Cologne, 23 August 2022 (TDI): Two studios from New Zealand will present their games at the Gamescom video game exhibition, which will be held in Germany from 24-28 August.
Germany 🇩🇪 is hosting the Gamescom video games event this month, with two New Zealand studios exhibiting. The German games market is the largest in Europe, growing by more than half in just two years and providing possible economic opportunities for NZ. ➡ https://t.co/D72YPx7vdV pic.twitter.com/buaR78YOS9
— New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (@MFATNZ) August 23, 2022
The Gamescom is taking place in Cologne, Germany after a two-year gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is the biggest computer and video games exhibition and Europe’s top business platform for the games industry. New Zealand will be exhibiting A44 Games Limited and Outerdawn at the event.
German gaming industry
The largest gaming market in both Europe and the world is Germany. About €5.5 billion of the country’s economy was spent on video games in 2021.
Due to continuous development, 35 million Germans are now categorized as gamers in which the majority range from 6 to 69 years of age.
Given the size of the market, the German gaming sector looks to be rather small overall, but it is expanding with time. Furthermore, the German gaming industry is also a source of employment for 28,000 people including the majority of foreigners.
German Government’s support for gaming
The German government’s attention has recently turned to the gaming sector. The German Game Award, which has been in existence since 2009, is the most well-established incentive to date and one from which New Zealand firms also benefitted.
In 2019, the Government introduced the Federal Computer Games Funding Programme which offers €50 million in annual funding. Further, the Government announced a Government Games Strategy which is now a part of the Economics Ministry.
This strategy intends to establish Germany as a center and leading market for gaming, which will draw talent and venture capital, support business growth and advertise Germany as a destination.
Moreover, a rising number of educational and training programs in Germany are also committed to promoting gaming in the country.
