game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche e.V.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲: 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 & 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 (𝐏𝐃𝐅 & 𝐖𝐞𝐛) 🎮📃 How many millions of people in Germany play games? How many people are employed in the games industry? How does Germany compare internationally as a location for games development? The Annual Report on the German Games Industry 2024 is now live and packed with key insights to answer these questions and more! Whether you're an industry insider, a policy maker or a gaming enthusiast, this comprehensive report is your go-to source for the latest data and trends shaping the future of the games industry in Germany. Some highlights from the report: 📈 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: Key statistics on the German games market 💼 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞: All information about the German games industry from companies to employees 👥 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬: Explore who’s playing games in Germany—age groups, platforms of choice, top games & more 🤝 Own chapters for our instiutions: devcom, esports player foundation, Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur, Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle USK 🎙 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬: Interviews with experts on developments in the protection of minors in Germany, environmental and climate protection in the games industry, and diversity key facts about gamescom & so much more! Read and download the full report for free ⤵ 🔗 English version: https://lnkd.in/d5Ad94jW 🔗 German version: jahresreport.game.de What are your favorite parts of the report? Which aspects are you interested in the most? Let us know in the comments! #gamesindustry #gamingindustry #gamedevelopment #videogames #gaming

New chapter in our Best Practice Guide Diversity 📖 🎮 In the ever-evolving world of gaming, content creators are a driving force, engaging millions of fans with exciting Let’s Plays and livestreams. However, female talents often face unique challenges when entering this space, such as slower initial growth in reach and initial self-doubt. In our latest Best Practice Guide Diversity chapter, Jennifer Olschowski, Artist & Campaign Manager at 2nd Wave GmbH, speaks about the importance of supporting female creators and how initiatives like the "Girls Crew" are breaking barriers. This is what Girls Crew is about 👇: The "Girls Crew" initiative by 2nd Wave empowers emerging female creators to grow their channels, collaborate with top brands, and build the confidence to pursue full-time careers as content creators. It is their mission to diversify the gaming content landscape and provide these creators with the platform they deserve. Why does this matter❓ Diversity fuels creativity and ensures that a broader range of voices is heard, resulting in richer, more engaging gaming content for everyone. "Diversity promotes creativity through different perspectives, and it ensures that more and more people see themselves in the media and platforms they frequently consume. We’re always happy to provide entertainment – but we’re only truly satisfied when we can offer a stage to as many positive voices in our society as possible. Because the best content is created where diversity is truly lived." as Jennifer says in our interview. 💡 About Best Practice Guide Diversity: At game, our Best Practice Guide Diversity raises awareness of diversity issues in the gaming industry and provides practical advice. It includes case studies on community management, inclusion, and corporate culture, plus tips on building diverse teams, creating inclusive job ads, and avoiding stereotypes. The guide also features community netiquette guidelines developed with the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle USK, the German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body. 🔗 Read the full chapter and find out how encouraging diverse talent not only strengthens communities, but also drives innovation in the games industry: https://lnkd.in/dKuibHnW devcom esports player foundation Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 🎮 🎥 Video games aren’t just a source of entertainment: they’re a cultural phenomenon inspiring millions worldwide. Some of today’s most thrilling and intriguing stories originate in games, and their influence is now reaching far beyond consoles, PCs and mobile gaming. From global box office hits like The Super Mario Bros. Movie to streaming sensations like The Last of Us and Fallout, video game adaptations are reshaping the film, TV and streaming landscape. "Games tell the epic stories of our time and have the largest and most passionate community in the world. This is why more and more film productions are drawing inspiration from the world of games. [...] We are witnessing an exciting effect: successful adaptations often boost interest in the games themselves. Some games experience a real comeback, while others gain entirely new fans," says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. Did you know❓ Game adaptations are particularly popular among 35-44 year olds, with 61% having seen films or series about games. More than half of 16-24 year olds (56%) and over a quarter of those aged 55+ (27%) have also watched game-based films or series. What do you think about video games adaptations? Which franchise or game would you like to see on the big screen next? 🎞

Congratulations to all the winners and participants for their dedication to creating a greener future through gaming! 🌍 🎮 As part of the Playing for the Planet initiative, these awards celebrate organizations that integrate sustainable values into their operations and engage communities in meaningful ways. We look forward to seeing more innovative contributions from the games industry as we continue to support and promote environmental responsibility.

