Much Support From Politicians, But No Breakthrough in Funding

Around 500 guests, including numerous representatives from the world of politics, attended yesterday's summer party of the game industry association at the Zollpackhof in Berlin, with a direct view of the Chancellery. Despite the positive response, the industry is still waiting for a breakthrough in the future of funding

The German games industry's summer party took place yesterday evening in Berlin, with a view of the Chancellery, organised by the German Games Industry Association game (Verband der deutschen Games-Branche). Around 500 guests attended, including Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. In his speech, Kellner addressed the challenges of the current games policy of the German government, in particular the funding application stop since May 2023. He emphasised that games funding was effective, as the evaluation by the Ministry of Economic Affairs had shown, and spoke about the planned changes in the funding guidelines, such as the reduction of the minimum project size and the implementation of the ban on the cumulation of federal and state funding.

Kellner addressed two particularly controversial proposed changes: the increase in the minimum project size to 400,000 euros, which he wants to reduce after feedback from the industry, and the ban on cumulation, which is still to be implemented. He expressed the wish that the federal states would become more involved in the games industry. However, it remains unclear when the games funding programme, for which the Bundestag has provided 33 million euros annually from 2024, will be launched by the Commissioner for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth. The industry was rather reserved in its response to Kellner's speech, as it had expected more at the summer party.

In addition to Michael Kellner, numerous other politicians attended the event, including the SPD party leader Saskia Esken, Heike Raab, State Secretary and Representative of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federation, and Mario Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This high-profile presence underlines the importance of the games industry and the interest of politicians in its promotion and development.