FAQ
Here you can find the answers to frequently asked questions about the organization, the city of Breda, and the gaming industry!
About the organization
Breda Game City is a non-profit organization that focuses on elevating the Breda video games industry and creating a professional, healthy, and creative environment. We try to find the best solutions for people and companies that have needs in order to grow and establish themselves professionally in Breda. Think of things like: helping you find office space, getting you into contact with other developers, aiding you in navigating the world of start-ups, organizing different types of events for developers, and more!
Every game studio had its own needs, depending on its current form and dreams and ambitions. Our support can vary from introducing you to relevant partners to help find a suitable working space, or connecting you with talent for your job positions, to supporting you in your international presence at game conferences.
Please join our mailing list to be informed about our opportunities and events that we organize or partner with: team@bredagamecity.nl
Unfortunately we are a non-profit foundation and do not currently have sufficient funds to support studios.
However, we have connections in private and public funding and can help you a bit on your way. We encourage you to look at the following funds as options to help get you started:
Working in the games industry
It usually takes a lot of effort to learn the technical, creative, and interpersonal skills to work in the games industry. If you want to get started then there are many tutorials online, both free through sites such as YouTube and paid-for on sites such Udemy.
Free software is also available, such as Unreal Engine, Unity 3D, and Blender. All of these are industry-standard and can help you learn the skills you need to make games.
If you’ve tried making games, enjoy it, and want to learn more to join the industry, Breda University of Applied Sciences (http://www.buas.nl) offers one of the world’s top-rated bachelor’s and master’s degree courses. You don’t need a degree to get into games or to publish your work, but it is increasingly expected of people joining the industry.
Are you sure? Just kidding. That’s fantastic!
Have you considered attending BUas? It is a globally top-rated applied university for game development, and offers both bachelor’s and master’s courses. You don’t need a degree to get started in games, but it increasing does help, and the BUas education is designed to help you build the portfolio, technical skills, network, and interpersonal skills that you need for a successful career: https://www.buas.nl/en/programmes/creative-media-and-game-technologies
If you have a lot of money to invest, it is possible to hire companies to make your games. If you do not have money (or a very strong brand or intellectual property, such as Tom Clancy or The Avengers) then you will need more than only an idea.
The games industry is full of people with amazing ideas. Ideas are not the problem – the magic comes in the execution.
If you strongly believe that your idea will sell millions, channel that belief and confidence into investing the time into learning how to make games, prototype your idea, and pitch it to publishers for investment, or polish the game and release it by yourself or with a team. There are no shortcuts in game development!
Working in Breda
Sure! We have connections! Just let us know what you need in terms of m2, budget, and other specifications and we will try to match you up with relevant parties.
Great question! We could talk about this all day, but here are some highlights:
There are many factors that make Breda a unique and highly competitive location. It has many of the attractive qualities of Amsterdam, such as the same direct train line from Amsterdam airport (Schiphol), but without the costs and overcrowding of a capital city.
It’s easy and fast to travel from Breda to all European hubs, including London, Paris, Cologne, Brussels, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Vienna, Rome, and more, often with direct or one-change transport connections.
Hiring staff is easy – we have one of the world’s top game development educations (http://www.buas.nl) right in the heart of our city, and a growing scene of mid-size and small studios.
Because it’s not a capital city, the cost of office space and housing is significantly less than many other locations. This saves studio owners money, but is also attractive for developers’ living costs.
English is spoken to an excellent level by over 90% of the Dutch, making it a breeze for international staff to work and live in Breda. There is also an international school for devs with children.
The Dutch have one of the highest standards of living in the world. There is superb healthcare, a culture of participating in clubs and sports, and a dedication to work-life balance that means staff are going to be rested, able to focus, and feeling creative when they’re in the studio.
The ‘30% ruling’ means that, for the first 5 years of employment, foreign staff with unique skills can be hired and receive a big tax break on their take-home salary, at no extra cost to employers.
Yes! That is what we are here for! Get in touch with us to see how we can help. The more information you can give us about your plans, the more specific we can be.
We regularly organize sessions where you can meet peers (hopefully soon in person). Other than that, you can reach out to a few of the key players in the industry that can help extend your current network:
Holland is only one region of the The Netherlands. Historically, the Holland region had the most aristocracy and power, so it was often used as a synonym for the whole country, but ‘The Netherlands’ is the correct name.
