This document discusses serious games in Flanders. It begins by introducing FLEGA, the Flemish Games Association, which supports the Flemish games industry. It then provides an overview of the Flemish games market and gamers. Several successful serious games from Flanders are highlighted, including a forklift simulator, interactive children's books, and a game about dental hygiene. The document concludes by noting the promising pipeline of serious games currently in development and the growing support network for games in Flanders.

1. Flega
Neder-Over-Heembeek
20 juni 2013

3. Current state of Serious
Games in Flanders
FLEGA presents
by Nico Verplancke (iMinds/FLEGA co-chair)

4. But first, what is FLEGA?
 Official Flemish Games Association
 Founded on June 29th 2012 by 6 Flemish game
developers and HOWEST with support from iMinds
 www.flega.be

5. What does FLEGA do?
 FLEGA supports the Flemish games industry as a
whole by creating a beneficial political, economic and
cultural climate for videogames
 FLEGA groups all Flemish organizations and
individuals active in or connected to the Flemish games
industry
 Developers, service providers, educational
institutions, researchers, resellers, freelancers, local
publishers…

6. What does FLEGA do?
 FLEGA defends and proactively promotes the interests
of it’s members
 FLEGA advises it’s members and encourages them to
share info and knowhow
 FLEGA represents it’s members in communication
with government, non-gaming businesses, international
organizations…

7. FLEGA Members
47 member organizations 23 member users
• For all companies and freelancers
boasting official company number
(“BTW nr”)
• Right to vote at statutory assembly
• Additional services such as
• Free access to FLEGA events
• Free consultancy eg. for
subsidy filings
• …
• For all students, enthousiasts…
without official company number
• No right to vote
• Services:
• Newsletter
• Event invites
• ...

8. Today’s topics
1. The Flemish gamer
2. The Flemish games industry
3. Serious Games in Flanders

9. The Flemish gamer

10. Source: Digimeter 5 Aug-Sep 2012 (vs 2011)

11. Source: Digimeter 5 Aug-Sep 2012 (vs 2011)

12. Source: Digimeter 5 Aug-Sep 2012 (vs 2011)

13. Source: Digimeter 5 Aug-Sep 2012 (vs 2011)

14. The Flemish
games industry

15. Source: Antwerp Business School & FDC study creative industry

16. Issues
 Small no. of companies
 Eg. 330 companies in The Netherlands
 Human capital fleeing abroad
 Flemish devs unknown to other industries
 Not enough collaboration
 Limited knowledge about government initiatives
 No tax shelter
 High salary costs > freelancers
 Small Flemish market > international focus

17. And now... The good news
Incubators!

18. Support
 VAF- Gamefonds
Games 2012-2013 goedgekeurd afgewezen onontvan
kelijk
totaal
I. Leerplicht-onderwijs 6 5 1 12
II. Andere Serious
Games
8 14 1 23
III. Entertainment
Games
9 20 0 29
TOTAAL I+II+III 23 39 2 64

19. ‘New’ Support
Organisations

20. Serious games
in Flanders

21. Serious games in Flanders
 Not much research available for our region
 Most research focusses on educational games
 iMinds - MICT (UGent) is conducting new research on the
effectiveness of educational games, first results expected
end of 2013 (G@S project – together with Larian, Die
Keure and Grin)

22. Toyota Forklift Simulator

23. Toyota Forklift Simulator
 Developed by GriN, based in Antwerp
 Initially for a buyer’s fair in Germany
 Big success
 Toyota ordered additional units for training purposes
 Version 2.0: instructor can design environments and
lessons himself using an editor
 Next? Stereo 3D, force feedback…

24. Fundels

25. Fundels
 Developed by PlayLane, based in Ghent
 First for pc, as of 2011 also on iOS mobile and tablet
 Picture books
 Interactive children’s books (kids aged 3 to 7)
 Available in more than 130 libraries
 AVI-leesboeken
 Digital reading tools (kids aged 6 to 10)
 Used in Flemish classrooms

26. CM Ben de Bever

27. CM Ben de Bever
 Developed by Bazookas, based in Brugge
 For kids aged 10 to 12
 Research by UGent in 2011 learns that
 Kids not only like Ben, they believe what he preaches
 Almost all kids (97,5%) like playing the games
 95% of kids want to play again
 62% of kids recognize the goal of the game: “Learn how
to best brush your teeth”
 Games are a great tools in class, especially when
combined with the more traditional approach

28. The Future
 Impressive pipeline (in part due to Game Fund) of
games in development
 Support network present...
 New gaming companies...