Almost all Dutch people were online in 2015, according to the annually held Media Standard Survey 2015. The Media Standard Survey looks at new trends in media use. The results are representative of all households in the Netherlands and all individuals of 13 years and older. In 2015, 6,144 households and 5,255 individuals aged 13 and older were surveyed.
Online time The Media Standard Survey
2015 shows that nearly 95 percent of the Dutch population has Internet
access at home and in the workplace almost half. Dutch are on average more than two hours online every day. That's an increase of 34 percent compared to 2011. Although surfing time increased in all age categories, there are big differences. The browsing time of teenagers is more than three hours per day, an increase of 59 percent compared to 2011. People aged over 65 are daily on average one hour online.
Growth using mobile devices In 2015, the use of smartphones and tablets grew strongly. More than two-thirds use the smartphone for internet, using this device alongside the laptop. The rise of the tablet is spectacular. It has become more popular for surfing with this device to the PC. More than half of the Dutch population aged 13 years and older are surfing on a tablet. However, the role of the conventional PC has not yet been played out. The use of this device increased again slightly to 54 percent after years of decline.
Newspapers on digital platforms Digital publishing became increasingly important for publishers in recent years. Therefore publishers provide daily digital content, for example through websites, digital editions and apps.Consumers read newspapers on various digital platforms. Almost half of the Dutch (48 percent) read a digital newspaper in 2015. The PC used by 27 percent of the Dutch is favourite. Smartphones and tablets grew as platforms for reading newspapers. Nearly a quarter of smartphone users and more than one fifth of the tablet owners read a Dutch digital newspaper in 2015; this was 22 per cent and 20 per cent respectively in 2014.
The Media Standard Survey is carried out annually since 2011 by TNS NIPO on behalf of the Dutch Radio, Print and Television
Research (NLO, NOM and SKO). Source: MSS_2015_rapportage_160223.pdf (in Dutch; no English version available online)
On Monday
15 February the Dutch RTV Institute for Sound and Vision will receive an important collection of
early video games, including popular titles like Hopeless and Endless from the Dutch game developer Radarsoft. These games have been released in the 80s for the Commodore 64 and MSX computers. The collection also includes several well-known educational games,
such as Topography Netherlands and Tempo Typing, which were used in the
Dutch NCRV television program It's All in the Game.
Media consumption in the Netherlands is no longer limited to the traditional channels of radio and television. Therefore, Sound and Vision, the RTV media archive in Hilversum,
decided to expand its archive with new collection areas, such as video
games and Internet culture.
"Our audience wants to experience how video games have become an
integral part of the daily media consumption. Preserving and keeping the Dutch game productions playable is therefore essential to our
archive." Jan Müller, Managing Director of Image and Sound
"From the point of nostalgia we feel it is important that young
audiences have knowledge of them. For many people,
these old games are a moment of remembrance. Games often were the first
introduction to the computer." Edwin Neuteboom, co-founder of Radarsoft
National agenda The
transfer of the Radarsoft collection of Sound coincides with the
first expert meeting as part of a national agenda for sustainable
archiving of video games. Universities,
colleges, cultural institutions and representatives of the gaming
industry come together on Monday, February 15th at Sound and Vision to
determine what is needed to secure the game's heritage for the future. Especially the interactive nature of games and the shift from offline to online make saving games a complex task.
Combined open access and subscription agreement between Wiley and Dutch universities
The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and
John Wiley and Sons, Inc., today announced an agreement of unlimited
open access publication of Dutch academic articles combined with
expanded subscription access to high-quality research. 'The Netherlands is living up to its pioneering reputation now that
a second major publisher has opted for 100% open access. It's a huge
step forward', says Koen Becking, who has been negotiating on behalf of the Dutch universities.
The negotiations between VSNU and Wiley resulted in an unprecedented
agreement covering 2016 – 2019. It provides students and researchers at
Dutch universities with access to all Wiley subscription journal
content and enables authors at Dutch universities to enjoy unlimited
open access publication in Wiley's hybrid journals (c.1400), with no
publishing charge levied at the article level. This arrangement will
contribute to significant growth in open access articles published from
the Netherlands. ’This agreement accelerates the transition to open access in the
Netherlands. Wiley has Open Science at the forefront of its strategic
agenda. In this new landscape, we support the ambitions of all
community stakeholders, including researchers, funders and institutions –
by facilitating greater openness and ultimately increased
reproducibility.’ Philip Carpenter, EVP Research, Wiley. Open access contributes to academic knowledge The Dutch universities and the Dutch government are very much in favour
of open access to academic publications. Open access is also a priority
during the Dutch presidency of the EU. VSNU believes open access
publications are easier to find, and have the potential to be more
frequently cited and reach a larger audience. This benefits not just the
academic community, but society and the economy at large.
