Funding Games & XR Mitteldeutschland Germany Grows to 50 Members With its latest new members, the regional association Games & XR Mitteldeutschland (Central Germany) has grown to 50 member companies. The association had recently outlined plans to strengthen its presence in the individual federal states. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Business The 'Threequel' Trap: Why Video Game Trilogies Often Falter at the Finish Line In 'Zoran's Update', experienced games manager Zoran Roso comments on current industry topics on LinkedIn. This time's topic: Why a rash decision to ‘go bigger’ following a successful IP debut leads to the core of the game being lost by the third instalment at the latest. By Zoran Roso • 5 min read
Business Capcom Has Another Record Year And Plans to Recruit 100+ Devs Each Year Capcom ended March having recorded its ninth consecutive record year. Operating profit rose by more than 10 per cent for the tenth consecutive year. And bucking the industry trend, Capcom plans to create over 100 new roles in development each year. By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Business Sensor Tower Also Acquires AppMagic The consolidation in the games market data sector continues. Following data.ai and VGI, Sensor Tower is now also acquiring AppMagic. No details of the deal have been disclosed. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Business Xsolla Launches Xsolla Ads to Monetise Non-Paying Users Xsolla Ads is set to be unveiled in mid-May at Mobile Apps Unlocked in Las Vegas. It is an evolution of Xsolla’s Offerwall solution and aims to monetise players’ attention. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Forza Horizon 6 © Xbox Business G+ Weekly Steam Charts: Two Pre-Release-Sales Loom Large In this week's Steam charts, two games that are about to launch but have not yet been released are at the forefront. Counter-Strike 2 and Apex Legends also remain in strong positions. Meanwhile, Conan Exiles is staging a comeback. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
Business Jumpgate Returns to Positive EBIT Thanks to Star Trek Voyager Jumpgate has published its preliminary report for the first quarter of 2026 and has good news to share thanks to the successful launch of Star Trek Voyager – Across the Unknown: EBIT for the reporting period is positive. This success is also opening the door to new partnerships. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
The sex toy project "Cute Little Fuckers" by Step Tranovich was funded through Kickstarter in 2020. It could not be posted there in 2026 anymore (Step Tranovich) Products Kickstarter Implements Restrictions on Adult Content Kickstarter is banning funding of adult projects through its platform since this week. The ban includes peculiar guiderails for some sex toys but not others, and crucially for artists and game devs forbids depiction and textual use of pornographic content or "derogatory terminology". By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Casey Hudson | David Vonderhaar | Masato Sakai | Simon Zhu © Hudson / Arcanaut | Vonderhaar / BulletFarm | Sakai / MAGship| Zhu / GreaterThan Group Business Greaterthan Group Launched to Fund "Elite Creative Studios" Industry veteran Simon Zhu has established the GreaterThan Group (GTG), a new video game company that will build and fund "elite creative studios". The first co-owned partner studios are Arcanaut, led by Casey Hudson; BulletFarm, led by David Vonderhaar; and MAGship, led by Masato Sakai. By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Representative Director and CEO Katsuhiro Harada, VS Studio SNK Co., Ltd. © SNK Business SNK Opens New Studio With Former Tekken Head Katsuhiro Harada SNK Corporation has invested in a newly established game development studio founded by Katsuhiro Harada. Harada is best known for his time at Bandai Namco Entertainment, where he worked on the Tekken fighting game series. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
The eBay office in Berlin | Picture: eBay Business Ebay Rejects GameStop's Offer as ‘Neither Credible Nor Attractive’ GameStop surprised the market and sparked debate in recent weeks with a bid for eBay worth over US$55 billion. The eBay board has now responded by firmly rejecting the offer. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
From left to right: Alexander Fuchs (medianet berlinbrandenburg), Claus Pretzell (Investitionsbank Berlin), Juliane Müller (Goldmedia), Jeannine Koch (medianet berlinbrandenburg), Claudia Große-Leege (KreativBund), Helge Jürgens (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg) © Gerald Matzka Business Berlin's Games Industry Is More Optimistic About the Future Than the Film Industry According to the 'Medienbarometer 2026' study released today, companies in the media, creative and digital sectors are under economic pressure and are calling for improved business conditions in Berlin. However, the local gaming industry is more optimistic about the future than other media sectors. By Marcel Kleffmann • 3 min read
