Georg Reckenthäler returning with the new company Plan B. © Reckenthäler Business Georg Reckenthäler Founds Consultancy Plan B After leaving Ranieri, Georg Reckenthäler is back with a new consulting firm. Plan B not only wants to offer communication services but also coaching services. In doing so, Plan B is not limited to gaming, but focuses in particular on digital health and healthcare. The focus of the company is By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The current USK Advisory Board (from left to right): Dr. Ingrid Stapf, Cordula Zimmer, Miriam Junker-Ojo, Felix Falk, Nicole Müller, Sebastian Gutknecht, Maja Wegener, Heico Michael Engelhardt, Petra Müller, Elisabeth Secker (USK), Dr. Andreas Deimann, Eva Hanel, Lorenzo von Petersdorff (USK). © USK Business USK Advisory Board Expands Guidelines for the Classification of Digital Games For the past two years, the USK has incorporated so-called use risks - such as chat functions or loot boxes in digital games - into the age rating process. The USK's advisory board has now integrated these practical findings into its official guiding criteria. Since USK examiners began By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Christopher Flato, Sandra Kilian and Matthias Remmert © GM/ESBD Esports Christopher Flato Appointed as President, Sandra Kilian and Matthias Remmert as VPs Following the expiration of part of the presidium’s term of office, the eSport Bund Deutschland (ESBD) has elected a new president. Christopher Flato, stepping into the role, has outlined ambitious goals for 2025. Christopher Flato, who previously served as 1st Vice President of the ESBD, was unanimously elected as By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© GM Publishing Sales Successes for Farming Simulator, Avatar, and Astro Bot in Germany Three titles achieved the criteria for a sales award set by the Game Association in November. Unlike Farming Simulator 25 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Sony's Astro Bot received its award on only one platform, the PS5. Released in September, Astro Bot sold over 100,000 units on By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Helge Jürgens, CEO, and Dr. Anna Sarah Vielhaber, Head of New Media Funding (both Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg) © Friederike Werner / Medienboard Business Medienboard: "Berlin is Expecting a Big Games Party in May" Despite difficult times, the Medienboard had a good year in terms of funding games and XR projects, but especially games. And 2025 will be even better, as CEO Helge Jürgens and Head of New Media Funding Dr. Anna Sarah Vielhaber report in an interview. GM: How would you sum up By Stephan Steininger • 5 min read
Markus Wilding (left) and Stephan Reichart © Archivbild Business Markus Wilding Supports Devcom as Businss Consultant The marketing and communications expert Markus Wilding will support the devcom team of game events in the future as Businss Consultant. Wilding and Reichart announced their partnership with devcom, with Stephan Reichart and the team, including Roufina Guenkova, Nico Balletta, and Stephan Werle, on LinkedIn. Wilding wrote: "If you By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The teams and mentors of the current Games Lift Incubator of Gamecity Hamburg © Jan-Marius Komorek Business First Progress Report at the Games Lift Graduation Meet-up Since September, five young teams from Hamburg have been supported by Gamecity Hamburg as part of the current Games Lift Incubator 2024 with workshops, coaching, a workspace at the Space Innovation Center in HafenCity, and 15,000 euros in funding. Now the teams were able to present an interim result By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
everyone will be able to try Squid Game: Unleashed © Netflix/The Game Awards Publishing Netflix Breaks Tradition with New Release Strategy for Squid Game: Unleashed For the first time since entering the mobile gaming market, Netflix will make a title available to non-subscribers for free. At least for a limited time, everyone will be able to try Squid Game: Unleashed, which is released days before the start of the second season. The announcement was made By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Jan-Marius Komorek Business German Creative Economy Summit Returns in Early March The second German Creative Economy Summit is set to take place in Hamburg on March 5 and 6, 2025, following the success of its inaugural edition. Claudia Roth and Michael Kellner will officially open the two-day conference. Organized by Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, where also the local initiative Gamecity Hamburg is By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Epic Games Publishing Telefónica to Preinstall Epic Games Store in Germany, the UK and Spain Telefónica and Epic Games have entered into a strategic partnership, beginning with the preinstallation of the Epic Games Store on Android phones across the Telefónica network. Additional initiatives targeting mobile gamers are planned for the coming year. This collaboration holds long-term potential benefits for mobile gamers, game studios, and mobile By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
In 2024 (picture), the DCP took place in Munich. Next year, on May 14, it will be back in Berlin © Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for Marchsreiter Communications Business Date for the Deutscher Computerspielpreis 2025 Has Been Set Planning can begin immediately: the date for the DCP 2025 has been set. The call for submissions is expected to open soon. Shortly before gamescom, it was announced that the Deutscher Computerspielpreis (DCP; German Computer Games Award) 2025 will take place in Berlin. Now the event is taking shape. As By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Kai Wegner, Governing Mayor Berlin, and Helge Jürgens, Managing Director Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg © Yves Sucksdorff/Friederike Werner Business Games Capital Region Envisions Itself as the Home of Games With €6.4 million in funding, the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg supported the games and XR industry in 2024, drawing an overwhelmingly positive conclusion. For 2025, MBB and the entire region are anticipating further growth, highlighted by the presentation of the Deutscher Computerspielpreis (DCP) on May 14, 2025. The capital region, comprising By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
