At the Games Summit in November, NRW Media Minister Nathanael Liminksi, seen here next to Walid Nakschbandi of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW (2nd from left), announced additional funding. The call for funding applications has now been launched. © (Archive image) Robin Teller Development NRW Launches Funding for Games Tackling Fake News, Hate, and Extremism The Film- und Medienstiftung NRW has issued an additional call for funding for games and interactive media that, among other things, focus on the prevention of extremism, particularly Islamism. The funding comes from a special budget, with potential grants exceeding those available for standard game prototypes. In November, North Rhine- By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
SPD General Secretary Dr. Matthias Miersch will talk to Felix Falk of game © SPD/MK Business Matthias Miersch is a Guest at the #gamechanger Talk on the 2025 Election The upcoming federal election will shape the future of games policy in Germany. To explore the parties' positions, Felix Falk from game will host conversations with leading political representatives in the coming weeks. The first guest in the new series of #gamechanger talks will be SPD General Secretary Dr. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
In the past few days, first the CDU/CSU and the Greens, and later the SPD and FDP, presented their election programs or preliminary election programs. © Imago/Chris Emil Janßen (Union/Grüne)/Frank Ossenbrink (SPD)/pictureteam (FDP) Business Update: Programs, Results, Consequences for Games Policy in Germany With the release of draft election programs from the Green Party and the CDU/CSU, the SPD and FDP have now also presented their program drafts. However, not all of them address games and esports explicitly. The cards for games and esports policy will be reshuffled with the Bundestag election By Team GamesMarket • 4 min read
Dirk Iwersen, Managing Director of Holstenhallen / Boris Zander, Managing Director of Seal.Games / Jens Bahr, Managing Director of Off The Beaten Track and co-organiser of the Baltic Games Fest © Iwersen, Holstenhallen / Zander, Seal.Games / Bahr, Off The Beaten Track Business European Premiere of Chained Echoes - Ashes of Elrant at Baltic Games Fest The DLC Chained Echoes - Ashes of Elrant, announced yesterday, will have its European premiere at the Baltic Games Fest in April 2025. In addition, Deck13 Spotlight will showcase other games on the exhibition floor. The Baltic Games Fest in Neumünster (Germany) will see the European premiere of Chained Echoes - Ashes By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Bavarian State Agency for Political Education Director Rupert Grübl and Education Minister Anna Stolz © Alexandra Beier Publishing Serious Game Launched by the Bavarian State Agency for Political Education The Bavarian State Agency for Political Education has launched 'Deine Stimme' (Your Vote). This serious game is designed to raise awareness among young people in grades 8 and above about populist and anti-democratic movements and to show them in an interactive way how personal voting decisions can By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
André Naumann, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM, Central German Media Funding) at the end-of-year reception of MDM in Leipzig © MDM/Uwe Frauendorf Development MDM Expands Funding Opportunities for Game Studios in Central Germany The Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM, Central German Media Funding) has launched its first dedicated funding guideline for games, which has been approved by the European Commission and will take effect at the start of the new year. This marks a significant boost for studios based in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Participants of the 4th Games Summit in North Rhine-Westphalia © Land NRW / Robin Teller Business NRW Increases Games Funding Budget for 2025 to Over 6m Euros At the fourth games summit in North Rhine-Westphalia, Media Minister Nathanael Liminski did not hold back with his criticism of games policy in Berlin. At the same time, he made it clear that NRW is not only maintaining its games funding of over 5 million euros, but that it By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
Game Labs at Universities © Game Labs at Universities Business "Game Labs at Universities" Calls for Better Games Research and Interdisciplinarity The "Game Labs at Universities" network has responded to a position paper from the game association, which sets out proposals to make Germany "the best games location" for science, research and teaching. The members of the network are concerned that games should receive more attention in By Marcel Kleffmann • 2 min read
Nathanael Liminski, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Media and Head of the State Chancellery © Staatskanzlei NRW Business Nathanael Liminski to Present Key Points of NRW's New Games Funding Program Next Monday, Nathanael Liminski, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Media and Head of the State Chancellery, will meet with over 35 representatives from the state’s games industry at the 4th Games Summit. A key focus of the event will be the upcoming changes to NRW’s games funding By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports, and Transformation of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, and Thomas Schäffer, Managing Director of nordmedia © nordmedia/Benjamin Eichler/Freie Hansestadt Bremen Business Bremen Invests Up to €150,000 Annually in Games Funding It has been known for a few weeks that Bremen will launch its own games funding program at the start of the new year. Now, details about the funding amount and the first application deadline have been announced. The initial application deadline is set for January 9, 2025. Interested studios By Stephan Steininger • 2 min read
© EAO Business European Audiovisual Observatory Releases First Report in Games Industry The European Audiovisual Observatory, a body of the Council of Europe, has for the first time released a massive report on the European games industry's regulatory and market challenges. It can be accessed for free. The European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO), part of the Council of Europe and fact By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
© Höferlin Business Esports Group Leader Manuel Höferlin Won't Candidate for Federal Parliament Again Manuel Höferlin, leader of the Federal parliamentary working group Esports & Gaming, won't candidate again after the current gouvernment period. The decision coincides with his party's fallout from the gouvernment. Founder and speaker of the German Federal parliamentary group esports and gaming, Manuel Höferlin, will not By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
