Number of Nordic games funding applications on the rise

Need proof that developers across the world are looking at ways to secure funding amidst the recession? Just check out the Nordic Game Program 2009.

The fund, which offers cash to new projects in the Nordic region, has seen 86 projects submitted for cash.

Since the support program’s initiation in 2006, the number of applications has risen steadily – and demand is now 14 times higher than the available money.

"General interest in the support program and the quality of the submitted applications has yet again exceeded our wildest expectations. We are of course very happy with this, but there are also reasons for concern," commented Erik Robertson, who manages the Nordic Game Program.

”The total amount of funding applied for is 14 times higher than the resources available for allocation, and the number of applications is more than four times larger than what the program was designed to handle. We have rationalised the process so we can handle the application flow, but at the same time our available resources have been reduced. This has led the Nordic games community to ask if it’s reasonable to cut so deeply into what is commonly agreed to be one of the most important future industries in the Nordic region, and we don’t know what to tell them."

With the submission period now closed, a group of Nordic games experts will evaluate the projects submitted and award three million Danish crowns in this year’s first of two support rounds. In 2008, a total of 16 projects were awarded development grants.