This article is about the video game market and culture in Belgium.
Consumer availability
Distribution Distribution in Belgium is usually done by publishers that cover the entire Benelux, although some of the publishers' offices are located in Belgium. Since not every publisher has a separate office for the Benelux, certain publishers take care of multiple labels, including those of other publishers.
Rating Belgium supports the PEGI rating system but there is no legislative basis. PEGI was developed and is owned by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe which is based in Brussels.
Sales In 2011, the Belgian consumer bought 6.54 million games. More than 84% of those games were console games. The sales generated a revenue of 220 million euro, which means they stayed stable compared to 2010.
Belgium's appearance in video games
Belgium as a setting Belgium is not often used as an originally created setting for video games, although it does appear in some types of simulation games.
World War II games The famous Battle of the Bulge is featured in the following video games: Battle of the Bulge, various wargames simulating the battle. Call of Duty: United Offensive, the American campaign is set during the Battle of the Bulge. Medal of Honor: European Assault, the final campaign is set at the start of the Battle. Bulge '44 (HPS Simulations) An operational level strategy wargame, covering many scenarios, both historic and alternative. Call of Duty: WWII, Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes map in multiplayer
Racing games Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a popular racing circuit. It's the host of the Belgian Grand Prix and has been featured in many Formula One games and other racing games like Need for Speed: Shift, Race Driver: Grid, Forza Motorsport 5 and Gran Turismo.
Belgian video game characters
Anna from the game Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a nurse who was born in Ypres In most of the international sports games, such as the FIFA football games and olympic video games, teams or players from Belgium are featured. Phillipe Loren, one of Saints Row The Third's villains is of Belgian origin. Sens from the game Rainbow 6 Siege
Video games based on Belgian works Many video games are based on Belgian comic books:
XIII Video games based on The Adventures of Tintin Video games based on The Smurfs Largo Winch: Empire Under Threat Spirou Video games based on Lucky Luke
Video game development
Representation The Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA) is the organization that represents the interests of the music, video and video game industries in Belgium.
The Flemish Games Association (FLEGA) represents the Flemish video game industry, The Brussels-Capital Region Games Association (games.brussels) represents the Brussels video game industry, the Walloon Games Association (WALGA) represents the Walloon video game industry.
Game developers from Belgium Also see external links.
There are 64 game developers registered with the Flemish Games Association. Some of the game development studios in Belgium include:
Company Location Founded Type AIM Productions Hove 1994 online games, custom games Visual Impact Brussels 1994 handheld games and localization Larian Studios Ghent 1996 core games and educational games Cyborn B.V. Antwerp 1998 multimedia, AV, VR, mobile and core games. Also co-devs. Hyperion Entertainment Brussels 1999 porting Windows games to Linux, Mac OS & Amiga OS Nuclide Antwerp 2001 casual and mobile games Newfort Ghent 2002 (as Endrone) online and mobile games TerraNovita Software Rumst 2005 indie games Gabitasoft Interactive Kapellen 2006 indie games Neopica Ghent 2007 casual games Unproductive Fun Time Brussels 2007 indie games Playlane Drongen 2007 custom games and serious games Fishing Cactus Mons 2008 mobile and downloadable games Sakari Games Antwerp 2008 game content Balio Studio Mons 2009 casual and core games (licensed properties) CatLab Interactive Ghent 2009 web and mobile games PreviewLabs Kontich 2009 rapid prototyping The Artistocrats BV Hasselt 2009 core games (strategy, wargames) Vetasoft Studio Mons 2009 social and mobile games DAE Studios Kortrijk 2010 3D visualizations & serious games Monkube Brussels 