"Booming Rotterdam" should benefit from the digital games industry as an engine of sustained economic growth. That is what dr. Mijke Slot (ERMeCC), Paul Rutten (Hogeschool Rotterdam) and Matthijs Leendertse (ELM Concepts) suggest in the dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad on July 18th.
Games as therapy
The three game-experts wrote a long article about serious games in the newspaper. Serious games are games that are used to teach people something, to change their behavior, to help people rehabilitate or even as a form of therapy. According to Slot, Rutten and Leendertse, Rotterdam plays an important role in this growing field as a number of important multinational game developers are located in the city.
Economic engine
Slot and her colleagues stress that these games should be taken seriously, especially since they have the potential to stimulate economic growth in many sectors. “For example, innovative game applications that focus on the smart and sustainable port as well as the medical sector ensure increased competitiveness of companies in these clusters,” according to the three experts. “Education in Rotterdam can find a better integration with the environment of young people and reduce rates of school dropouts. The government can use games to engage citizens in their policy better and more closely."
Source: RTV Rijnmond
Read more?
For more information about the research on serious gaming by Mijke Slot, Paul Rutten and Matthijs Leendertse, we refer you to their report 'Serious Gaming in Rotterdam' (Rotterdam Media Commission, February 2015)