Click here for more information.
Pres release December 10, 2015
Dutch Universities and Elsevier reach agreement in principle on Open Access and subscription
The Association of
Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) and scientific information
provider Elsevier have reached an agreement in principle that marks a
milestone in the Netherlands’ transition to Open Access scholarly
publishing and provides Dutch researchers with continued subscription
access to high-quality research.
Details of this 3-year agreement, which is to start in 2016, will be finalized in the near future. “We are pleased about this agreement as it facilitates a sustainable
transition to Open Access,” said Prof. Gerard Meijer, chief negotiator
for the VSNU and Chairman of Radboud University Nijmegen. “It gives
academics at Dutch universities subscription access to Elsevier journals
and allows them to publish Open Access in a selection of these
journals. The Dutch universities aim to make 30% of their researchers’
publications Open Access by 2018 this the agreement makes it possible to
get there. It’s genuinely good news and a big deal for Open Access in the Netherlands."
Philippe Terheggen, Elsevier Managing Director Journals, said: “We
welcome the agreement as the continued subscription access to a
substantial part of the world’s highest-quality, peer-reviewed research
is essential to the Netherlands maintaining its position as one of the
world’s most impactful research nations. In addition, increased Open
Access publishing options will be available to Dutch researchers to
globally share their work.”
The agreement is in line with the objective of Sander Dekker, State
Secretary at the Ministry for Education, Culture and Science of the
Netherlands, to transition Dutch scientific output towards an Open
Access publishing model.
Click here for more information.
Press release
July 2, 2015
Dutch Universities and SAGE reach agreement on open access
The Hague, 29 June. The Dutch universities and SAGE have
established an agreement on the much-needed transition to open access
(OA). This unique agreement supports researchers by enabling them to
publish OA in all SAGE-owned academic journals, ensuring high-quality
peer-reviewed OA publishing is a more accessible option for researchers
within the Netherlands. The costs of publishing in OA format for
researchers is partly at a discounted rate and partly a prepaid service
by universities without any extra costs for researchers. The agreement
with SAGE has been made on a budget neutral basis for universities.
The Dutch universities jointly negotiate subscription fees with
individual academic journal publishers, as part of the so-called 'Big
Deal' negotiations. The universities are only prepared to renew the
agreements on subscriptions if the publishers take steps towards open
access. The negotiations with SAGE prove that these steps can be taken.
SAGE, a leading global independent academic publisher of journals, books
and products, has been an active publisher supporting OA for many
years. It has done so with a growing suite of OA journals across a broad
range of research fields encompassing business, humanities, social
sciences, technology, and medicine.
Koen Becking, president of Tilburg University and chief negotiator on
behalf of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU)
commented:
‘Once more this two-year agreement marks a key step towards open access
in the Netherlands. It has been reached on a budget neutral basis, at a
time when the number of open access publications are expected to rise.’
Speaking from SAGE, David Ross, Executive Publisher Open Access , further remarked: ‘This partnership enables us to better support researchers in the
Netherlands and ensure that they are able to publish their research Open
Access, while maintaining the very highest standards of peer review,
copy editing, typesetting, and electronic dissemination you would expect
of SAGE as leading publisher.’
Open access improves access to science
The Dutch universities and the Dutch government are very much in favour
of OA. OA publications are easier to find, more frequently quoted and
reach a larger audience – benefiting not only science, but society and
the economy at large. According to targets set by State Secretary Dekker
for Education, Culture and Science, five and ten years from now 60% and
100% of all Dutch academic publications, respectively, should be OA
publications. A great deal of academic research is funded by public
means. The Dutch universities aim to prevent a situation in which users
ultimately have to pay twice for consulting OA publications.
