The German Games Industry - Insights, Facts and Reports - game - Verband
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The German Games Industry Insights, Facts and Reports
PREFACE BROCHURE ON GERMANY AS A
IMPRINT & CONTACTS
BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT LOCATION
Dear Readers,
Germany is one of the most important markets
for computer and video games worldwide. No
European country generates higher sales with
games and the associated hardware. Germa-
ny's benefits as a business location include its
geographical position in the heart of Europe
and its excellent infrastructure, as well as its
Robinson: The Journey, the new VR game from membership in the EU and the uninhibited ex-
change it therefore enjoys with over a half-bil-
Crytek (creators of graphics engine C ryENGINE), lion people on the continent. all major areas of the games industry. Germa-
is a dream come true for fans of dinosaurs: a Germany is distinguished by a very lively ny also plays a special role in the e-sports
games industry. A wide range of companies segment: some of the world’s largest tourna-
whole world teeming with those beasts to explore. here are strong players on the world market. ments, the ESL One tournaments, take place
Truly an adventure like no other. Some of these come from the browser and mo-
bile games segment, including, for example,
here. And the ESL itself, one of the most im-
portant organisers of e-sports tournaments
InnoGames, Travian Games and Wooga. In the and leagues in the world, is headquartered in
area of PC and console games as well, German Germany.
studios such as Deck 13 ('The Surge'), Mimi- Last but not least, Germany is the home
mi Productions ('Shadow Tactics') and Yager of gamescom, which last year was opened by
Entertainment ('Dreadnought') have recently Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. The biggest
achieved international success. Moreover, Ger- annual event for computer and video games
many's Ubisoft studio Blue Byte ('Anno 1800') in the world and the most important business
is opening a new branch in Berlin this year, platform for games in Europe, it brings to-
whose team will be working on one of the gether more than 350,000 people in Cologne,
INDEX French parent company’s major brands. Crytek
from Frankfurt am Main offers one of the tech-
where as-yet-unreleased games can be tried
out and business contacts cultivated.
nologically most advanced game engines in I can provide but a brief overview of Ger-
the world, CryENGINE, which is used in virtu- many's diverse games industry here. This
al reality games like 'Robinson: The Journey' publication, however, offers a much more ex-
and such elaborate productions as 'Prey' and tensive impression of Germany as a games
'Hunt: Showdown'. In addition, internationally location. I would be pleased if it helps to win
successful developers such as Epic Games and you over, or to strengthen your future commit-
4 Germany: A gateway to Europe id Software operate their own studio branches ment as a friend and partner of, and an active
8 German games market and its players in Germany. Many young developers, too, are participant in the German games industry.
12 Gaming studios and companies in Germany currently founding small, creative teams that
18 Strengths, chances and the future of the German games industry are attracting attention with special titles at, Enjoy reading this brochure!
20 Gaming trends in Germany among other venues, the A MAZE. festival for
24 gamescom: celebrate the games independent video games, held annually as Sincerely,
28 Germany’s developer landscape part of the Games Week Berlin. Some 520 com-
32 Job market situation and education opportunities in Germany's games industry panies in Germany are active in the develop- Felix Falk
34 Associations, networks and funding in Germany ment and marketing of games, providing jobs
37 Generation YouTube in Germany for over 11,000 people. Universities in many Managing Director of game
38 Company register of the games industry in Germany large German cities also train new talent for (the German Games Industry Association)
3
• With France, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Gross domestic product and population:
the Czech Republic, Denmark, Luxembourg and the
Germany compared with the rest of Europe
Netherlands, Germany has a total of nine neighbor-
ing countries – more than any other European nation. GDP GDP-Share Population
(in Bn EUR) (EU-28) (in M)
• The supply in Germany is characterized by an effi- Germany 3.134 21% 82
cient communication and energy network.
France 2.229 15% 67
3. HIGH PRODUCTIVITY United Kingdom 2.367 18% 65
The international competitiveness of the German
economy is characterized by outstanding quality Italy 1.672 11% 61
and a high performance level – despite decreasing Spain 1.114 7% 46
unit wage costs. Hence, Germany boasts an excellent
price-performance ratio within Europe. Netherlands 703 5% 17
Poland 424 3% 38
4. GLOBALITY
Germany as a business and investment location ben- Denmark 277 2% 6
efits greatly from its traditionally close economic rela-
TEN GOOD REASONS FOR INVESTING IN
Czech Republic 174 1% 11
tions with Central and Eastern Europe, especially with
Note: Currencies converted with the European Central Bank‘s reference exchange rates for 2016
the markets in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hunga- Sources: Eurostat 2017 Federal Statistical Office Germany 2017, US Census Bureau 2017
GERMAN BUSINESSES
ry. This long-standing East-West integration ensures
a correspondingly good economic expertise and lets
Germany play a leading role as a platform for the
growing domestic markets in the European region. of excellently trained and highly qualified profes-
sionals, setting international standards. The basis for
Germany is a business hot spot for foreign investors. Currently, around 70,000 foreign companies 5. OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALS this is Germany's excellent education system; 82% of
are based in Germany, employing approx. three million people. In 2015/2016, the FDI amounted "Made in Germany" is considered a seal of quality the German population have completed some sort of
to over 464 billion euros. In their FDI report, the economic development agency of the Federal for exceptionally high product and service quality vocational training or have a university degree,
Republic of Germany, Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), stated a peak value of 1,944 new FDI pro- throughout the world. Germany has a broad range which is well above the OECD average.
jects, representing an increase of 2% compared to the previous year. The related prospect of at
least 30,000 new jobs is also a record high.
1. STRONG AND STABLE MARKET ECONOMY •G
ermany's economic strength is ranked 4th in the Thanks to its high density of banking
institutions and being an important stock
With 500 million consumers, united Europe repre- world.
exchange location, Frankfurt/Main ranks on
sents the largest market worldwide, with Germany top of Germany's finance industry, making
being the largest national economy and thus the •W
ith the European Central Bank located in Frank- Frankfurt one of the most important inter-
driving force in the European market. Being the furt a. M., Germany is a powerful financial center. national financial centers in the world.
biggest market within the EU, Germany's economy
is not only very well developed, but also highly di- 2. CENTRAL LOCATION AND OUTSTANDING
versified. INFRASTRUCTURE
The central location in the very heart of Europe
• Representing 16% of the entire population within makes Germany an attractive location for the gam-
the European Union, Germany generates 21% of the ing industry. Conveniently located airports in Berlin,
EU's total gross domestic product. Dusseldorf, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg and Munich
allow for short travel times to all European destina-
• The large German domestic market as well as the tions on the one hand, and provide a connection to
easy access to the growth markets in the member every important city worldwide on the other. In the
states of the European Union make Germany a country itself, all important hot spots of the existing
profitable and extremely attractive location for in- gaming industry in the cities of Berlin, Frankfurt/
vestors. Main, Hamburg, Munich as well as the Baden-Würt-
temberg region and the Rhine-Ruhr area (Dusseldorf,
• With 82 million inhabitants (2017), Germany repre- Cologne etc.) are quickly accessible – thanks to the
sents the largest state in the EU. well-developed rail network.
