Danish Game Industry Timeline
This timeline was originally put together for our own research purposes but we soon realised that it could benefit many others, too. We also acknowledge that while we have been able to add many events, establishments, publications and other important dates on it, there are others that are equally important but missing. This is why we collaborate with Games Denmark and the WIKI-Skrivestue #2 to bring this timeline to anyone interested in the history of the Danish game industry and to make something even better together!
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The timeline below is our first version, let's call it v1.0, because we think it has the key events included. It is a work in progress and used as a discussion piece and to guide our research. We hope that it grows into a resource that can be used in the academic context and the industry alike. We hope it can inform policymaking and help compare the Danish context with others.
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We have conducted academic research into the Danish game industry and so have others (see for example Thorhauge 2018; Hjorth 2018; Larsen, Mailand and Larsen 2018; Sokol 2021; Hammar, Debus, Juul and Canossa 2023). The starting point of this timeline has been set to 1997 to highlight the beginning of legislation and state representation, but game making in Denmark has been happening for much longer, carrying a lineage all the way back to the publication of NIMBI in 1963 (at least). Currently, this timeline fits into Mark Poulsen's PhD project that looks into the entryways and early-career workforce in Denmark. Mark's research will be fully completed sometime in the second half of 2027.
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On this website and on the parallel spiltidslinje.dk (TBA) you can find updates and further versions of the timeline. We make sure to credit everyone who contributes and make changes visible. Eventually, the full timeline will be available in both Danish and English on these two sites. This should happen well before Mark is a full doctor. ;)
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For a possibly more readable PDF version, go here.
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We welcome inquiries and ideas, please be in touch:
PhD Researcher Mark Staun Poulsen stpo@itu.dk
Associate Professor Hanna Wirman wirman@itu.dk
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Key Features of the Timeline
Historical Exploration
This timeline (1997-2025) collects landmarks and events to present an overview of Danish digital game development. It showcases the formation of Danish game development from early grassroot networks and state inquiries to, among other things, the Law of NIMBI GameLab - Denmark's Institute for Game Development coming into effect in 2025.
Cultural Significance
A key influence for sparking this timeline was the legislation of a cultural institute for game development NIMBI and the concurrent restructuring of the local game industry ecosystem. The timeline showcases the chronological order of events and activities for better understanding what influences more recent events in the Danish game industry.
Notable Milestones
Historically, games have been legislated as an important Danish cultural sphere since 2007 (Film Agreement). Industry associations, meanwhile, have systematically collected data covering the field since 2009. In recent years, industry revenues have increased drastically and paved the way for restructuring of the sector at an institutional level (Law of Nimbi Gamelab 2024).
Development Process
How do we continue to develop the timeline
Research and Documentation
This timeline is part of several ongoing research projects that aim at investigating different aspects of the Danish game industry, today and in the past years. It is thightly linked with Mark Staun Poulsen's PhD project "Seeing the Danish Game Industry: Inquiries into early-career workforce and game entrepreneur living" and his co-authored works with his PhD supervisor Hanna Wirman.
Design and Visualization
The visual presentation of this timeline is nowhere near final. Alongside this static timeline, we are working on a dynamic one where the user can toggle visible and invisible content such as reports, key events, establishment of institutions... Currently we focus on content.
Review and Feedback
If you think something is missing from this timeline or would like to have a chat with us about it, we would love to hear from you. We hope to be in an open dialogue with other researchers in the area, with industry actors, with policymakers, educators and with the general public. We would also like to hear if you find the timeline useful or use it for something or cite it, for example.
Publication
Key versions of the timeline will be published here on this website in English as well as on spiltidslinje.dk in Danish (later on). The timeline is a living document - time simply goes on. ;) But we aim to have a near final version that documents the past by the end of 2027. Some examples of our ongoing research are Poulsen and Wirman 2023 and Poulsen and Wirman 2024.