Participants of the 4th Games Summit in North Rhine-Westphalia © Land NRW / Robin Teller Business NRW Increases Games Funding Budget for 2025 to Over 6m Euros At the fourth games summit in North Rhine-Westphalia, Media Minister Nathanael Liminski did not hold back with his criticism of games policy in Berlin. At the same time, he made it clear that NRW is not only maintaining its games funding of over 5 million euros, but that it will By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Nandita Wegehaupt, Felix Falk and Linda Kruse (from left to right) © GMCol Business Rush for Start-up Grants Takes Game and Foundation by Surprise The Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur received over 1,000 applications for the “Press Start: Games Foundation Scholarship.” Under the direction of Linda Kruse, the multi-stage selection process has begun and is expected to provide clarity for all applicants by Christmas. Interested parties had until November 17 to apply for the new By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© InnoGames Development InnoGames Welcomes 130 Participants to IGJAM One of the most established game jams in Germany, the 15th InnoGames Game Jam (IGJAM), took place on the second weekend of November. InnoGames welcomed 130 developers to its in-house event venue, where 24 games were created in just 48 hours. The theme of this year’s IGJAM was " By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© SGDA Business Lual Games, Oopsie Daisies and Playables Win SGDA Swiss Game Awards The Swiss Game Developers Association has announced the winners of this year’s awards. In addition to the prizes for Best Entertainment Game and Most Anticipated Game, awards were also presented for student projects and serious games. Unlike in 2023, the Swiss Game Developers Association (SGDA) presented its awards via By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Jonas Wirth is eFootballer of the Year © kicker eSport Business Update: Jonas Wirth breaks Umut Gültekin's winning streak After four wins in a row, it's over: Umut Gültekin came in second in the Kicker eFootballer of the Year vote. The new eFootballer of the Year is Jonas Wirth from VfL Bochum. Jonas Wirth put in an extraordinary performance this season. He won both the German individual By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Sophie Turner played Sansa Stark in the Game of Thrones series © IMAGO / Capital Pictures Business Sophie Turner Set to Become Amazon’s Lara Croft According to US media reports, Sophie Turner is “almost” confirmed to take on the role of Lara Croft in Amazon’s upcoming series adaptation of the iconic Tomb Raider franchise. Could Croft Manor have a northern flair? The idea isn’t far-fetched if recent Hollywood rumors are true. Outlets such By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Nathanael Liminski, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Media and Head of the State Chancellery © Staatskanzlei NRW Business Nathanael Liminski to Present Key Points of NRW's New Games Funding Program Next Monday, Nathanael Liminski, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Media and Head of the State Chancellery, will meet with over 35 representatives from the state’s games industry at the 4th Games Summit. A key focus of the event will be the upcoming changes to NRW’s games funding program. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
MediaMarkt's flagship store in Munich is located in Im Tal, a central location in the city center where space is in short supply and expensive © MediaMarkt Business MediaMarkt Opens First "Smart" Stores in Germany With the introduction of its first smart-format stores in Germany, MediaMarkt now operates all four store concepts planned for its future retail strategy within the country. Lighthouse, Xpress, Smart, and Core — these four distinct store formats are designed to provide MediaMarkt with a tailored approach to customer engagement, depending on By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Microsoft Business Microsoft Launches “This Is An Xbox” Campaign Microsoft has unveiled an unconventional new marketing campaign titled “This Is An Xbox”, developed in collaboration with major brands like Samsung, Crocs, and Porsche. The campaign leverages eye-catching visuals and creative promotions to emphasize Xbox’s versatility, with global activations planned, including in Berlin. The campaign highlights how Game Pass By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© gamescom latam Business BIG Festival Entry Deadline is Mid-December Indie studios worldwide still have time to submit their titles for the BIG Festival, the flagship event of gamescom latam, free of charge until December 15. In 2024, the event attracted 922 submissions, with several studios from the GSA region earning spots on the shortlist. The second edition of gamescom By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports, and Transformation of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, and Thomas Schäffer, Managing Director of nordmedia © nordmedia/Benjamin Eichler/Freie Hansestadt Bremen Business Bremen Invests Up to €150,000 Annually in Games Funding It has been known for a few weeks that Bremen will launch its own games funding program at the start of the new year. Now, details about the funding amount and the first application deadline have been announced. The initial application deadline is set for January 9, 2025. Interested studios By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© Zadbox Entertainment Publishing Blue Brain Games and Zadbox Entertainment Sign Publishing Deal Slovakian Blue Brain Games will take on publishing for another developer for the first time through a new partnership with Zadbox Entertainment for the upcoming game Dimhaven Enigmas. Scheduled for release in 2025, Dimhaven Enigmas is the latest puzzle game from Hungarian studio Zadbox Entertainment, whose previous title, Quern: Undying By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