Press release November 20, 2014
Springer and universities take key step towards open access
The Springer publishing group and the Dutch universities have
reached a negotiation agreement on the transition to open access. Both
parties see open access publishing as the road to the future. 'We're
confident that this agreement with Springer marks a key step in the
right direction', said Koen Becking, president of Tilburg University and
chief negotiator for the Association of Universities in the Netherlands
(VSNU). 'It means scientists in the Netherlands will be able to publish
in open access format in existing Springer journals, while retaining
reading privileges to these journals as well.'
State Secretary Sander Dekker (Education, Culture and Science) has
responded enthusiastically to these developments. ‘I’m happy to hear
that Springer has taken its responsibility seriously and that the
ambitions of both parties on open access have taken hold in the
agreement. It is of tremendous importance that major publishing firms
such as Springer recognise that open access represents the future of
academic publishing. The agreement between the universities and Springer
is therefore an important step in the right direction. Sharing
knowledge, a fundamental aspect of open access, is an important driver
of innovation in the Netherlands. It’s clearly advantageous for many
professions: doctors have access to medical research, school teachers
can use the latest insight from the educational sciences in their
classes.’
Negotiations
Agreements on subscription fees are made for all the Dutch
universities with the individual scientific journal publishers, as part
of the so-called 'Big Deal' negotiations. The universities are only
prepared to renew the agreements on subscriptions if the publishers take
steps towards open access. Several publishers are hesitant to take
these steps, given the drastic changes in their revenue model this
transition would cause. Yet the negotiations with Springer prove that
these steps can be taken.
Open access improves access to science
The Dutch universities and the Dutch government are very much in
favour of opening access to academic publications. Open access
publications are easier to find, more frequently quoted and reach a
larger audience – benefiting not only science, but society and the
economy at large. According to targets set by State Secretary Dekker for
Education, Culture and Science, five and ten years from now 60% and
100% of all Dutch academic publications, respectively, should be open
access publications. A great deal of academic research is funded by
public means. The Dutch universities aim to prevent a situation in which
users ultimately have to pay twice for consulting open access
publications.
Click here for the release of Springer publishing group.
MANAGEMENT SUMMARY The Games Monitor 2015 presents an overview of
the economic development of the Dutch games industry between 2011 and 2015.A
questionnaire was sent to more than 400 companies and returned by 130 companies.
Following the presentation of the preliminary results, several industry
round table discussions were held to further verify and analyze the findings.
DEFINITION The games industry includes all companies whose
core activities include at least one of the following processes in the value
chain: the development, production, publication, facilitation and/or electronic
distribution of electronic games. The Games Monitor further discerns two
domains in the games industry: entertainment games and applied games.
Entertainment games entail all electronic games that have entertainment as
their primary goal. Applied games, also referred to as serious games, aim to
inform, educate or train end-users. Applied games are developed and distributed
across sectors, including education, health, transport, marketing, and defense.
COMPANIES AND JOBS The findings show a rapid growth in the number
of companies, from 320 in 2011 to 455 in 2015, an increase of 42%. The same
period also saw a large number of companies close for business (110), which
makes the overall growth even more impressive.
THIS 42% GROWTH IS MOSTLY DRIVEN BY NEW GAME
DEVELOPERS.
Whether these new companies will actually
succeed in creating a sustainable business, or make the difficult transition
from a start-up to a scale-up, remains one of the biggest challenges for the
Dutch (and European) games ecosystem. The number of professionals working in
the Dutch games industry has grown as well, albeit much slower than the number
of companies: from 2730 in 2011 to 3030 in 2015. The annual job growth of 2.6%
is abovethe national average of -0.4% in 2011-2015.
Companies are young (more than half are less than 5 years old) and relatively
small (average number of employees is 7).
TURNOVER AND PROFIT The positive worldwide trends are, to some
extent, reflected in the developments of the Dutch games ecosystem. The
analysis reveals that over 60% of Dutch game companies saw a growth in
revenues, with an aggregated turnover of €155-225 million. However, most
profits are modest (up to €100,000).
ENTERTAINMENT VERSUS APPLIED GAMES Another striking development is the
distribution of growth between entertainment and applied games. Whereas applied
games still have a strong foothold in the Dutch games industry, the last couple
of years saw a surge in the number of companies focused on entertainment games.
Applied games Applied games remain an important pillar of the
Dutch games industry. The total number of companies involved in applied games
grew by 28% to 158 companies. During the 2011–2015 period, most applied game
studios indicated a sharp decline in clients in 2013 and particularly in 2014.