4 5
6. INNOVATION AND RESEARCH
Germany is regarded as the top research location in
Europe, enjoying an excellent reputation worldwide
for its innovative and dynamic research and devel-
opment landscape. Germany's federal government
supports annual research and development projects ABOUT GERMANY TRADE & INVEST
with billions of financial funds and hence claims a Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) is a foreign trade agency of the
pioneering role in the high-tech industry. According Federal Republic of Germany. It's a central hub to support Ger-
to results of a survey carried out by the American man and foreign companies. Thus, one of the tasks of GTAI is
Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham), 75% to inform and accompany foreign investors, from their market
of the companies rate the research and development
entry all the way to their settlement in Germany. For this, GTAI
environment in Germany as "Very good" or "Good".
offers a broad spectrum of services, such as market entry,
market and industry analyses, funding and financing informati-
7. ATTRACTIVE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The large number of funding programs in Germa-
on as well as comprehensive legal information regarding taxes,
ny are of great interest for foreign investors. The employment law, etc. GTAI also offers corresponding consulting
programs offered cover each phase of a company services. Besides, GTAI pursues active investor acquisition
settlement. Besides direct grants, there is also free at leading trade fairs and conferences in selected German
training of skilled workers or research funds. Local key regions in order to promote the international investment
business development corporations actively support interest in Germany as an attractive business and investment
investors on matters regarding financing, recruit- location. Interested parties can find helpful information and
ment and location search. In the gaming industry, in contact opportunities on GTAI's website at:
particular, investors can benefit from corresponding www.gtai.de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/welcome.html
funding opportunities. For more details, please refer
to page 34.
8. COMPETITIVE TAX RATES predictability are important aspects for economic
Tax reforms in Germany resulted in a decrease commitment and projects.
of incidental wage costs and
a reduction of corporate tax- 10. HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE
es. Compared to the USA, Development of wage costs Germany is characterized by a high
Canada, Japan, Italy and France, in the business economy* quality of life in a safe, open-minded
Germany has a decisive lead in this and modern country. Its landscape
respect, which makes it more attrac-
(2007-2016) and culture, the comprehensive
tive for investors. The tax revenues Average annual growth rate healthcare provision as well as the
by the state ensure that its various leisure and sports opportunities are
France 1,95%
tasks within the community, e.g. in just a few of the reasons why seven
the areas of education, healthcare, Spain 1,99% million people have made Germany
infrastructure and social security their adopted home. The basis for the
Netherlands 2,04%
are fulfilled. excellent quality of life in Germany is
Germany 2,15% the country's social security system.
9. SECURE ENVIRON- The social security of every individual
United Kingdom 2,27%
MENT FOR INVESTMENT is one of the priorities of the domestic
As a modern, democratic consti- EU-28 2,30% agenda. A nationwide social securi-
tutional state with a stable and ty legislation regulates the personal
Slovak
peaceful policy, Germany provides Republic
3,94% financial provision in the event of
its companies with the required illness, for retirement and the need "Hunt: Showdown" is a competitive multiplayer bounty
security. Intellectual property is Czech Republic 4,0% for care. It also includes payments of
highly valued and strictly protect- child and housing allowances.
hunting game by German developer Crytek that mixes PvP
Hungary 4,5%
ed. Also, contractual agreements with PvE elements in a handcrafted sandbox environment.
are deemed legally binding in Poland 5,09% The game's release is scheduled for 2018.
Germany. Decisive location factors *“Business economy“ incl. NACE Rev. 2, B-N • Sources: Germany Trade & Invest,
such as long-term security and Source: Eurostat 2017 gtai.de, businesslocationcenter.de.
6 7
SALE OF DATA MEDIA AND DOWNLOADS
The selling of computer and video games – physi- a certain game indefinitely. In 2016, 43.9 million
cal or by download – represents the classic busi- games for PC, consoles and mobile devices such as
ness model of the games industry. The consumer mobile phones, handhelds or smartphones were
acquires a software license that entitles him to use sold in Germany.
Games Sold Games sold as Downloads
Figures in million units Share in percent
100
100
80
80
73.7
70.9 69.5
70 80
80
74 62 61 60 58 55
60
60
49.8 60
60
50 45.5 43.9
40
40
40
40
30
GERMAN MARKET FOR DIGITAL GAMES:
20
20 20
20
26 38 39 40 42 45
10
FACTS AND NUMBERS
0
00 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Downloads
© 2017 game/GfK Physical © 2017 game/GfK
The German games industry recorded sales of computer and video games totaling 43.9 million Germany has become a preferred location More than four out of ten games sold in
units in 2016 - a decrease of 3 percent on the previous year. The turnover of computer and video for innovative start-ups; offering a winning Germany are purchased by download.
games software in 2016 in Germany totaled 2.13 billion euros. These revenues are distributed combination of moderate costs, excellent
across four core business fields: infrastructure and a large talent pool.
• Boxed games and downloads: sale of games for PC and consoles as well as mobile games Sales trend by platforms ONLINE AND BROWSER-GAMES AND
• Online and browser games: expenditures for subscriptions and premium accounts (physical and downloads) GAME-APPS – A GLOBAL GAMING HUB
• Downloadable content: expenditures for additional items / item selling Thanks to German companies such as Gameforge,
• Online networks (e.g. PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live Gold): expenditures for subscriptions Figures in million euros InnoGames and Goodgame Studios, Germany has
become a global hub for online and browser game
2.000
2000 production.
