The Danish video game industry defies the crisis and sets new high-score

Posted: July 07, 2010 by Daniel Vámosi Martinussen

Despite 2009 being heavily marked by the financial crisis, the Danish video game industry experienced a growth of four percent and had a total turnover of DKK 380 million.

Although facing the great challenge of the financial crisis the Danish video game industry managed to beat the odds and top the high-score list: from crisis years 2008 to 2009 the turnover increased by four percent from DKK 364 million to DKK 380 million, says the daily business paper Børsen.

The figures from the Danish Producers' Association, which have not yet been publicly disclosed, indicate that the industry is now nearly half the size of the Danish film industry. Two thirds of the growth are achieved through export.

Partly emerged from the growing industry, a number of 60-70 start-up companies are also present in the Danish video game market today. CEO of the Danish Producers' Association, Klaus Hansen, says that the conditions are challenging for the smallest developers and he appeals to the authorities to introduce a start-up programme to support the many small but enthusiastic initiatives:

- With just DKK 20 million funding annually such a support programme would make a huge difference, says Klaus Hansen to Børsen.

Throughout 2009 the industry still had the privilege of the Danish Screen initiative, which was launched to support talents within a number of different industries including the video game industry. This support programme, however, expired by the beginning of 2010.

Source: Version2

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