Video games in Belgium

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.^[1]

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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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:

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.^[4]^[5]

There are 64 game developers registered with the Flemish Games Association.^[6] 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
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
Salty Lemon Entertainment	Kortrijk	2018	indie games & mobile apps
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 games
Based 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.^[7]
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

Games developed in Belgium

Game publishers from Belgium

Company	Location	Founded	Type
Big Ben Interactive Belgium	Tubize	1992 (as Atoll Soft)	publishing and accessory distribution
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

Education

^[8]

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.^[9]

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	From	Until
Shrimp tv	TMF	2001	2003
GUNK TV	TMF and VT4(from 2008)	2004	2009
Luna Park	RTBF	1993	1996

Defunct Channels

GUNKtv

Online media

References

^ Lenting, Tom (January 2019). "Een aanzet tot de gamegeschiedenis van België". Karel van Mander Academy. Retrieved 2019-09-20. (in Dutch)
^ "About PEGI? Owners and administrators". PEGI S.A. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
^ "Belgen hebben meer dan 6,5 miljoen games gekocht". BEA. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
^ drealmer (April 6, 2009). "Video Game Developers in Belgium".
^ Vlaamse Game Development Blog (January 15, 2011). "Vlaamse Game Developers".
^ "DIRECTORY". March 29, 2012.
^ "Bazookas' official website". bazookas.be (in Dutch). Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
^ "Schools- GameCareerGuide.com". www.gamecareerguide.com.
^ "Werken in de gamesector". Departement cultuur, jeugd, sport en media. Retrieved 2012-07-22.

[1] Lenting, Tom (January 2019). "Een aanzet tot de gamegeschiedenis van België". Karel van Mander Academy. Retrieved 2019-09-20. (in Dutch)

[Owners_and_administrators-2] "About PEGI? Owners and administrators". PEGI S.A. Retrieved 2012-07-22.

[3] "Belgen hebben meer dan 6,5 miljoen games gekocht". BEA. Retrieved 2012-07-22.

[4] realmer (April 6, 2009). "Video Game Developers in Belgium".

[5] Vlaamse Game Development Blog (January 15, 2011). "Vlaamse Game Developers".

[6] "DIRECTORY". March 29, 2012.

[Bazookas_Site-7] "Bazookas' official website". bazookas.be (in Dutch). Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2024.

[8] "Schools- GameCareerGuide.com". www.gamecareerguide.com.

[Werken_in_de_gamesector-9] "Werken in de gamesector". Departement cultuur, jeugd, sport en media. Retrieved 2012-07-22.

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