15.9 million Germans played online and browser
games in 2016, making them an integral part of the
173 1.500
1500 239 218 German games market. This number decreased sig-
215
nificantly from 2014 to 2016, while the revenues from
177 119
MARKET VOLUME 123 online and browser-game fees increased from 139
1.000
1000
Revenues from computer and video games software 659 million euros in 2014 to a total figure of 173 million
1.183
totaled 2.01 billion euros on the German market in 889 819 862 752 798 753 euros in 2016. Browser games refer to internet games
2016. With a share of 1.183 billion euros, the classic that are played directly, using the web browser, or in
500
500
sale of physical or downloaded games (games for a social network. Online games are played mainly or
mobile consoles, smartphones & tablets included) exclusively on the internet and require a previous
445 464 392 348 291 306
still accounts for the lion’s share of revenues. Newer Figures in million euros
program installation on the computer. Not included
00
business models such as fees for subscriptions and 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 is the turnover from the sales of virtual items.
premium accounts (online and browser games) or Physical copies and downloads PC Game apps are one of the greatest drivers of
expenditures on game expansions and additional Fees for online and browser games Consoles growth in the computer and video games industry, as
items (downloadable content) make up about 44 Microtransactions / Item selling Mobile devices (including handhelds) well as in the entire mobile ecosystem consisting of
© 2017 game/GfK © 2017 game/GfK
percent of total revenues. smartphones, tablets, app stores and mobile internet.
8 9
ITEM SELLING INCREASE IN TURNOVER AND USERS OF ONLINE 34,1 m Germans play games
Figures in million euros
Virtual items include new characters, levels and vir- 800
600
+ 70 % AND BROWSER GAMES
tual weapons for online and browser games as well While the turnover from subscriptions and premium
700
as additional playing levels for games which were 500 accounts rose by 19 percent to 173 million euros in
acquired by data media or download. Against the 600 2016, the number of users increased to 15.9 million.
background of the increasing dynamics of digital 400 Turnover from sales and virtual items is not included
500
business models, the statistical methods used in in these statistics. 5.8 m
the co-operation between game and GfK (society for 400
300
consumer research) to measure turnover of virtual Figures in million users
300
items have been adjusted. Turnover for virtual items 200
20
20
amounted to a total of 659 million euros in 2016. 200
209 477 562 659 17.4
100
TURNOVER ON ITEM SELLING
100 15.5
16.3
15.7 15.9 28.3 m
15
15 14.0
Compared to 2015, the turnover from item selling 00
increased by 17 percent to 659 million euros in 2013 2014 2015 2016
2016. The number includes both game add-ons, for © 2017 game/GfK 10
183
10 173 Play occasionally
example additional levels or so-called map packs
Play regularly (several times a month or more)
and virtual items, which are used in online and 140 146
139
browser games as well as in-app purchases for mo- 5 © 2017 game/GfK
bile games.
124
00 Nearly every second German is a gamer: 34.1 mil-
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 lion people in Germany play computer and video
games. That’s 41 per cent of the total population.
The average age of German gamers is 35.5 years. In all, more than 34 million people play Users Almost half of them (47 per cent or 16 million) are
digital games, a quarter of which is over 50 years old. Turnover © 2017 game/GfK
women.
German gamers by age group
Buyers of virtual goods and average expediture:
In 2016, the number of gamers who bought
virtual items for games rose to 3.9 million.
Meanwhile, the average annual expenditure Education level
per person decreased by 2% to 88.6 euros.
1000 Over 50
years old
4,3 %
1,5 m
800 Again, the biggest increase in
10-19 40-49
years old gamer numbers was in the 50+ GAMING PLATFORM PROSPECTS
20-29 30-39 years old
age group: the number of gam- Today, people play on all kinds of devices. The clas-
25 %
2% years old years old
3,2 % 33 %
600 2,3 % 2,9 % ers in this age bracket increased sic computer, be it desktop PC or laptop, is the most
0.7 m 1.1 m by 300,000 to 8.7 million in the popular gaming platform in Germany. Whether
1m
Up to 9 0.8 m space of 12 months. With this in- browser games, eSports titles or virtual reality
years old crease the over-50s account for games: The PC is a very versatile gaming platform.
23 %
400
1,7 % more than a quarter of all gamers Smartphones attract more and more gamers in Ger- 19 %
0.6 m in Germany. many but are still only ranked second with a total
of 17.3 million gamers. Another 11.5 million users
200 play on tablets, and almost 42% of these smart-
Comprehensive school (7.4 m)
7,3 % 15,2 % 13,1 % 12,9 % 13,4 % 21,1 % phone and tablet gamers even play on a daily basis.
University-educated (7.0 m)
2.5 m 5.2 m 4.5m 4.4 m 4.6 m 7.3 m The number of stationary gaming consoles also in-
0 A levels (5.9 m)
Total Total Total Total Total Total
Play occasionally creased slightly compared to the previous year, ac-
O levels (10.2 m)
3.1 m 5.9 m 5.3 m 5.4 m 5.7 m 8.7 m Play regularly cumulating to 15.8 million devices. In total, almost
© 2017 game/GfK one in three people in Germany play on a stationary © 2017 game/GfK
and/or mobile gaming console.
10 11
GAMING STUDIOS
AND COMPANIES IN GERMANY
L O N E LY M O U N TA I N S
DOWNHILL
BLUE BYTE . "ANNO 1800"
The German games industry features a large number of developers, publishers and service
providers (see company register on page 38). On the following pages, we will present some of
the studios and technology developers.
pioneers to deliver AAA quality for the new medium
BLUE BYTE VR, with recent titles like "The Climb" and "Robinson:
Location: Dusseldorf, Mainz, Berlin The Journey". The studio is also working on the multi-
Founding Year: 1988 player shooter "Hunt: Showdown"
Number of Employees: over 300
The development studio Blue Byte was already found- BLACK FOREST GAMES
ed in 1988, making a name for itself with games like Location: Offenburg
"Battle Isle" and, above all, "The Settlers". In 2001, Ubi- Founding Year: Offenburg
soft took over the studio, and from then on the Dussel- Number of Employees: over 60
dorf-team mainly worked on further "Settler" games
until Ubisoft acquired the Mainz-based developer Re- Black Forest Games was formed in 2012, recruiting
lated Designs in 2014, turning it into the second Blue most people out of the former Spellbound Enter-
Byte studio. Since then, the "Anno" series has been part tainment team. Before becoming a part THQ Nordic
of the portfolio, with "Anno 1800" being scheduled for in August 2017, Black Forest Games relied mostly
end of 2018. The team has also worked also on PC im- on self-published titles and was on track to become
plementations of Ubisoft blockbusters like "For Honor". a top-notch independent studio. Their greatest
achievement was "Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams",
which was funded through a Kickstarter campaign.
