"Games Minister" Mehring Opens Gamerei in Munich and Emphasised the Importance of the Industry

The Gamerei in Munich was opened today. Over the next two years, more than half a million Euros will be invested in the Bavarian games house, which will provide offices, event and community space for the local indie games scene. Speaking at the opening event, Bavarian State Minister Dr Fabian Mehring emphasised the importance of the industry and took stock of his activities as "Games Minister".

The Gamerei is located at Hohelindener Strasse 4 in the east of Munich. The 1,000 square metre space offers office, event and community space for Bavaria's up-and-coming games companies. Interested parties can apply directly for workspace as long as they are game studios or companies related to the games industry. The Gamerei is a project of Games/Bavaria and is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs with 560,000 Euros over two years.

"The pixel pioneers of the games industry are the drivers of innovation in the digital transformation. After all, much of what we are currently discussing in the digital economy was developed by them years ago. You could say that digital creativity is at home in the games industry - no one can get past its pixel pioneers," says Bavaria's Digital Minister Dr Fabian Mehring. "The games industry is a beacon for the designers of digital transformation, for their technical expertise, their creativity and their innovative power. It is our "Bavarian Home of Game Changers" - the central location for people who use their skills and passion to advance games in Bavaria and who literally make the difference for a successful digital transformation."

During the opening ceremony, Mehring also presented twelve FFF funding recommendations for games. "My task as games minister is to give visibility to this future-oriented industry and to give the people behind the funding applications the support they need for their projects," said Mehring. "I am convinced that the funded games will make an important contribution to the diversity and quality of the Bavarian games industry."

There are currently almost 350 games companies in Bavaria, employing around 3,500 people. In order to support this industry, Mehring has declared the "Year of Games" and set up a separate department for the games industry at the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs (StMD). In addition, the Games/Bavaria location initiative is being financially strengthened and the Bavarian games trade fair GG Bavaria is being expanded. In addition to the games industry, the StMD recently supported "Bayern zockt!" with around 450,000 Euros. Part of this esports initiative was a Bavarian-wide tournament to coincide with the European Football Championship. "When I took office, I declared the year of games," said Mehring. "This includes more funding, but also a new image for the industry: I want to show the people of Bavaria that games and esports are not only a lot of fun, but also an innovation driver for our high-tech location."

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