Want to discover how video games are made, published and sold to a global digital audience? Then Video Game Business is the minor for you! Working closely with actual industry professionals from a variety of backgrounds, you’ll position and pitch a real commercial project to real investors. Explore the ways interactive entertainment continuously innovates alongside technology, and learn how to think strategically about this unique commercial sector, from AAA blockbusters to indie darlings.

Minor content

Video games are the fastest growing global entertainment sector of the last 15 years - but despite this, the majority of academic study available on the subject remains firmly rooted in programing, art or design. There is a much wider industry with many other roles required by businesses; including marketing, production and sales, but few options for outsiders to actually gain the relevant experience that is attractive to employers.

This is exactly what we strive to offer with the minor Video Game Business. Our students will work with a real developer to pitch their project for funding. Through this process they will gain critical knowledge of how developers and publishers work; from exploring video game history and genres to understanding the intricate steps it takes for a project to be completed and released.

This minor is offered by Creative Business.

Structure of the minor

Video Game Business is a full semester minor of 30ECs. You will work in teams of two or three students on an extensive pitch design project, which incorporates management, marketing and communication. During the semester your classes will be in ateliers, meetings with your coach and expert sessions.

You will work on a real project for a real client to a professional standard. During the semester you will be coached by and receive feedback from leading industry professionals, most notably Groningen-based incubator and publishing team Indietopia, who you will also be able to visit on-site. The semester also includes inspirational talks from our diverse network of industry partners.

Your final goal will be to produce a substantiated prototype for a multimedia pitch of an upcoming title and present it to investors. Throughout this design process, you will create a portfolio of work. This work will count as proof of three learning outcomes, focused around:

- Insight into the Video Game Industry: You will demonstrate broad knowledge of the relevant media landscape, as well as conduct independent research into a specific niche, through which you can identify creative and technical innovation.
- Strategic Management and Communication: You can identify and develop feasible solutions for industry-specific challenges that emerge from your client and project. You exhibit relevant skills and a professional attitude towards organizational and project management, finances and presentations to external parties.
- Positioning and Creative Concepting: You can direct the methodological creation of important brand and marketing assets, including key art, trailers, screenshots, demos and store texts. You’re able to select aspects of the project to promote backed by valid evidence and sound reason, with a target audience in mind.

Study features

This minor is developed for students with a media or other creative industries management or marketing background. You will need some basic digital skills such as video editing, creative writing and graphic design, or be prepared to invest extra time to learn them. A clear preference to a career in the video game industry and some prior general knowledge of the sector is encouraged, however prior knowledge of video game design, programming or publishing is not required. This minor would also suit students who want to explore whether or not a career in video games is actually for them. The focus of this module is on business management and marketing in an international, digital context. This involves participation in the organization, finance and sales strategy for real, premium, digital-first products; so could also be a good fit for students with a broader interest in these topics beyond video games. Having experience in design-based education will help you a lot in this minor, and we highly recommend that you research what this methodology entails if you do not. We will start with a minimum of 9 students and there might be up to 250 euros additional costs.

30 ECs will be rewarded for this minor based on a programmatic assessment approach that integrates studying and testing. Students will be individually assessed on three different learning outcomes, with a special focus on meaningful feedback and self-reflection. You will be assessed on your understanding of the video game sector, your ability to define and conduct relevant market research, and ultimately construct convincing arguments on behalf of your client and project. Assessment will be done across a portfolio of written work, your final presentation and an interview with you, you coach and one external assessor.