CRYTEK "Twisted Dreams" was the spiritual successor to the
Location: C64 classic "The Great Giana Sisters".
Frankfurt/Main, Kiew
Founding Year: 1999
Number of Employees: over 500
Crytek made a mark on the international market early
in the new millennium with visual masterpieces like
"Far Cry" and later the "Crysis" series, and at the same
time developed CryENGINE, a competitive game en-
gine which today is used by Amazon for their Lum-
beryard engine or until recently by Cloud Imperium
MEGAGON INDUSTRIES . "LONELY MOUNTAINS DOWNHILL" Games for "Star Citizen". Crytek is now one of the few BLACK FOREST GAMES . "FADE TO SILENCE"
12 13
DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT DEEPSILVER FISHLABS GAMIGO
Location: Hamburg, Location: Hamburg Location: Hamburg,
Dusseldorf Founding Year: 2004 Berlin, Münster, Darmstadt,
Founding Year: 2007 Number of Employees: over 80 Chicago, Seoul
Number of Employees: over 80 Founding Year: 2000
DeepSilver Fishlabs have been part of the Koch Number of Employees: 300
Daedalic Entertainment is known for their adventure Media Group since December 2013, standing out
games, since the company is acting as both developer in particular for their "Galaxy on Fire" games. The Originally founded as an online magazine for PC
and publisher. The "Whispered World" games, the "De- Hamburg-based company is specialized in mobile games, Gamigo today offers free2play online and
ponia" series or the implementation of the Ken Follett games, working not only on their own brands, but mobile games, with around 100 million registered
novel "The Pillars of the Earth" are just a few examples users. The portfolio includes titles like "Echo of Soul",
of the successful and highly anticipated adventure "Last Chaos" or "Dragon's Prophet", and altogether
games. Daedalic is also a publisher of titles like "Di- the company's product range consists of more than
vinity: Original Sin", "Valhalla Hills" or "Bounty Train". 20 multiplayer titles and over 500 casual games. In
In 2016, Daedalic released two games that received a GAMEFORGE 2016, Gamigo acquired Berlin-based publisher Aeria
lot of international acclaim: "The Long Journey Home" Location: Karlsruhe Games, also specialized on online games. On top of
and "Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun". Founding Year: 2003 its publishing activities, Gamigo also offers a com-
Number of Employees: over 300 prehensive IT infrastructure which can be used by
both developers and publishers to host their games.
In 2002, Alexander Rösner's browser game "OG-
ame" laid the foundation for one of the world's most
successful companies in the area of free2play online
games. Just one year later, he founded Gameforge
with his business partner Klaas Kersting. In 2006,
Gameforge brought the then most successful MMO
in Europe, "Metin2", to Germany. The success of the
DEEPSILVER FISHLABS . "GALAXY ON FIRE 3" game resulted both in the growth of player numbers
and of the company itself. Over 450 million regis-
also developing apps for international customers tered players immerse themselves daily in the fas-
like Volkswagen, Barclaycard and The Coca-Cola cinating worlds of more than 20 games, offered by
Company. Since DeepSilver Fishlabs also manage all Gameforge in over 75 countries. GAMIGO . "IRONSIGHT"
DECK 13 . "THE SURGE 2" of Koch Media's mobile activities, the team acts as a
publisher for high-quality indie projects for iOS and
Android as well, and has generated more than 120
DECK13 million cross-platform installations so far. INNOGAMES
Location: Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg Location: Hamburg, Dusseldorf | Founding Year: 2007 | Number of employees: 400
Founding Year: 2001
Number of Employees: over 60 EXIT GAMES from Hamburg took over developer Funatics in
Location: Hamburg InnoGames 2016, who are now working for InnoGames as their
With more than 20 completed projects since their Founding Year: 2003 Dusseldorf office.
founding, Deck13 is one of the most successful devel- Number of Employees: over 20 The foundation of InnoGames was laid in 2003
opers in Germany, recently making a name for itself when brothers Eike and Hendrik Klindworth
with the role-playing game "Lords of the Fallen". Fans Exit Games is the maker of Photon Engine which is de- developed the browser game "Tribal
like to call the game the German equivalent to "Dark signed to facilitate the implementation of m ultiplayer Wars" together with Michael Zillmer. The hobby project
Souls". In 2016, the team released the quasi-sequel features. The SDK is available for major game engines grew so rapidly, that the developers made it their main
"The Surge". Deck13 is headquartered in Frankfurt/ like Unity and Unreal Engine, but also Cocos2d, Marma- profession in 2005, and in 2007 they eventually founded
Main, but also has a small office in Hamburg. Also, lade or Scirra/Contruct 2. Various cloud services, match- InnoGames. "Tribal Wars" is still going strong,
since 2014, Deck13 supports indie studios as a pub- making APIs and cross-platform multiplayer are just a with almost 60 million registered players.To-
lisher under their label Deck13 Games, with the team few of the s ervices offered. More than 255,000 develop- day, the company that's specialized on free2play
overseeing areas like production, localization, QA, ers worldwide use Photon for their projects, from Bandai browser and mobile games reaches over 200 mil-
marketing and PR. More than 10 games have already Namco, Codemasters, DeepSilver Fishlabs up to lion players worldwide, employs around 400 peo-
been published by Deck13 in this setup. Gamevil. ple and operates seven games. On top, the team INNOGAMES . "DIE STÄMME"
14 15
KALYPSO TEAMSPEAK TRAVIAN GAMES
Location: Worms, Gütersloh, Munich Loctation: Krün Location: Munich | Founding Year: 2005 | Number of Employees: over 150
Founding Year: 2006 Founding Year: 1999
Number of Employees: over 100 Number of Employees: unknown The company is specialized on free2play browser games whose focus
is on builder and strategy game elements.Some of the most successful
Kalypso Media, founded in 2006, is one of the few Everyone who competes in fierce multiplayer bat- and popular titles by Travian Games are "Travian" and "goalunited",
German publishers. Apart from projects by external tles these days is probably familiar with Team- Travian Games is cooperating with ArtCraft to publish "Crowfall"
developers, such as "Vikings: Wolves of Midgard" Speak, the useful communication tool which lets and Portalarium to publish Richard Garriott's latest game Shroud
which was released in 2017, Kalypso also runs two users chat to each other online. The idea for it of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues. Both games are client-based
studios of their own: Gaming Minds in Gütersloh started back in 1999 in Germany when a group of mmorpgs for pc. TRAVIAN GAMES . "CROWFALL"
and Realmforge Studios in Munich. Plus, they have a friends realized that no existing software solutions
mobile department in Hamburg as well as offices in were suitable for that purpose. Two years later, the
the UK and the US. Kalypso Media is mainly known first version of TeamSpeak was released, and today, TIVOLA WOOGA
for the "Tropico" both game developers and business service pro- Location: Hamburg Location: Berlin
series, whose IP viders use the communication software for their Founding Year: 1995 Founding Year: 2009
rights they ac- products. Number of Employees: over 10 Number of Employees: 250
quired by now, but
also for the "Dun- Wooga is specializing in free-
geon Keeper" re- 2play mobile games and
boot, "Dungeons". MIMIMI PRODUCTIONS has published a number of
The focus of Ka- Location: Munich mega-hits since 2009, like "Jelly
lypso Media is on Founding Year: 2011 Splash" (over 50 million players),
strategy games for Number of Employees: 20 the "Bubble Island" series (over
PC and consoles. KALYPSO . "RAILWAY EMPIRE" 90 million players) or "Diamond
Mimimi Productions is a small, young develop- Dash" (over 200 million players).
