%, followed by Asia-Pacific with 23%, and the US & Canada with 22% ➡️ Which brand do you want to see next on Roblox? 💬 #innovation #roblox #clubbrugge #soccer #football #gaming

Total economic value of Belgian #videogame sector grew to €708M in 2023! That's 21.6% more compared to 2022 and without even factoring in worldwide Baldur's Gate 3 sales. We calculate the total economic #value based on sales to consumers in Belgium as well as the worldwide turnover of Belgian game companies. That latest figure is not yet fully known for 2023, the year in which Baldur's Gate 3 officially launched. Jump to €708M is mainly due to explosive sales of PlayStation 5 in 2023 when Sony's console was widely available after chip shortages during pandemic. All this clearly explained as always by Roland Legrand in De Tijd (link in Dutch behind paywall). https://lnkd.in/dtsMZAgG

The Belgian Game market in 2023 grew an astonishing 21.6% compared to 2022. This is without adding the success of Baldur's Gate 3! A fast-growing market, supported by talent graduating from schools like Howest - Digital Arts and Entertainment ,LUCA School of Arts and Haute École Albert Jacquard (HEAJ). The economic sprint is just getting started. So why not start investing in the gaming industry? You would be surprised at how many opportunities there are. Would you be interested in the possibilities? PM me and I can walk you through why you should get involved in the Belgian Game industry! #InvestOpportunies #Gaming #Growth

While the world keep focussing it`s attention mainly on AI, the middle east region first silently and now with a loud roaring is setting itself into the "king of the jungle" position of e-sport. Saudi Arabia , Dubai and Abu Dhabi do not hesitate to surprise the gaming industry with daily new record breaking project announcements. A fantastic positive push in the gaming sector, which had been recently more noticed as difficult due to ongoing redundancies. We are witnessing here not a short term phenomenon, but the birth of the new superpower of the e-sport / gaming space. https://lnkd.in/dQCxGPqD

😎 Lets review this chapter together

Hendrik Klindworth, co-founder of InnoGames, shared insights on navigating challenges in the gaming industry during an interview with GamesWirtschaft. He discussed InnoGames' strategic shift after the 2023 restructuring and emphasized the importance of discipline in managing costs, development, and marketing. Hendrik also highlighted the company's ambitious new projects, including Heroes of History. 🚀🎮 Want to dive deeper into his vision for the future of gaming? Read the full interview in German here: https://lnkd.in/dUu6wZva

Last month, Portugal showcased its dynamic game development industry at #GDC, with an impressive delegation and its first-ever pavilion, highlighting a trajectory of remarkable growth and innovation 🚀 🇵🇹 This week we all got tremendous coverage from GamesIndustry.biz, cheers to Diogo Rato with Associação de Produtores de Videojogos Portugueses 📖 💚 "The Portuguese games industry had a big presence at GDC last month, with over 50 delegates from 20 companies attending, 14 companies represented in the country's pavilion (its first ever at the event), and a reception organised at the Consulate General of Portugal welcoming over 100 attendees." We got to spend quality time across the pavilion and the reception with friends from Anybrain, Fortis Games and many more 😎 From the inception of iconic games in the '80s to the bustling scene today, Portugal's journey is marked by a significant increase in studios, a surge in revenue, and a 53% annual growth in industry professionals since 2018. This boom is further supported by the newly opened Gaming Hub in Lisbon, fostering innovation and collaboration 🌆 More key highlights from Portugal 🌟 💸Over €38 million in turnover in 2022, with studios increasing by more than 20% yearly. 📈Notable advancements, including Miniclip’s expansion and international acquisitions, underscore Portugal's role as a tech hub for creative and ambitious projects. We're proud to be part of this thriving community, contributing to its diverse and rich gaming landscape as a software company building the next generation of tools for ambitious game developers. Portugal not only promises quality and innovation but also opens doors to the European market for global talent 🇪🇺 Looking to dive into an ecosystem where game development is nurtured and celebrated? Portugal welcomes you. Let's explore potential synergies and how Didimo, with our Popul8 technology, can play a part in your story 👋 More information here ▶ https://lnkd.in/ea2P5hkZ #GameDevelopment #Portugal #Innovation #Popul8 #Porto #Lisbon