© The Game Awards Business The Game Awards Reaches New Record with 154m Viewer Almost 16,000 co-streams on YouTube and Twitch, but also a general increase in interest, have driven global viewership of Geoff Keighley's awards ceremony and new releases show to new record heights. The final result of 154 million viewers is perhaps only an estimate, but there is no By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Telescope Games Publishing Telescope Games Teases Whale Singer IP with Free Mini-Game In 2026, Telescope Game Studios aims to establish Whale Singer as a transmedia universe, featuring a premium game, an interactive storybook, and an animated feature film. As an additional teaser and a special holiday treat, the Brandenburg-based company has released a narrative short game, Lani's Call, for free. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Elden Ring was developed by From Software, part of Kadokawa © Bandai Namco Business Sony Increases Stake in FromSoftware's Parent Company Kadokawa Sony and Kadokawa jointly announced that they intend to work even more closely together in the future. The alliance will be solidified by Sony's purchase of additional Kadokawa shares, making it the largest shareholder. Neither side mentioned a complete takeover when the new alliance was announced. This is By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Paul Schempp, Co-Founder and CEO of Aonic © Aonic Business Aonic Secures €152m Investment for Further Growth Following a year of significant revenue growth, the Aonic Group is once again gearing up for inorganic expansion. This growth will be fueled by a €152 million investment from Metric Capital Partners and Active Ownership. Approximately €100 million of the funding comes from Metric Capital Partners, which is backing Aonic’ By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Screenshot Business Call for Projects to Fund for Diversity in SMEs The halt on applications for games funding does not mean that games companies cannot participate in other funding programs. The Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS; Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs) is currently seeking projects aimed at retaining skilled workers in SMEs through greater diversity. This initiative is By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The team of riprip (from left to right): Chris Schnerr, Hannes Drescher, Robin Vehrs, N.B. Spiders © Michelle Haupt Business Riprip Receives Exist Start-up Grant to Implement Innovative Business Concept The Kassel-based studio Riprip can look forward to an additional grant of nearly 140,000 euros. The pilot project Terminal Crossing had already received a grant from the state of Hesse. The aim, however, is to create a gaming genre that can compete with short-form content on social media. Riprip By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Robert Habeck, Olaf Scholz, Friedrich März und Markus Söder (from left to right) © Dominik Butzmann/Die Grünen, Thomas Trutschel/SPD, CDU/CSU Business Games and Film Included in Some Party Election Programs With the Bundestag elections approaching in February, political parties are drafting their election programs under considerable time pressure. The SPD already finalized their draft, which is not public at the moment. The Grünen (Greens) and CDU/CSU have already included film and games in their draft programs, some of which By Stephan Steininger • 2 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 Submission Period for DCP Starts on January 6 and Ends on January 17 Studios and publishers looking to submit their titles for the Deutscher Computerspielpreis (DCP; German Computer Game Award) may need to work through the holidays. The submission period opens on January 6 and runs for only eleven days, ending on January 17. It remains unclear to what extent the early elections By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© Screenshot Business Hessen Agentur Invites to an Information Event in February Although some of the most important publishers and studios are based in Hesse, funding for games remains comparatively limited. On February 6, the HA Hessen Agentur will host an information event to present existing funding programs and facilitate networking opportunities. Registration for the event is open until January 27 via By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
© Apple Business Minecraft Remains Top, Brawl Stars Dethrones Monopoly and Roblox There are no real surprises in this year's Apple App Charts for Germany. However, there were at least new champions in the free-to-play lists and on Apple Arcade. Minecraft, on the other hand, remains unchallenged at the top of the premium charts for iPhone and iPad. As in By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
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