ment studio from Munich, which has been highly
LIMBIC ENTERTAINMENT successful since as early as 2011. Their first title, the Tivola is a German publisher of apps and games
Loctation: Langen mobile game "DaWindci", won the Apple Design with a focus on kids. The portfolio reaches from
Founding Year: 2002 Award in 2012, while their next game, "The Last educational programs for school, preschool and kin-
Number of Employees: 50 Tinker", won a total of 15 awards. In late 2016, the dergarten to animal simulations up to games which Within seven years, the
team published the strategy hit "Shadow Tactics" are all about having fun. Over the years, Tivola has company grew to 250 em-
for PC; a console version will follow in 2017. The worked on many popular brands, such as "TKKG", ployees from over 40 na-
team has also completed a number of successful "Snoopy", "Käpt’n Blaubär", "Vicky the Viking" or tions and by now has also
contract jobs, like the interactive children's book "Maya The Bee" and achieved market leadership worked with high-profile
"The Trip to Panama". with programs like "Lernerfolg Grundschule", an licenses like "Futurama".
educational software for primary school kids. Be- Wooga serves both iOS
sides educational games for mobile and PC, the com- and Android devices as
pany has also entered the VR market. well as Smartwatches.
LIMBIC . "TROPICO 6"
YAGER
Limbic Entertainment was founded in 2002 by three Location: Berlin YAGER . "DREADNOUGHT"
former employees of Sunflowers, a company where Founding Year: 1999
they worked on games like "Anno 1602", "Anno 1503" Number of Employees: over 120
and "TechnoMage". Limbic Entertainment first spe-
cialized in educational games like "Mein Pferdehof", a The team of Yager published its first game of the same name in 2003,
client-based horse farm simulation which sold more but is probably known to most gamers for their anti-war shooter
than 800,000 units for PC and GameBoy Advance. "Spec Ops: The Line" from 2012, which the Berlin-based studio de-
Later, Limbic was working on the strategy se- veloped for 2K and which received widespread critical acclaim.
ries "Might & Magic" for Ubisoft. They are In the meantime, Yager worked on "Dead Island 2" and is now
currently working on the 6th installment focusing on the free2play title "Dreadnought" which is still in
of the renowned "Tropico" strategy se- open beta and scheduled to be released in 2018. The company's
ries for publisher Kalypso. focus is on AAA games for PC and consoles.
16 17
THAT’S WHAT THEY SAID: BENEDIKT GRINDEL,
STUDIO MANAGER,
JOHANNES ROTH,
FOUNDER & MANAGING
GERMAN DEVS AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS
BLUE BYTE DIRECTOR, MIMIMI PRODUCTIONS
ABOUT GERMANY’S GAMING INDUSTRY " We are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year,
and we have big plans. Germany’s developer scene is
" It's a sad fact that Germany has been repeatedly
outpaced in the past. However, the latest merger of
on the upswing and offers a large pool of highly qual- the industry associations BIU and GAME into one
ified talent for all areas of game development. We powerful federal association demonstrates that our
have opened a new studio in Berlin early this year. industry is standing together and is well set up to
We wanted to know what Germany's game developers and industry experts think of Germany The studio will be working on the Far Cry brand, and overcome even the biggest obstacles. The prospects
as a business and investment location; what the strengths and benefits are in their opinion, the applications we receive are amazing: top profiles of federal funding, which would also make foreign
why international gaming investors should make business there, and what they wish for re- from all around the world. We are also looking for investments more attractive, are better than ever. All
garding the future of the German games industry. On this page, you will find a selection of new talent in Düsseldorf and Mainz, where we work of this combined with a large number of developers
answers they gave us. on some of the biggest Ubisoft brands. Germany con- who are on the same level as international studios in
tinues to benefit from the indie scene and a growing areas like stability, quality and efficiency – be it for
number of game-centric university programs. We see AAA blockbusters or artsy indies – there has never
huge creative potential now and in the future. Peo- been a better time to cooperate."
JAN THEYSEN, JAN KLOSE, ple who join us from abroad are often surprised by
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, MANAGING DIRECTOR, the warm welcome and friendliness they experience
KING ART DECK 13 here. And we see that Germany is very popular for
expatriates because of its overall stability. Luckily,
our politicians have realized that games develop-
" The German developer community is comparably
small, but has an excellent network. The exchange
" There’s certainly a breath of fresh air in the German
games industry, with more new studios evolving and
ment has huge potential, and that we are a creative
and high-tech business with an excellent workforce
between the developers, the helpfulness and feel- more titles becoming internationally successful. The of digital natives. We expect that this will soon be re-
ings of solidarity are very strong. People help each shift to digital distribution seems to enable a lot of flected in an improving infrastructure for our indus-
other out in fast and unbureaucratic ways." creative developers to find their niche and develop try, so that we can grow even faster."
awesome games, while at the same time interna-
tional publishes are becoming more and more aware
of good quality coming from Germany. We need to
keep this trend alive and I still haven’t lost hope that
our government will eventually wake up and give
our industry the attention it deserves and the care to MIMIMI PRODUCTIONS "SHADOW TACTICS"
help it expand and live up to its true potential."
HENDRIK KLINDWORTH,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
INNOGAMES
" Being located in the heart of Europe, Germany
offers good access to all European markets. The dif-
ferent regions host multiple game studios which
are successful on diverse platforms and vary in size,
style and strategic approach. Many German devel-
opers and publishers have decades of experience in
the market and will continue to be successful in the
future as they focus on sustainable growth."
