Gerhold: Building an Alternative to Established Labels Stephan Steininger May 24, 2024 – 2 min read Share this post Mario Gerhold © Gerhold Vanessa Chia, Producer and Co-founder at Cococucumber | Echo Generation 2 © Chia/Cococucumber People Vanessa Chia: "Turn-Based Games Are Seeing a Renewed Wave of Interest Right Now." Vanessa Chia, producer and co-founder of Cococucumber, talks in this interview about the turn-based gaming market, where Echo Generation 2 sits within it, and developing a sequel to a "hidden gem" game. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read Shaun White / James Shaw / Glen O'Connell © Steel City Interactive People Steel City Interactive Strengthens Its Team With New Hires Steel City Interactive (Undisputed franchise) has announced three senior appointments. Glen O'Connell is joining the company as Commercial Partnerships Director, while James Shaw and Shaun White are joining as Senior Production Director and Brand & Communications Director respectively. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read People Womenize! Inspiring Stories: Kelly Vero 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 • 4 min read CipSoft Managing Director Stephan Vogler with the “Germany’s Best Employers 2026” award | Picture: Gero Breloer/Bernd Thissen für Great Place to Work Deutschland GmbH Business Takeover of The Settlers Online Brings CipSoft a New Record Revenue and a Bonus For Its Staff According to preliminary figures for 2025, CipSoft has generated over €28 million in turnover. The online game developer and publisher has thus surpassed the results of its record year in 2020 and plans to pay its staff a bonus equivalent to almost eight months’ salary. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read Christopher Dring, Ian Rice and Dirk Bosmans (from Left) | Screenshot from The Game Business Show ESRB Reportedly Will Not (Yet) Include Criteria Unrelated to Content in Its Age Ratings The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) apparently has no plans to tighten age ratings on the basis of loot boxes or other non-content-related factors. However, the debate over age ratings seems far from over. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read The Deutschhaus, seat of parliament in RLP. What do the parties have planned for games in the region for the election? (Landtag RLP/SIE) Plus 2026 Elections in RLP: What Do the Parties Plan for Gaming? With Rhineland-Palatinate state elections coming this Sunday, we are collecting and translating the parties' positions on gaming and the games industry. The three governing parties all have things to promise for the strong gaming sector in RLP, while the opposition is quiet on the topic. By Pascal Wagner • 4 min read PlayStation Network (PSN) has been called this since its inception for the PlayStation 3. Now, it's going to undergo branding changes (SIE) Business Sony Abandons "PSN" and "PlayStation Network" Names In a mail to PlayStation developers that GamesMarkt has seen, Sony announces the abandonment of the PlayStation Network name. A new brand name come Fall 2026 is not yet announced. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Products Destiny 2 and Magic: The Gathering Announce Cooperation Is the Traveller an Artifact Creature? Unfortunately, we will not find out, because the upcoming Destiny x Magic: The Gathering cooperation isn’t (yet) announced for cards, but for Planeswalker Skins in Bungie’s MMO shooter. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Business Game Studies Watchlist 2026 #11 The Game Studies Watchlist newsletter, curated by Prof Dr Rudolf Inderst, is published weekly on GamesMarkt. This week's topics include Police Quest and Copaganda, in-game photography, DOGE gamification and more. By Rudolf Inderst • 3 min read
Vanessa Chia, Producer and Co-founder at Cococucumber | Echo Generation 2 © Chia/Cococucumber People Vanessa Chia: "Turn-Based Games Are Seeing a Renewed Wave of Interest Right Now." Vanessa Chia, producer and co-founder of Cococucumber, talks in this interview about the turn-based gaming market, where Echo Generation 2 sits within it, and developing a sequel to a "hidden gem" game. By Marcel Kleffmann • 5 min read
Shaun White / James Shaw / Glen O'Connell © Steel City Interactive People Steel City Interactive Strengthens Its Team With New Hires Steel City Interactive (Undisputed franchise) has announced three senior appointments. Glen O'Connell is joining the company as Commercial Partnerships Director, while James Shaw and Shaun White are joining as Senior Production Director and Brand & Communications Director respectively. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
People Womenize! Inspiring Stories: Kelly Vero 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 • 4 min read
CipSoft Managing Director Stephan Vogler with the “Germany’s Best Employers 2026” award | Picture: Gero Breloer/Bernd Thissen für Great Place to Work Deutschland GmbH Business Takeover of The Settlers Online Brings CipSoft a New Record Revenue and a Bonus For Its Staff According to preliminary figures for 2025, CipSoft has generated over €28 million in turnover. The online game developer and publisher has thus surpassed the results of its record year in 2020 and plans to pay its staff a bonus equivalent to almost eight months’ salary. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Christopher Dring, Ian Rice and Dirk Bosmans (from Left) | Screenshot from The Game Business Show ESRB Reportedly Will Not (Yet) Include Criteria Unrelated to Content in Its Age Ratings The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) apparently has no plans to tighten age ratings on the basis of loot boxes or other non-content-related factors. However, the debate over age ratings seems far from over. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
The Deutschhaus, seat of parliament in RLP. What do the parties have planned for games in the region for the election? (Landtag RLP/SIE) Plus 2026 Elections in RLP: What Do the Parties Plan for Gaming? With Rhineland-Palatinate state elections coming this Sunday, we are collecting and translating the parties' positions on gaming and the games industry. The three governing parties all have things to promise for the strong gaming sector in RLP, while the opposition is quiet on the topic. By Pascal Wagner • 4 min read
PlayStation Network (PSN) has been called this since its inception for the PlayStation 3. Now, it's going to undergo branding changes (SIE) Business Sony Abandons "PSN" and "PlayStation Network" Names In a mail to PlayStation developers that GamesMarkt has seen, Sony announces the abandonment of the PlayStation Network name. A new brand name come Fall 2026 is not yet announced. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Products Destiny 2 and Magic: The Gathering Announce Cooperation Is the Traveller an Artifact Creature? Unfortunately, we will not find out, because the upcoming Destiny x Magic: The Gathering cooperation isn’t (yet) announced for cards, but for Planeswalker Skins in Bungie’s MMO shooter. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Business Game Studies Watchlist 2026 #11 The Game Studies Watchlist newsletter, curated by Prof Dr Rudolf Inderst, is published weekly on GamesMarkt. This week's topics include Police Quest and Copaganda, in-game photography, DOGE gamification and more. By Rudolf Inderst • 3 min read
