MPs from all the Nordic countries joined in a call to the culture ministers not to terminate one of the most successful Nordic culture initiatives and to continue to fund the development of Nordic computer games.

The Nordic Game Program, which the ministers themselves launched, is one of the biggest popular and professional success stories. It was just the right initiative to improve children and young people's media skills. It is also an initiative that points the way forward at both Nordic and international level. We therefore urge in the ministers in the strongest possible terms to re-think and to make computer games a permanent part of Nordic cultural policy," said Mogens Jensen, the chairperson of the Nordic Council Culture and Education Committee.

He thinks the funding should be on a par with other public-sector funding for culture, e.g. for film.

"The ministers need to realise that revenue from computer games far outstrips revenue from film and that the industry has long since progressed from an immature niche stage into a broad culture-sustaining media. It is therefore incomprehensible that the ministers have not realised the extent of their own success," Jensen concluded.

The committee is discussing a proposal to make the scheme permanent at their meeting today. The committee proposes, for example, that the ministers set up a proper funding system in line with the Nordic Film & TV Fund, etc. The committee also stresses that the content of Nordic games helps to break the heavy U.S. dominance of the market..

The extent to which the Nordic Game Program has been a success has been remarked upon by the industry itself and is reflected in the number of applications for funding. In 2009 alone 170 projects applied to the Nordic Game Program for funding.

"The programme is literally is drowning in applications. The situation is both overwhelming and critical. The programme budget is only one tenth of what the traditional media receive. What it does show, of course, is that it was the right thing to do in terms of cultural policy," says Monica Green, a member of Culture and Education Committee.

Nordic Game Program was launched in 2006 and is now in year four of six. The programme focuses on improving access to Nordic computer games for Nordic children and young people. The culture ministers have not yet taken a final decision on its future.

Jesper F. Schou-Knudsen
Phone +45 33 96 03 55
Email jsk@norden.org

Mogens Jensen
Chair of the Nordic Council Culture and Education Committee
Tel: +45 61 62 42 39

Monica Green
Member of the Nordic Council Culture and Education Committee
Tel: +46705304210