How to Avoid Trouble with Germany's Minor Protection as a Games Exhibitor Pascal Wagner July 28, 2025 – 5 min read Share this post Marek Brunner, Chief of Testing at USK, gives tipps and information for exhibitors not yet familiar with German Minor Protection requirements. © USK, Marek Brunner Asha Sharma, Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Matt Booty, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Microsoft Gaming. © Microsoft Business Sharma and Booty: "This Cannot Continue Going Forward" In a letter on their first 100 days as Xbox leadership, Asha Sharma and Matt Booty define declining revenue, overextended studio landscapes without a pipeline of exclusives and an overly complex, slow infrastructure as main challenges within Xbox. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read The Legend of Khiimori © Aesir Interactive & Mindscape Business Early Access Horses, Community Building, and Self-Publishing - An Interview With Aesir The Early Access launch of The Legend of Khiimori was a huge success for Aesir Interactive. We spoke to the two managing directors, Andreas Sirch and Wolfgang Emmer, about establishing a long-term community for a game, venturing into publishing and developing realistic horse games. By Marcel Kleffmann • 10 min read From left to right: Clemens Mayer-Wegelin, Sandro Heuberger, Lars Janssen, Maxi Graeff, Benedikt Grindel © Franziska Krug for game - Verband der deutschen Games-Branche Business Game Members Elect New Board At their general meeting in Berlin today, the members of game - the German Games Industry Association elected a new board of directors as part of their regular rotation. Three of the previous five board members did not stand for re-election due to career changes. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read Asha Sharma, Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Matt Booty, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Microsoft Gaming. © Microsoft Business Sharma and Booty: "This Cannot Continue Going Forward" In a letter on their first 100 days as Xbox leadership, Asha Sharma and Matt Booty define declining revenue, overextended studio landscapes without a pipeline of exclusives and an overly complex, slow infrastructure as main challenges within Xbox. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read Mark Stanleyy, Dr. Natasha Skult and Chris Hamilton (from Left to Right) | Picture: IDGA People IGDA Welcomes Natasha Skult, Christopher Hamilton and Mark Stanley as Board Directors The IGDA held its regular election to appoint three new board members. Natasha Skult, Christopher Hamilton and Mark Stanley will replace Zak Whaley, Nazih Fares and Valentina Birke, who have concluded their terms. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Funding Discord and Techleap Launch Scale-up Programme for Dutch Gaming Founders Through the Gaming Founders Circle, Techleap and Discord aim to support selected gaming start-ups as their businesses scale up. The first five companies in the programme are VaultN, Poki, Maxumum, Yom and Immens. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Events GIC Sees Summer Edition as Part of Its Brand Expansion With just a few weeks to go before GIC Sprint in Katowice, the organisers have revealed further details. In terms of concept, the Summer Edition of Poland’s largest B2B developer conference is modelled on the main event, albeit with some differences in the details. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read Goodbye, centralised Game City? The event will sit 2026 out, but the organisers promise a revamped concept covering the whole capital in 2027 (Mice & Men) No Game City Vienna in 2026, New Dual Concept in 2027 Europe's second-biggest pure gaming convention Game City Vienna will not take place in 2026. Instead, event agency Mice & Men is working on a new concept for 2027: A localised Game City in one place, and several decentralised Game Days around it. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read Glintseeker Island by Half Soup Labs (left) and Aethermancer by moi rai Games are nominated for this years Digital Vikings Award Awards Two German Studios Nominated for Digital Vikings Awards The shortlist for the Digital Vikings Awards, presented as part of Devgamm Gdansk, has been announced. Among the 12 nominated games across the four product categories are two titles from Germany. All Devgamm Gdansk participating studios are in the running for Studio of the Year. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Asha Sharma, Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Matt Booty, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Microsoft Gaming. © Microsoft Business Sharma and Booty: "This Cannot Continue Going Forward" In a letter on their first 100 days as Xbox leadership, Asha Sharma and Matt Booty define declining revenue, overextended studio landscapes without a pipeline of exclusives and an overly complex, slow infrastructure as main challenges within Xbox. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
The Legend of Khiimori © Aesir Interactive & Mindscape Business Early Access Horses, Community Building, and Self-Publishing - An Interview With Aesir The Early Access launch of The Legend of Khiimori was a huge success for Aesir Interactive. We spoke to the two managing directors, Andreas Sirch and Wolfgang Emmer, about establishing a long-term community for a game, venturing into publishing and developing realistic horse games. By Marcel Kleffmann • 10 min read
From left to right: Clemens Mayer-Wegelin, Sandro Heuberger, Lars Janssen, Maxi Graeff, Benedikt Grindel © Franziska Krug for game - Verband der deutschen Games-Branche Business Game Members Elect New Board At their general meeting in Berlin today, the members of game - the German Games Industry Association elected a new board of directors as part of their regular rotation. Three of the previous five board members did not stand for re-election due to career changes. By Marcel Kleffmann • 1 min read
Asha Sharma, Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Matt Booty, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer of Microsoft Gaming. © Microsoft Business Sharma and Booty: "This Cannot Continue Going Forward" In a letter on their first 100 days as Xbox leadership, Asha Sharma and Matt Booty define declining revenue, overextended studio landscapes without a pipeline of exclusives and an overly complex, slow infrastructure as main challenges within Xbox. By Pascal Wagner • 1 min read
Mark Stanleyy, Dr. Natasha Skult and Chris Hamilton (from Left to Right) | Picture: IDGA People IGDA Welcomes Natasha Skult, Christopher Hamilton and Mark Stanley as Board Directors The IGDA held its regular election to appoint three new board members. Natasha Skult, Christopher Hamilton and Mark Stanley will replace Zak Whaley, Nazih Fares and Valentina Birke, who have concluded their terms. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Funding Discord and Techleap Launch Scale-up Programme for Dutch Gaming Founders Through the Gaming Founders Circle, Techleap and Discord aim to support selected gaming start-ups as their businesses scale up. The first five companies in the programme are VaultN, Poki, Maxumum, Yom and Immens. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Events GIC Sees Summer Edition as Part of Its Brand Expansion With just a few weeks to go before GIC Sprint in Katowice, the organisers have revealed further details. In terms of concept, the Summer Edition of Poland’s largest B2B developer conference is modelled on the main event, albeit with some differences in the details. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
Goodbye, centralised Game City? The event will sit 2026 out, but the organisers promise a revamped concept covering the whole capital in 2027 (Mice & Men) No Game City Vienna in 2026, New Dual Concept in 2027 Europe's second-biggest pure gaming convention Game City Vienna will not take place in 2026. Instead, event agency Mice & Men is working on a new concept for 2027: A localised Game City in one place, and several decentralised Game Days around it. By Pascal Wagner • 2 min read
Glintseeker Island by Half Soup Labs (left) and Aethermancer by moi rai Games are nominated for this years Digital Vikings Award Awards Two German Studios Nominated for Digital Vikings Awards The shortlist for the Digital Vikings Awards, presented as part of Devgamm Gdansk, has been announced. Among the 12 nominated games across the four product categories are two titles from Germany. All Devgamm Gdansk participating studios are in the running for Studio of the Year. By Stephan Steininger • 1 min read
