Sony's PlayStation Portable. © Sony Interactive Entertainment Business Cheating Software: Sony Loses Against Datel at European Court Under German law, Sony had sued the cheating software provider Datel for damages. The Bundesgerichtshof had enquired at the European Court, now both courts have decided: The software isn't illegal because it doesn't change Sony's operating system, it merely runs along games. In a By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Jari-Pekka Kaleva, Managing Director of the European Game Developers Federation © EGDF Business WALGA Becomes the 24th Member of EGDF The European umbrella organisation for games developers, European Game Developers Federation (EGDF), welcomes WALGA as a new member. It is the second new member this year, after the Estonian association Gamedev Estonia. The total number of member organisations has thus increased to 24 from 22 countries. The discrepancy is due By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Christopher Flato, board member of the ESBD. © Flato ESBD Esports Call for Non-Profit Status for Esports From Three Associations The German eSports Association (ESBD), game - the German Games Industry Association and the North Rhine-Westphalian Sports Association have joined forces to appeal to politicians to finally recognise the non-profit status of esports. On Monday, the German eSports Association (eSport-Bund Deutschland e.V. - ESBD), game - the German Games By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
© VGE Business VGE Published Demands for the Coming EU Mandate Twelve demands for the development of the games industry and the policies regarding it in the European Union: The European association Video Games Europe has formulated their thoughts for the coming mandate period of 2025-2029 in a manifesto. European games association Video Games Europe (VGE) has published a manifesto of By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
The Spanish Council Presidency in the second half of 2023 was one of the biggest political forays into video games on EU level. © CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2023 – Source: EP Business How Video Games are Handled on the European Level By Pascal Wagner • 5 min read
© Koelnmesse Business Gamescom Congress Celebrates New Records Like Devcom And the next records were set: As the gamescom congress draws to a close, it is clear that record numbers have been achieved here too. The gamescom congress 2024 was larger than ever before. 150 experts from all over the world demonstrated in 70 sessions on eight stages how social, By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and Mayor of Berlin, at gamescom congress 2024. © GamesMarkt Business Franziska Giffey: "The Federal States are Very Much in Agreement" When asked about the Federal states' harmonious stance on the Federal governments new funding guidelines at gamescom congress, Berlin representative Franziska Giffey explained to GamesMarkt how she sees the relation of the states as competitiors and cooperators and the way to a greater good for the German games industry. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Hosts Uke Bosse and Katrin Bauernfeind speak on stage during the last DCP (Der Deutsche Computerspielpreis) at Eisbach Studios which took place on April 18, 2024 in Munich, Germany © Photo by Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images for Marchsreiter Communications Business Hamburg and NRW Did Not Bid for the Deutscher Computerspielpreis It has been clear since the beginning of the week that Berlin has been chosen to host the DCP 2025. It is unclear how many German states had expressed an interest. Certainly not NRW and Hamburg. The process has also been criticised. Since its inception in 2009, the Deutscher Computerspielpreis By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action © Archive Picture Business What the Federal Government's New Games Funding Looks Like At the opening of gamescom 2024, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck announced the key points of the German government's games funding programme. If all goes to plan, it should be in place by the start of 2025. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, gave the By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Thorsten Wiedemann, Florian Graf and Anna Vielhaber at Pink Breakfast. © GamesMarkt Business A Maze Pink Breakfast Opens Berlin's Political gamescom Programme With Berlin Senate Chancellery Head Florian Graf, A Maze's Thorsten Wiedemann and the Medienboard management, the A Maze Pink Breakfast kicked off Berlin's political engagement at gamescom. Graf ensured that the funding for the House of Games was secured. The participants of the third The Rabbit By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
The Nordmedia booth at gamescom 2023. © Nordmedia Business Nordmedia Brings Seven Studios to gamescom's Business Area At the Lower Saxony booth by Nordmedia, seven studios are showing their games, among them About Cannons and Sparrows, 1000 Orks and Quantumfrog. The booth will officially be opened by Lower Saxony State Secretary Frank Doods and nordmedia MD Thomas Schäffer. As many other funding organisations are, Nordmedia will be By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
© Liberale Gamer and Pixelgrüne Esports Liberale Gamer and Pixelgrüne Criticise Non-Recognition of Esports The Liberale Gamer e.V. and Pixelgrüne have criticised the German government's decision not to recognise the non-profit status of esports clubs in the annual tax law. This time the criticism comes from within the ranks of the governing parties. The criticism that the non-profit status for esports By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