2010 indie games and mobile games Triangle Factory Ghent 2010 virtual reality, augmented reality and mobile games LuGus Studios Genk 2011 serious games & experimental games Rusty Bolt Bruges 2011 indie games Drag ON Slide Mons 2012 serious games and mobile app Firewolf Engineering Hasselt 2012 game development & visualizations Sileni Studios Antwerp 2012 browser games Pandora Technology Belgium 2012 indie games Abrakam Entertainment Liège 2013 Indie games specialist in CCG games Daoka Gosselies 2013 motion games and core games Quantum Game Studio Ostend 2013 indie games Bunnycopter Leuven 2014 indie games Glowfish Interactive Kortrijk 2014 dev & co-dev: core games, VR & visualisations Studio Raef Turnhout 2014 indie games eXiin Brussels 2015 indie games FrostyFroggs Brussels 2015 indie games Happy Volcano Leuven 2015 indie games Invisible Ink Studios Wavre 2015 indie games Pajama Llama Games Ghent 2015 indie games God As A Cucumber Kortrijk 2016 game development & visualization Cybernetic Walrus Antwerp 2017 Indie games. Co-dev: graphics, AR/VR/XR. Training provider. Warcave Games Geel 2017 core games (strategy) Get Up Games BVBA Sint-Denijs-Westrem 2018 online games Mantis Games Ghent 2018 Core games. Co-dev, porting, VR. Salty Lemon Entertainment Antwerp 2018 exergames CaptureAge Mechelen 2019 Spectating tools, co-dev like Charlie Bruges 2019 indie games (adventures) MoonMonster Studios Kortrijk 2019 game development Elivard SRL Liège 2021 core games (city-builder/strategy) Slappy Inc. Kortrijk 2021 VR, AR projects and indie gamesBased outside Belgium Fresh3D S.A.R.L. Pornichet (French studio) 2004 indie games and game services
Defunct game developers Company Founded Ended Notes 10Tacle Studios Belgium 2001 2008 Founded as elseWhere Entertainment, acquired by German publisher, 10Tacle Studios AG, in 2005. Filed for bankruptcy in August 2008. AMA Studios 2009 2013 fused with key people from Appeal to form Daoka Appeal 1995 2002 core games Bazookas 2012 2022 serious, educational, AR/VR and entertainment games. Inactive in 2020. Website down after 2022. Belle Productions 1996 2011 serious games and advergames Edisys SCRL 1993 1995 core, shareware games. Parent of game firm, Copysoft. Games & Magic Touch label likely sold to MA, US IT service firm, American Computer Technologies. Hellion Cat 2016 2020 indie games Hippo Point Interactive 2008 2010 filed for bankruptcy Tale of Tales 2002 2016 liquidated
Game publishers from Belgium Company Location Founded Type Big Ben Interactive Belgium Tubize 1992 (as Atoll Soft) publishing and accessory distribution Clever Trickster Studio SRL Namur 2022 publisher, dev & co-dev I-Illusions SPRL Brussels 2011 publisher & dev: indie games Oro Interactive Aalst 2020 marketing & publishing support Rogueside NV Geel 2010 publisher & dev: indie games. Ex-Crazy Monkey Studios (2010-2020). Transposia Ghent 1994 localization & edutainment
Games developed in Belgium
Adventure Rock Ary and the Secret of Seasons Baldur's Gate III Beyond Divinity Divine Divinity Divinity II: Ego Draconis Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga Divinity: Dragon Commander Divinity: Original Sin Divinity: Original Sin II EXR (app) Hyperball Racing Outcast Sunset The Endless Forest The Graveyard The Path Woolfe: The Red Hood Diaries
Education
University college Program School City Degree Digital Arts & Entertainment Howest Kortrijk Bachelor Bachelor en Techniques Infographiques (Video Games) Haute Ecole Albert Jacquard Namur Bachelor Communication and mediadesign, profile game art & design LUCA Genk Master
Other Syntra LIMBURG offers multiple video game courses.
Media
Print media Magazine Publisher Since Gameplay (formerly known as PC Gameplay) Tarsonis 1994 Officieel PlayStation Magazine Think Media 1996 9lives (formerly known as Gunk) T.Vgas 2004 Chief Think Media 2007
Television
Programs
Title Channel Since Gamepower JIM 1996 Gametown TMF 2010
Defunct Programs
Title Channel FromUntil Shrimp tv TMF 2001 2003 GUNK TV TMF and VT4(from 2008) 2004 2009 Luna Park RTBF 1993 1996
Defunct Channels
GUNKtv
Online media eurogamer.be RTBF iXPé 9lives.be Sensei Gaming Les Players Du Dimanche N-Gamz 4WeAreGamers GameBrain Belgian Games Industry (Companies list) Belgian Game Industry Directory
References