KING ART. "IRON HARVEST 1920+" "TRANSOCEAN 2: RIVALS" BLUE BYTE. "ANNO 1800"
18 19in "Star Wars Battlefront II" (Electronic Arts), "Mario + Germany: eSports business revenue*
Rabbids Kingdom Battle" (Ubisoft) and "Super Mario
Odyssey" (Nintendo). With Sony's "PlayLink", friends
and family can gather in front of the TV and share a
In million euros
quick and easy gaming experience via smartphone
150
150
and tablet on the gaming console. With their new
gaming console Switch, Nintendo provides an oppor-
125
125 CAGR
tunity to play together even on one device which can
+27 %
be taken anywhere at any time. Sharing gaming ex-
100
100
periences online also moved more into the spotlight.
Gamers can, for example, jump right into a friend's
75
75
story and continue to play it together such as in "Far
Cry 5" (Ubisoft). For online events with special mis-
50
50
sions, friends arrange joint gaming sessions to play
games like "Destiny 2" (Activision). Even the audi-
25
25
ence of a live-stream can be involved interactively
TRENDS FOR THE in the gaming experience, e.g. on the video platform
Mixer (Microsoft). Never before have there been so
0
0
50
2016
70
2017
90
2018 2019
110 130
2020
GERMAN GAMES MARKET
many ways to play with friends and family. Note: * Includes the following sources of
revenue: sponsoring/advertising, premium
content, entrance fees & merchandizing. Source: Deloitte
PROFESSIONALIZATION OF ESPORTS
The development of eSports is rather unusual: No
other sports has ever grown from niche sport into a
Germany is one of the most important markets for computer and video games in Europe. In mass phenomenon in such a short amount of time.
2016, it generated a revenue of 2.13 billion euros, with the PC being the dominating platform Millions of people in Germany follow digital sports, According to an analysis by Deloitte, eSports
(based on the installed hardware), followed by smartphones and consoles. But another two be it live at a stadium or online via live-stream. The is expected to generate a revenue of
areas will become more and more important in the years to come: eSports and Virtual Reality. rapidly growing popularity also entails the increas- 130 million euros by the year 2020.
ing professionalization of eSports, which also gains
JUST PLAY TOGETHER one device. And yet, playing together has never been more and more impact on the economy and politics. paign: All major parties announced that they would
With the motto "Just Play Together", gamescom easier and more versatile than it is today – which was An increasing number of companies like Audi and increase funding for digital sports in the upcoming
2017 put one of the most vital features of games in the focus at gamescom 2017, also due to a particularly Vodafone become involved in digital sports in or- legislative period. The announcement by the Olym-
the spotlight: Even the very first digital games like high number of novelties: Friends play together in a der to reach the young, internet-savvy target group pic Council of Asia (OCA) to make eSports a medal
"Pong" could be played together with friends on just room and experience stories together, for example, which can no longer be addressed through tradition- event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou is an-
al advertising only. eSports also played a significant other indicator for the increasing professionalization
role during the German parliamentary election cam- of eSports and its worldwide recognition as a sport.
Four in ten gamers in Germany play together with others
Share of German gamers who play
multiplayer games at least occasionally
eSports in
Germany today
can measure
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ up to tradi-
© 2017 game/YouGov
years old years old years old years old years old tional sports
20 21INNOVATIONS FOR reductions in the second half of 2017, the user base
INFINITE GAMING EXPERIENCES recorded a noticeable increase. Right now, Virtual
The games industry has always been a pioneer in us- Reality is becoming an entirely new platform – not
ing innovative technologies to improve the gaming only for computer and video games, but also for
experience. Many technological innovations aim to various economic sectors. If you want to experience
create even more realistic, massive, virtually bound- what the computer platform of the future feels like,
less game worlds. gamescom 2017 delivered proof for you can't avoid video games. A series of upcoming
this kind of innovation power: More than any other games show off the level of creativity the latest for-
media industry, the games industry already provides mats and ideas for Virtual Reality are being tried out
content in the so-called 4K resolution as well as the with as, for example, "The Inpatient" for PlayStation
use of HDR technology (High Dynamic Range). With VR, "Transference" (Ubisoft) or the VR version of "The
Sony's PlayStation 4 Pro and Microsoft's Xbox One X, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" (Bethesda).
new models of the current console generation were
introduced, which support the latest standards for
the considerably higher resolution and impressive
contrast the latest TV generation has to offer. This
new technology is not only used by new games such
as "Assassin's Creed Origins" (Ubisoft), "Forza Mot-
orsport 7" (Microsoft) and "Middle-earth: Shadow of
War" (Warner Bros.). Some games that have previous-
ly been released contain free updates, too, in order to
present improved image quality on the latest gam-
ing consoles.
Virtual Reality is another example for the games
industry's strong will to overcome technical hur-
dles over and over again in order to be able to pres-
ent even more intense gaming experiences: Upon
release of the current headset generation and price
The interest in VR headsets is on the rise
Share of German inter- Share of German internet users who already use
net users who have heard VR headsets for digital games or can imagine
of special VR headsets using VR headsets for digital games in the future
"Anno 1800", the next installment of the renowned
strategy series, is being developed in close
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ connection with the loyal Anno community.
© 2017 game/YouGov years old years old years old years old years old
22 23GAMESCOM: CELEBRATE THE GAMES
Major innovations from Germany, Europe and the rest of the world are showcased at games-
com, the highlight of the interactive entertainment industry’s annual calendar.
gamescom is both a trade fair and a public event, for exhibitors, trade professionals and the media.
making it a unique entertainment experience for all The exceptional infrastructure in this area makes
visitors. It is hosted by the city of Cologne, where it it an ideal forum for successfully conducting busi-
has taken place in August of every year since 2009. ness and holding in-depth discussions. The busi-
Koelnmesse GmbH – one of the largest and most ness area is a top meeting spot for the 30,700 trade
modern expo centres worldwide, with 284.000 professionals who attend the event.
square metres of floor space - is the service provider The gamescom congress is one of the most im-
responsible for organising and running the event. portant conferences for digital games in Germany.