The magnitude of this decline was so severe that the continuity of some
dedicated applied games studios was threatened. Some of these companies scaled
down, leading to layoffs. In 2015 the number of tender requests began rising
sharply. Some companies chose not to increase their workforce but opted instead
to consolidate and minimize risks rather than increase profits (and risk). A striking trend the past years is an increase
in partnerships in aspects such as marketing and promotion, strategic alliances
and funding. Game companies have joined forces to maintain a sustainable
business and scale up internationalization. There is almost no specialization
in the type of sectors and clients applied game companies work for. The
educational and healthcare sectors are slightly larger than other domains of
application. Currently, most of the projects completed by applied game studios
are driven by client demands. To scale up the applied games market, a more
product- based approach, where companies develop games that are applicable and
salable to many clients, is necessary. This provides a need to move away from
producing ‘one- o’ solutions for individual clients. Dealing with issues
related with operating in an innovative field and validation of applied games
remain challenges for all applied game companies.
Entertainment games Comparing the data from the 2012 Games Monitor
to 2015, two findings are notable. First, there was a considerable growth in
the number of entertainment game development studios, almost doubling from 83
to 160.Second, the increase in game development
studios was not mirrored by a similar increase in the number of professionals
working in entertainment. The number of jobs remained more or less the same
(approx. 860 fte). In order to be successful and keep up with the demands of
the users and publishers, larger teams are necessary. Over the past few years,
successful studios are relatively large (11 to 25 people) and have more than
five years’ experience. Success in not guaranteed in an ever-changing industry
with a myriad of business models, increasing numbers of platforms and tech
engines and shifting user demands. Competition remains fierce, making it even
more difficult for talented, young, small studios to find their niche in the
market and continue to grow after their initial launch. Dutch entertainment
game studios are moderately successful at the moment. Specifically, new studios
lack a dedicated business and/or marketing expertise that can help successfully
identify market demands and launch a product in thatsegment.
GAME EDUCATION The number of full-time game programs has
increased by 25% from 35 in 2012 to 44 in 2015. Next to dedicated programs,
many knowledge institutions also offer a range of game minorsand single courses to their students. This has
resulted in a significant increase of the total number of game-related minors
and courses from 9 in 2012 to 22 in 2015. The annual outflow of all game
students has grown to approximately 1600 for full time and part time courses
combined. A mismatch between industry needs and educational levels has been
ascertained.
SOME GAME STUDIOS ARE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES
FINDING QUALIFIED INTERNS/ EMPLOYEES AND CHOOSE TO LOOK
ABROAD.
Most experts agree that a business-oriented
course should be added to game majors/masters. More knowledge on
entrepreneurship is needed.
EUROPEAN COMPARISON Similarities between the Dutch and other
European game industries are the small size of companies and a growth of new
studios. The Dutch games industry has a heavy focus on applied games and a
significantly smaller turnover per employee due to the lack of large and
successful studios.
RECOMMENDATIONS Eight recommendations are provided based on the
results of the Games Monitor 2015 and the round table discussions with the
industry: - Foster an entrepreneurial mind-set in the
educational setting and in start-ups. - Manage expectations and create a healthy
sense of realism concerning the chances to become a highly successful studio. - Promote matchmaking between creatives &
business. - Be aware of business models and the shifts in
the market. - Scale up via partnerships, mergers and
pooling resources to increase the chance of growth. - Capitalize on IP to increase the chance of
growth. - Focus on a more product-based approach rather
than a single game. - Increase awareness in the financial sector of
the added value of games and vice versa.
In the e-book barometer over the last quarter of 2015 CB published today, a growth in digital reading is seen again. Throughout 2015 there were 38% more transactions (sales and loans)
than in 2014. E-book sales did 15% better throughout 2015 than in 2014. The e-book sales showed a slight decrease, compared to the same quarter in 2014 (-1%). The e-book loans are still rising (+ 26% compared to the fourth quarter of 2014). Besides an increasing number of titles as is available e-book,
compared to the previous quarter (+ 2%) and the number of publishing
houses which are publishing e-books (+ 10%). The average retail price of e-books decreased
a little further compared to the previous quarter (from 57.7% to 56.7% of average
physical price). Note:
The figures for the subscription services are not included in this
e-book barometer because the transaction numbers are not easily compare
with e-book sales and -loans. The following e-book barometer we'll return to these figures.
