European Games Markets: Eastern Europe Marcel Kleffmann September 10, 2024 – 6 min read Share this post © GamesMarkt Business Founder Valerio Di Donato Buys Italian Developer 34BigThings Back From Plaion 34BigThings is independent once again. The Italian studio announced that the company’s founder Valerio Di Donato had already bought back 100 of the shares from Plaion in April. A major project based on a well-known IP is set to be announced later this year. Further games are in development. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read Jo Koehler (COO, Two Point Studios) and Gary Carr (Studio Director, Two Point Studios) © Rebecca Price Photography; Carr, TPS Business G+ Interview: Two Point Studios and Their Cartoon-Style Management Games This year, the British Two Point Studios are celebrating their 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we spoke to Jo Koehler (COO) and Gary Carr (Studio Director) about their humorous management-genre games, key markets such as Germany, platform distribution and expandability. By Marcel Kleffmann • 6 min read Business The Helix Shift: Inside Xbox’s Aggressive Pivot to Silicon, Subscriptions, and Corporate Restructuring In this week’s “Update”, Zoran Roso analyses Microsoft’s strategic reorientation, the possible reasons behind and consequences of a spin-off, and why this move is a result of changes in the games market. By Zoran Roso • 4 min read Business Founder Valerio Di Donato Buys Italian Developer 34BigThings Back From Plaion 34BigThings is independent once again. The Italian studio announced that the company’s founder Valerio Di Donato had already bought back 100 of the shares from Plaion in April. A major project based on a well-known IP is set to be announced later this year. Further games are in development. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read GIC Sprint Attracts 1,000 Visitors on Its Debut And Will Come Back in May 2027 For the first time, the organisers of the GIC in Poznań have held a second GIC conference this year and are pleased with the result. 1,000 visitors came to Katowice for the GIC Sprint, which is set to take place again in 2027, though this time in early May. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read People Womenize! Inspiring Stories: Gemma Bowen In their weekly interview series Womenize! features inspirational, diverse people who work in the games and tech industry, to share their experiences, give valuable advice and talk about their projects. In cooperation with Womenize! and Madeleine Egger, GamesMarkt is republishing these inspirations. By Madeleine Egger • 3 min read Events BXDXO Confirms ‘Be A Hero’ Gaming Zone at Stuttgart Comic Con Comic Con Stuttgart 2026 will once again feature a 1,000-square-metre gaming zone. The ‘Be A Hero’ gaming zone is organised and curated by the Munich-based agency BXDXO. Müller is on board as a partner, and a Steam sale to coincide with the event is in the pipeline. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read (TU Bergakademie Freiberg) Campus TU Bergakademie Freiberg Releases Mining and Technology Minecraft Experience The Freiberg University of Mining and Technology has released Countdown Freiberg, a Minecraft server with full questline and real places to promote science communication and young talent recruitment around ressource extraction, refinement and production. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Two of the games: Arukone and Zeitlupe (NZZ/Blindflug) Products Blindflug Made Games Suite for NZZ Like many other newspapers, NZZ from Switzerland has a gaming program now. The developers behind it: Blindflug Studios, the makers of Ground of Aces from Zurich and Poznan. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Business Founder Valerio Di Donato Buys Italian Developer 34BigThings Back From Plaion 34BigThings is independent once again. The Italian studio announced that the company’s founder Valerio Di Donato had already bought back 100 of the shares from Plaion in April. A major project based on a well-known IP is set to be announced later this year. Further games are in development. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Jo Koehler (COO, Two Point Studios) and Gary Carr (Studio Director, Two Point Studios) © Rebecca Price Photography; Carr, TPS Business G+ Interview: Two Point Studios and Their Cartoon-Style Management Games This year, the British Two Point Studios are celebrating their 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we spoke to Jo Koehler (COO) and Gary Carr (Studio Director) about their humorous management-genre games, key markets such as Germany, platform distribution and expandability. By Marcel Kleffmann • 6 min read
Business The Helix Shift: Inside Xbox’s Aggressive Pivot to Silicon, Subscriptions, and Corporate Restructuring In this week’s “Update”, Zoran Roso analyses Microsoft’s strategic reorientation, the possible reasons behind and consequences of a spin-off, and why this move is a result of changes in the games market. By Zoran Roso • 4 min read
Business Founder Valerio Di Donato Buys Italian Developer 34BigThings Back From Plaion 34BigThings is independent once again. The Italian studio announced that the company’s founder Valerio Di Donato had already bought back 100 of the shares from Plaion in April. A major project based on a well-known IP is set to be announced later this year. Further games are in development. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
GIC Sprint Attracts 1,000 Visitors on Its Debut And Will Come Back in May 2027 For the first time, the organisers of the GIC in Poznań have held a second GIC conference this year and are pleased with the result. 1,000 visitors came to Katowice for the GIC Sprint, which is set to take place again in 2027, though this time in early May. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
People Womenize! Inspiring Stories: Gemma Bowen In their weekly interview series Womenize! features inspirational, diverse people who work in the games and tech industry, to share their experiences, give valuable advice and talk about their projects. In cooperation with Womenize! and Madeleine Egger, GamesMarkt is republishing these inspirations. By Madeleine Egger • 3 min read
Events BXDXO Confirms ‘Be A Hero’ Gaming Zone at Stuttgart Comic Con Comic Con Stuttgart 2026 will once again feature a 1,000-square-metre gaming zone. The ‘Be A Hero’ gaming zone is organised and curated by the Munich-based agency BXDXO. Müller is on board as a partner, and a Steam sale to coincide with the event is in the pipeline. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
(TU Bergakademie Freiberg) Campus TU Bergakademie Freiberg Releases Mining and Technology Minecraft Experience The Freiberg University of Mining and Technology has released Countdown Freiberg, a Minecraft server with full questline and real places to promote science communication and young talent recruitment around ressource extraction, refinement and production. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Two of the games: Arukone and Zeitlupe (NZZ/Blindflug) Products Blindflug Made Games Suite for NZZ Like many other newspapers, NZZ from Switzerland has a gaming program now. The developers behind it: Blindflug Studios, the makers of Ground of Aces from Zurich and Poznan. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