In 2017, over 350,000 people from 106 countries at- More than 114 speakers discuss the latest trends in
tended the event, visiting booths run by 919 exhibi- several key areas of the games industry. This con-
tors from 54 countries – more than ever before. ference has been officially accredited as a training
programme for teachers and other education pro-
GAMESCOM: THE CONCEPT fessionals; upon request, participants will be given
The success of gamescom is due in large part to a certificate to that effect at the check-in desk. The
the idea behind it. The event brings together rep- conference is organised by Koelnmesse GmbH and
resentatives of every link in the industry’s value supported by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister
chain, from developers and publishers to retailers for Federal Affairs, Europe and the Media, the new
and consumers, and creates forums for discussion German Games Industry Association game – and
at every level. The entertainment area is aimed at the City of Cologne.
games fans from the general public. It comprises In addition to these main pillars, gamescom
four modern exhibition halls with a total of about offers a multifaceted programme of other events.
200.000 square metres of floor space and both an The gamescom city festival features concerts and
indoor and an outdoor area. Here, gamescom at- entertainment in Cologne’s city centre, which al-
tendees can try out the latest gaming software and ways takes on a festive atmosphere for the entire
hardware. The business area is an exclusive space duration of the event.
„We are thrilled. gamescom 2017 set
new standards and achieved an all- time
visitor high, showing more than ever
it's exceptional global importance as a
360-degree event experience and lea-
ding communication platform for current
and upcoming topics in the computer
and video games industry."
(Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH)
24 25gamescom impressions
GAMESCOM AWARD consideration. Games are eligible if they were not
The gamescom award is presented every year to published in Germany before gamescom and are gamescom offers a great variety of having fun
honour the best games at the event. All companies available in the entertainment area for attendees to
in all aspects of gaming, showing how videgames
exhibiting at gamescom can submit their games for view and play.
can connect people and bring them together.
Protection of minors and media literacy
At gamescom, the games industry also acknowledges its responsibil-
ity to help protect minors. The provisions of German youth protection
laws are consistently observed throughout the exhibition area, and
comprehensive measures are in place to protect young attendees
from harmful content, including age verification at exhibitors’ booths.
26 27HAMBURG AND BERLIN IN DETAIL In the catchment area of Frankfurt/Main, Bethesda
Today, Hamburg is home to some of the biggest and its in-house Studio id Software have set up
GERMANY'S DEVELOPER LANDSCAPE gaming companies in Germany, like, e.g., Goodgame
Studios (around 350 employees), Bigpoint (around
500 employees) or InnoGames (around 410 employ-
office, and this is also where Chris Roberts is work-
ing on "Star Citizen" with Foundry 42. Also, Crytek,
one of the most popular German gaming companies,
ees). All three of them are specializing on free2play has its headquarters in the financial metropolis, and
and browser and/or mobile games. But internation- there are also development studios like Deck 13 or
al companies have their offices here, too, such as Keen Games.
The German games industry is typically focused on the big cities, with Hamburg and Berlin Square Enix, Capcom or Warner Bros., which shows Munich, on the other hand, is home to big in-
having become the hot spots in the last few years. Other economic centers for the games in- that Hamburg has become one of the most impor- ternational players like Activision/Blizzard, Take 2
dustry are Munich, the Frankfurt/Main region and the catchment area of Cologne and Dussel- tant locations for the industry in Germany. This is (Rockstar/2K) and Koch Media. Also, there's Travian
dorf where most developers and publishers are based (see map below). also emphasized by respective educational offerings Games, another free2play heavyweight from Ger-
at various colleges, a large number of indie studios many with around 200 employees, and a number
and traditional gaming companies like Daedalic En- of smaller studios like the young, but very success-
tertainment or DeepSilver Fishlabs. ful team of Mimimi Productions, or remote control
Berlin, too, has gained importance over the last productions whose studio Chimera Entertainment
few years, and has become the location of choice has worked on "Angry Birds Epic" for Rovio, among
for big players like Wooga (around 250 employees), other things.
Gaming Clusters in Germany Gameduell (around 160 employees) or Yager (around Plus, all cities mentioned here offer various net-
130 employees). Besides that, Berlin has a vibrant works for developers, promoting networking and
23 and prosperous indie scene, and also a number of exchange among one another, providing experts
Game Publishers colleges and international companies like Tencent, where needed, etc. Also, many funding organiza-
Game Developers 55 Gamevil, King, Epic Games or Wargaming, who have tions have their offices and contact partners there.
set up office in the German capital. International
Hamburg
conferences, too, are held in Berlin on a regular ba- STUDIOS FAR OFF THE METROPOLITAN CENTERS
sis, most notably the QUO VADIS developer confer- But lesser known regions far off the metropolitan
2 57 ence which is now the creative hub of International areas are home to successful gaming companies as
7 118 Games Week Berlin. well. Mobile gaming pioneers HandyGames, e.g.,
have their offices in Giebelstadt near Würzburg.
Hanover
ADDITIONAL CITIES IN BRIEF Publisher Kalypso Media, known for the "Tropico"
4 Lower Saxony Berlin Other important companies and events are distrib- series, has its headquarters in Worms, while the
uted across the remaining conurbations: Greater free2play experts of flaregames reside in Karlsruhe
25 15 Hanover included
Cologne, e.g., is hosting Europe's leading trade show where Gameforge is located, too. The map on the
75 for digital games, gamescom, every year in August, left is therefore only a rough overview of the hot
and is also home to companies like Electronic Arts, spots of the German games industry. All compa-
Rhine-Ruhr Turtle Entertainment (ESL: Electronic Sports League) nies and their locations are detailed in the company
region and Ubisoft (in Dusseldorf). register of this brochure, starting on page 38.
20 Frankfurt/Main
30
73 35
Bavaria
Munich included
9 25
40 43
Baden-Württemberg Munich
Source: Germany Trade & Invest 2018
28 29"The Surge" by German developer Deck 13 (co-creators of the award-winning action game Lords of the Fallen) has won a total of three categories at the German Developer Adwards 2017: Best Graphics, Best PC/Console Game and Best German Game. "The Surge 2" was announced recently and is scheduled for release in 2019. 30 31
LIST OF EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN GERMANY
PUBLIC COLLEGES
College City Website Degree Programs Offered
Anhalt University of Applied Sciences Köthen www.hs-anhalt.de • Applied Computer Science – Digital Media and
Games Development (B.A.)
Augsburg University of Applied Sciences Augsburg www.hs-augsburg.de • Interactive Media (B.A.) • Interactive Media Systems (M.A.)
Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Halle www.burg-halle.de • Design of Playing and Learning (M.A.)
