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More and more new companies are emerging in the games industry. Games development jobs are considered attractive. The growing industry needs creative young talent.
“You can learn English with our games, discover European cultures or just repair a wind turbine,” says Linda Kruse. She is a game designer in Cologne and develops digital games with her company “The Good Evil”, also to help children learn. “Our goal is interactive games where you can experience and learn something.”
For the 37-year-old, this means learning not like in a classroom, but like jumping across a river, lighting a fire for the first time or setting foot on a new continent. For example, in the adventure game “Squirrel & Bear” children learn English vocabulary while they hop through a colorful world. “What I like about the gaming industry is that I can deal with stories,” says Kruse. “I can bring characters to life. And I can create experiences for other people.”
You can see her studio in Cologne from the street through a huge shop window. Inside, the employees work concentrated, including many women. The company grows. “Together we want to make the world a better place. That has nothing to do with megalomania, but with imparting knowledge that enables the first step towards change,” says Kruse.
Upward trend in Germany
The strong upward trend in Germany as a games location is continuing: Within a year, the number of companies that develop and market games has grown to a total of 908. The Association of the German Games Industry reports an increase of 15.5 percent compared to the previous year.
The trend among employees in the industry is also developing positively. The number of employees at development studios and publishers increases to 11,992. This is almost seven percent more than in 2022. The different rapid development in the number of employees and companies indicates the start-up of many smaller studios.
The association demands support from the government so that Germany can continue to distinguish itself as a location. “Now it’s up to the traffic light coalition to decide whether the race to catch up with the best international games locations can continue,” says Felix Falk, Managing Director of the association.
Games developers in high demand
“Currently, the funding is not reliable, a major disadvantage in international comparison, which stands in the way of the further success of Germany as a games location. The ongoing wave of start-ups among games companies shows Germany’s huge potential and that better framework conditions were exactly the right step to unleash it.”
The gaming industry is not only a source of revenue, but also an employer. According to a study by the industry association, two-thirds of Germans find jobs in game development attractive. “More people dare to develop computer games, and not all go to SAP and Siemens,” says association manager Falk. Many games specialists are also in high demand in other digitized economic sectors.
Expansion of science and research
According to the association, an expansion of science, research and teaching in the games sector would not only strengthen Germany as a games location, but also as a digital location. Game designer Kruse also agrees. She studied in Cologne: A Master of Arts in Game Development and Research at the Cologne Game Lab.
“The advantage of the gaming industry is that we are very close to the technology,” says the managing director. “We are in the process of progress. We like to try out and experiment with technology and approach it in a playful way. We are a good place where innovations can develop.”