This news today captured my attention: "Nederlandse Gamesindustrie groter dan filmbranche", which means: in The Netherlands, games are bigger than movies - in some respects. The article cites the chairman of the Dutch gaming industry organization NLGD, who claims that, in 2007, the game industry will employ over 1500 people and have an annual turnover of an estimated one billion dollars - more than the Dutch movie industry.
Of course, the Dutch movie industry isn't exactly Hollywood, but it's still significant when something new overtakes the old, isn't it?
What makes this really interesting from my point of view however, is that it's especially the 'serious games' (training, simulation, education) that do well; they create most of this economic activity. One of the biggest universities of The Netherlands, the University of Utrecht, created the "center for advanced gaming and simulation" (English site), in a joint partnership with the Utrecht School of the Arts and TNO.
This looks very promising for anyone with an interest in virtual worlds and their usability in business or work situations. Especially the work of the center at Utrecht University looks promising. I wonder when they''ll have an event in Second Life..?
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