As part of Video Games Europe, we at game are glad to support the UNICEF Game Changers Coalition. This partnership aims to equip 3 million girls worldwide with the skills needed for a digital future.   By merging STEAM education with video game development, this program opens doors for girls to pursue careers in technology.

𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭: 𝐉𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🎮 📄 With over 1,000 applicants, the Press Start: Games Founding Grant has sparked incredible interest from aspiring game developers across Germany. Today, the 24-member expert jury, chaired by Linda Kruse (The Good Evil), officially begins its evaluation process. The jury is made up of professionals from all over Germany, bringing together expertise ranging from indie development to AAA publishing, and from start-up processes to the realisation of game concepts. This dynamic team ensures a well-rounded approach to selecting the most promising projects. 👥 Part of the jury are: Thomas Bedenk (bedenk(.)de/sign), Valentina Birke (Super Crowd Entertainment), Mona Brandt (Freelancing UI/UX/Gamedesign), Marek Brunner (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle USK), Lena Falkenhagen (Schriftstellerin und Spieleautorin), Manuel Fritsch (Insert Moin / IGN Deutschland), Adrian Goersch (Black Forest Games), Tobias Graff (Mooneye Studios), Daniel Helbig (Megagon Industries), Sebastian Hollstein (I knew It! - Games / Hochschule Luzern), Jan Klose (game Hessen), Ulrike Küchler (Gamebook Studio HQ), Ruth Lemmen (Interim Management + Coaching), Michael Liebe (Booster Space Events & Consulting), Benjamin Lochmann (Pixel Maniacs), Jennifer Pankratz (Pithead Studio), Jana Reinhardt (Rat King Entertainment), Wolfgang Schmitz (Ahoiii Entertainment), Manouchehr Shamsrizi, M.P.P. FRSA (RetroBrain R&D GmbH/ SilverFit GmbH), Mai-Vy Thach (Capcom), Dr. Martin Thiele-Schwez (Playing History), Dr. Anika Thun (Kalypso Media Group) und Carolin Wendt (CD PROJECT RED). Felix Falk, Managing Director of game: "The overwhelming interest in the Games Founding Grant is impressive. It clearly shows: targeted support for aspiring game developers was urgently needed in Germany. The creative potential of the German games industry is immense. To fully harness this potential, we need tailored and reliable frameworks like this program for newcomers to the industry, as well as internationally competitive funding for established game companies of all sizes. This benefits Germany not only as a business and technology hub but also as a cultural nation." The Games Founding Grant is a program led by Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur & game, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien). A special thanks to the jury for lending their time and expertise.

Our friends and colleagues at Ukie are hosting a series of insightful webinars titled "Virtual Trade Missions." These informative sessions delve into the booming games markets of Africa, Brazil, China, and the UAE. 🖥 Here is why German game companies should tune in, too: Uncover new (business) opportunities: Gain valuable insights into these rapidly growing markets, helping you identify potential partnerships, distribution channels, and investment opportunities. Navigate the landscape: Learn about the specific challenges and regulations of doing business in each region to ensure a smooth entry point for your games. Build connections: Network with industry experts and potential partners in these key markets 📅 The Virtual Trade Missions schedule is as follows (all times in GMT): Africa: Monday, November 18th at 14:00 Brazil: Tuesday, November 19th at 14:30 China: Wednesday, November 20th at 14:00 UAE: Monday, November 25th at 12:00 You can find the link to all of the webinars in the post from Ukie 👇

