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080409: Heavy competition for funding

We have 3 million. People want 38 million. Record number of Nordic games projects compete for development funding.

During the first half of the year DKK 3 million in funding will be allocated to new Nordic games projects. The deadline for the first round of applications in 2008 has passed, and all previous records have been smashed.

No fewer than 75 Nordic games projects, a new record, submitted funding applications to the Nordic Games Program by the April 1 deadline. The applications, amounting to almost DKK 38 million, came from all over the Nordic Region, including the Faroe Islands.

“Once again we are pleased, proud and a bit overwhelmed to have received so many applications,” says Erik Robertson, head of the Nordic Games Program.

“Of course, DKK 3 million doesn’t stretch that far, especially when the total applied for is almost 38 million. So the expert panel faces a major and difficult task when it comes to evaluating the projects. Still, it is fantastically encouraging to see that there is such great interest in developing computer games all over the Nordic Region – and also that the smaller nations and autonomous territories are now getting involved too.”

Of the 75 applications, 24 were from Sweden, 19 from Finland, 18 from Denmark and 10 from Norway, while four came from Iceland and the Faroe Islands. A panel of experts will now evaluate them and allocate the DKK 3 million. In 2007, 15 projects received grants after the two rounds.

The recipients of the 2008 funding will be announced at Nordic Game 2008, a conference to be held in Malmö on 14–15 May (www.nordicgame.com).