© Playstack Publishing PEGI Reviews Classification Criteria Following Successful Balatro Appeal Following the successful appeal against Balatro's PEGI 18 rating, along with a similar case, the pan-European PEGI system is reviewing its classification criteria. In Germany, the USK had already assigned Balatro a 12+ rating with a content descriptor in 2024. Two successful appeals have prompted PEGI to reassess By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Felix Falk, Managing Director game - The German Games Industry Association © Dirk Mathesius/game Business Game Hopes for a Swift Formation of the New Government Even though games and games funding are not Germany’s most pressing issues after the election, the German games industry hopes the new government will begin its work quickly—especially with the next funding freeze just around the corner. The funds allocated by the outgoing government are nearly depleted, as By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Graph by Digital Development Management Business DDM Identifies Nearly 1,000 Deals with a Total Volume of $17.5 Billion According to Digital Development Management’s (DDM) 2024 report, the number of deals has increased, while the total transaction volume has decreased compared to the previous year. However, this decline is solely due to Microsoft’s nearly $69 billion acquisition of Activision, which drove 2023’s transaction volume to an By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Gemma Brown and Rob O'Farrell (right) succeed Jon Rissik as Co-CEOs © Pictures from Dovetail Games Website Business Gemma Brown and Rob O'Farrell to Become New Co-CEOs of Dovetail Games PulluP Entertainment has set the course for the leadership of its subsidiary Dovetail Games: long-standing executives Gemma Brown and Rob O'Farrell will take over CEO responsibilities from Jon Rissik. Almost two years after its acquisition by PulluP (in German)—then still operating as Focus Home Entertainment—a leadership By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Animation Arts Publishing Assemble Entertainment Signs Monolith by Animation Arts One and a half years after its Steam launch, Assemble Entertainment has taken over publishing duties for Monolith, aiming to attract new players to the point-and-click adventures of German studio Animation Arts. Originally developed for PC, Monolith has since been released on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. On PC, the By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Amazon Business Amazon Ends Appstore on Android and Amazon Coins in August In a message to developers and on its own platforms, Amazon has unexpectedly announced that the Amazon Appstore on Android will be discontinued as of 20 August 2025. However, the Appstore will remain available on other platforms, such as Fire TV and Fire Tablet. The fact that Amazon's By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Matt Bromberg, CEO of Unity © BusinessWire Business Unity CEO Sees Progress Despite Sharp Revenue Decline Unity has released its Q4 and full-year financial results, revealing a significant drop in revenue. Despite this, CEO Matt Bromberg remains satisfied with the company’s progress toward a "new Unity." At first glance, Unity’s financial figures for Q4 and the full year 2024 do not look By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Leipziger Messe / Niclas Schmidt Business Caggtus Celebrates High Demand With just under two months to go before the event, preparations in Leipzig are in full swing. Ticket sales for the Entertainment Area are up 45% compared to last year, and only a few seats remain in the LAN area. Preparations for Caggtus 2025 are also progressing well in other By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© gamescom Business Gamescom Asia Joins Forces with Thailand Game Show After four successful years in Singapore, gamescom asia is moving to Thailand in 2025 and merging with the Thailand Game Show. Although the latter had fewer exhibitors and was less international, it attracted more than four times as many visitors. gamescom thrives on its unique combination of a consumer show By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© My.Games Business My.Games Celebrates Revenue Billionaire War Robots The tactical mobile PvP shooter War Robots has set a revenue milestone. According to publisher My.games, the title has generated more than $1 billion in revenue since its launch. It is a milestone that not many games achieve, even in the mobile business. But now War Robots from My. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
In 2024, Pokémon Go was also part of gamescom in Cologne and launched exclusive promotions at the trade fair. © Archive image Business Niantic Reportedly in Talks With Scopely Over Pokémon Go The sale of Pokémon Go, which Scopely and Niantic are allegedly negotiating, is said to be worth $3.5 billion. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the discussions. The potential sale of Pokémon Go, as reported by Bloomberg, has sparked strong reactions within the gaming industry. The By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Ulrich Schrauth, Artistic Director of VRHam! © Catrin-Anja Eichinger VR-XR-MR VRHam! Returns in June 2025 With a New Concept The next VRHAM! Virtual Reality & Arts Festival will take place in Hamburg from 11 to 18 June. The new concept envisages a two-year cycle, with a specific genre of digital art in immersive space being focused on each time. In 2025, the focus will be on art and photography. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