Games industry meets gaming community at Games Ground Berlin 🎮 🤝 We're excited to see the gaming community and industry professionals come together at the Games Ground Festival in Berlin! This event is a fantastic opportunity to explore the intersection of games and technology, and we're particularly excited about the programme curated by the Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur. Their conference, "AI Utopia and Dystopia: How Artificial Intelligence and Games Are Shaping Futures," brings together practical knowledge from the games industry and the latest insights from AI research. The program was opened by Nandita Wegehaupt, followed by welcoming words from Felix Falk and Helge Jürgens, setting the stage for a diverse and engaging program of workshops, panel discussions, and gameplay sessions. We're also looking forward to the "Berlin Games Breakfast" on November 15th at 10:00 AM, hosted by the Grüne Fraktion Berlin, where our Director Public Affairs, Maren Raabe (Schulz) Raabe, will be attending together with Maria Wagner and Prof. Dr. Sonia Fizek. The panel, moderated by Tuba Bozkurt, will discuss the role of ecological sustainability in gaming, the impact of hardware and game development, and how players can make sustainable choices. Games Ground showcases the dynamic culture of games in Berlin and beyond. We are looking forward to a great festival with exciting workshops, panels, networking and amazing indie games 🕹 Thank you to Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg for the support of the games industry and gaming community in Berlin and Brandenburg #GG24 #GamesGround #GamesGroundBerlin

We are expanding our Public Affairs team! 💼 We’re excited to welcome two new talents to our Public Affairs team at game! Say hello to Clara Janning and Tom Schweiger! 👋 In July Clara Janning joined our team as Manager Public Affairs. In this newly created role, her main focus is on the topic of skilled labour and talent. Among other things, she is responsible for all issues relating to jobs in the games industry, for collaborating with educational institutions and for projects like the gamecampus(.)de website. Her previous roles in an association and the German Bundestag provide Clara with a keen understanding of the political landscape in Berlin. Tom Schweiger joined us in October as Junior Manager Public Affairs, completing our team lineup. In addition to supporting a range of projects, Tom will focus on the dynamic and rapidly growing area of esports —a vital topic for our industry. 💬 "Games have a unique cultural impact and are increasingly relevant in political processes. With Clara and Tom, we are strengthening ourselves in a strategic way, which will help us immensely with the many and increasingly complex political topics. Whether it's skilled labour or esports - in both cases there are still a number of challenges for the games industry that we want to tackle even more actively," says Maren Raabe (Schulz) Raabe, Director of PA at game.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬!🎮 🤝 From October 22-25, representatives from German games companies joined our colleague Ina Göring (Director of Membership at game) on an insightful business development trip to Poland, organized as part of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK)’s Markterschließungsprogramm (MEP) Global program. Together with Germany Trade & Invest, the AHK Polska, and enviacon international, this delegation aimed to strengthen cross-border ties and uncover fresh business opportunities in the thriving Polish games industry. A key highlight was a panel discussion at the Game Industry Conference in Poznań featuring Ina Göring, Robert Podgorski (Black Moon Designs), Tobias Kopka (gamescom congress), Pawel Miechowski (11 bit studios S.A.) and Filip Cholewczynski (Wooga) spotlighting the dynamic growth of the games sectors in Germany and Poland. This was followed by presentations from German companies (Jeremy Froböse for AudioCreatures, Oswald Weber from Secret Item Games, Julien Schillinger from PandaBee Studios, Vasile Buga from Sunrise Intelligence, Dr. Anika Thun from Kalypso Media Group, Dennis Quaisser from Pixel Maniacs, Dieter Marchsreiter from Marchsreiter Communications, Christian Szymanski from Second Stage) showcasing their unique strengths, creativity and innovations to potential Polish partners. A big thank you to BMWK, the Federal Government’s Initiative for Culture and Creative Industries, our hosts at GiC and everyone for making this valuable exchange possible. We look forward to the new synergies and shared projects that will emerge from these connections! Dominika Knauer Konrad Bauer Kompetenzzentrum Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft des Bundes