"Dutch Media Must Take Dutch Game Awards More Seriously," insists a news piece by Bastiaan Vroegop. Highlighting the regular discussions he holds with other media creators about the growth of games in our culture, he expressed equal parts surprise and frustration at how the wider media landscape tends to perceive games: as something primarily keeping young teenagers occupied. Vroegop underscores the point that this belief is deeply entrenched in mainstream media, leaving events like the Dutch Game Awards largely underreported compared to their counterparts in the film industry, such as the Gouden Kalveren.

Vroegop notes that Age of Wonders 4 was named game of the year at the Dutch Game Awards, yet coverage of the event barely stretched beyond gaming and tech sites. Outlets like NOS, NRC, Parool, NU.nl, RTL Boulevard, and Veronica, however, regularly cover the Gouden Kalveren with aplomb, automatically featuring them yearly. In contrast, Vroegop explains, the Dutch gaming industry's recognition has grown, demonstrated by monumental projects like Guerrilla's Horizon Forbidden West, which had a whopping budget of $212 million.

While not all Dutch games achieve Forbidden West's success, the industry's potential is evident. The Dutch gaming industry's revenue ranged between €420 and €440 million in 2021, dwarfing the Dutch film industry's earnings, which only aggregated around €151.6 million in the same year.

Although the Dutch Game Awards hadn't provoked mass clicks for mainstream outlets up to this point, Vroegop puts forth that continued coverage of these awards is crucial for acknowledging the significant and growing gaming industry. Hopes remain high that media outlets will soon follow the example set by public broadcaster HUMAN, who offered coverage on their Instagram.