German gaming industry gets a boost
From funding large projects to supporting startups, Germany’s Federal Government and the state of Hessen show their commitment to local game developers.
Recognizing the untapped potential of the gaming industry in Germany, the German Federal Government recently increased support for video game developers. Since 2020, an annual fund totaling €70 million has been allocated to nurture the video game industry. The support has two objectives: to increase employment rates within this sector and to elevate the number of companies and game releases from Germany. The results of the initiative speak for themselves: the budget for 2023 was depleted as of May this year, and nearly all funds for 2024 have been earmarked for approved applications.
Complementing this federal initiative, the state of Hessen promotes local talent on the global gaming stage. At the recent Gamescom, the world’s leading gaming trade fair, Hessen showcased three local game companies: One More Cup Games (Game: Repeat After Me) based in Darmstadt, Common Colors (Game: PRIM) from Langen, and Turtle Knight Games (Game: Footgun:Underground) from Weiterstadt.
Participating in trade fairs often comes with high costs, which can be a barrier for smaller companies. Thanks to Hessen’s support, these three young enterprises were able to present their innovative projects to an international audience.
The state of Hessen’s presence at Gamescom was organized by the Office for Cultural and Creative Industries Hessen (part of Hessen Agentur (HA)) in cooperation with gamearea-HESSEN, an industry association.
For more information on the Office for Cultural and Creative Industries Hessen: www.kreativwirtschaft-hessen.de (German only)
For more information on gamearea-HESSEN: www.gamearea-hessen.de (German only)