Creative hubs and the digital games industry
a case study on the Dutch Game Garden
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-2207.2025.v16.n2.51015Keywords:
public policies, digital games, case study, creative hub, Dutch Game GardenAbstract
With the revolution of independent digital games (2000) and the explosion of the mobile games market, the industry now has a greater diversity of actors and a production geography that is more open to new poles. Governments initiated investments in public policies to catalyze the development of industry in their countries. This qualitative study, with an analytical-descriptive orientation, aims to present how the creative hubs initiative can help in the development of the games industry based on the case study of the Dutch Game Garden (DGG), the oldest hub project in the digital games industry. The article uses as a data collection and analysis instrument (a) narrative bibliographic review on creative hubs and documentary analysis; (b) semi-structured interview with hub managers; and (c) non-participant observation. From DGG's experience, one can observe the importance of a physical space for a hub, with a strategic location, to produce integrative events that encourage the construction of a collaboration network, incubation and student training programs. Such activities had a high potential for impact on the development of the local digital games industry, as they contribute to the qualification of professionals and companies and encourage the formation of a community. The need to raise funds was evident, mainly through public policies and partners to subsidize the operation of a creative hub for the digital games industry.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Pedro Santoro Zambon, Milena Cherutti, Cristiano Max Pereira Pinheiro, Marta Rosecler Bez, Ana Heloíza Vita Pessotto

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