Design Halle
h_da Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt www.h-da.de • Animation & Game (B.A.)
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences Hamburg www.haw-hamburg.de • Time-Dependent Media / Sound - Vision - Games (M.A.)
Harz University of Applied Sciences Wernigerode www.hs-harz.de • Media and Games Conception (M.A.)
Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart www.hdm-stuttgart.de • Audiovisual Media – focus on Interactive Systems/Games (M.A.)
HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences Berlin www.htw-berlin.de • Game Design (B.A.)
Kempten University of Applied Sciences Kempten www.hochschule-kempten.de • Computer Science – Game Engineering (B.Sc.)
JOB MARKET SITUATION AND EDUCATION Mittweida University of Applied Sciences
Technical University of Munich
TH Köln, Cologne Game Lab
Mittweida
Munich
Cologne
www.hs-mittweida.de
www.tum.de
www.colognegamelab.de
• Media Informatics and Interactive Entertainment (B.A.)
• Computer Science – Games Engineering (B.A.)
• Digital Games (B.A.) • G ame Development and Research (M.A.)
OPPORTUNITIES IN GERMANY'S GAMING INDUSTRY Trier University of Applied Sciences Trier www.hochschule-trier.de
• from 2018: Digital Games (M.A.)
• Digital Media and Games (B.Sc.) • Intermedia Design (B.A.)
• Computer Science (focus on Game Technology) (M.A.)
• Design (focus on Intermedia Design) (M.A.)
University of Bayreuth Bayreuth www.uni-bayreuth.de • Computer Game Studies (M.A. & M.Sc.)
Germany – the land of poets and thinkers, fast but pricey luxury cars and high-quality products "Made University of Paderborn Paderborn www.uni-paderborn.de • Media studies (B.A. & M.A.)
in Germany". These are most certainly the first clichés that come to mind when thinking of Germany. University of Würzburg Würzburg www.uni-wuerzburg.de • Games Engineering (B.Sc.)
PRIVATE COLLEGES
But these days, Germany is also an important market INCREASING NUMBER OF EDUCATION
Educational Institutions City Website Degree Programs Offered
for the gaming industry, not only because it has the OPPORTUNITIES
bib International College Bergisch Gladbach, www.bib.de • Media Informatics – Game Development (B.Sc.)
highest sales potential compared to the rest of Europe. This increasing demand of employees and trained Hanover, Paderborn • Game Design – Art & Animation (B.A.)
Also, with regard to production, Germany has become staff needs to be met in one way or the other. Hence, BTK - University of Art & Design Berlin www.btk-fh.de • Game Design (B.A.)
an important location according to the latest figures. there are numerous studios and companies offer- design akademie berlin - SRH University for Berlin www.design-akademie-berlin. • Communication Design (B.A.) • Illustration (B.A.)
In 2017, there were approx. 521 companies specializing ing in-house-training, like, for example, the Dussel- Communication and Design de • Web Development (B.A.) • Film + Motion Design (B.A.)
in computer and video game development and pub- dorf-based Ubisoft studio Blue Byte. Also, in addition • Marketing Communication (B.A. & M.A.) • Institute for Ludology
lishing. In detail, there are 337 development studios, to private training facilities, colleges and universities Designhochschule (University of Design) Leipzig, Schwerin www.designschule.de • Game Design (B.Sc.)
61 companies focused on publishing, and 123 compa- have been offering a number of games study pro- Games Academy Berlin, Frankfurt/Main www.games-academy.de • GA Certificate - Approved Game Programmer • GA Certificate -
State-Approved Game Designer • GA Certificate - Approved Game
nies acting as both developer and publisher (source: grams for a few years now. The potential for innova-
Producer • GA Certificate - Approved Digital Artist
Projection by game based on the industry database tive content and technologies of the gaming industry
Macromedia University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Cologne, www.macromedia.de • Game Design (B.Sc.) (Stuttgart only)
"Industriekompass Games" – www.industriekom- is also recognized as high-tech qualifications by oth- Freiburg, Hamburg, • Game Design and Development (Macromedia Certificate, B.Sc. Hons)
pass-games.de. Effective date: April 19, 2017). er industries. Whether young talents tend to be ori- Munich, Stuttgart • Media and Communication Design (B.A.)
ented towards Computer Science, Game Design, Art, mAHS, media Academy – University Stuttgart Stuttgart www.media-hs.de • Game Design (B.A.) • Animation Design (B.A.)
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN GERMANY 3D Animation or lately even Virtual Reality, there are MD.H University of Media Design Berlin, Düsseldorf, www.mediadesign.de • Game Design (B.Sc.)
These companies employ a total of 11,140 people who around 15 public colleges and universities (see list on Munich
work directly in games development. When looking at the right) covering all aspects of game development S4G – School for Games Berlin www.school4games.net • Game Development • Game Graphics • Game Engineering
• Game Production • Game Programming
the industry as a whole, including journalists, scientists in various study programs specializing on games.
SAE Institute Berlin, Bochum, Cologne, www.sae.edu • Game Art Animation (B.A. / B.Sc.)
or specialized retail salespeople linked to the gaming in- Plus, there are some private colleges offering educa- Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg, • Games Programming (B.Sc.)
dustry, the number even amounts to 28,460 employees. tional programs for junior developers, too. Hanover, Leipzig, Munich, • Professional Media Creation (M.A.)
Hamburg and Berlin in particular are regarded as These private colleges charge tuition fees or offer Stuttgart
the hot spots of the German developer scene since scholarship programs to their students. Public uni- School of Games Cologne www.medienberufe.de • Game Artist PLUS Media Designer Digital and Print
the biggest companies are located there. Plus, there versities, on the other hand, can be attended free of (IHK - Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
• Game Programmer PLUS IT Specialist Application Development
are companies like Goodgame Studios, Bigpoint, charge. All interested students should pay attention (IHK - Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
InnoGames, Crytek, Gameforge, Blue Byte, Gami- to what kind of degree they can obtain and what • Game Business PLUS Marketing Communication Managers
go, Travian Games and Wooga, just to name a few, types of cooperation there are with companies in or- (IHK - Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
which were founded in Germany and have each der to have the best chances possible to gain a foot- SRH University Heidelberg Heidelberg www.hochschule-heidelberg.de • Game Development (B.Sc.) • VR & AR (B.Sc.)
grown to over 200 employees by now. hold in the industry University of Applied Sciences Europe (UE) Berlin, Hamburg www.ue-germany.com • Game Design (B.A.)
32 33You can also read
