Status: 08/25/2021 5:35 p.m.
More than one in two plays computer games. The industry experienced a huge boost in the Corona crisis. So far, however, German developers have benefited little from the billions in sales.
Even the bare figures are impressive: 30 percent growth in the Corona year 2020. In the first few months of this year, there was another plus of 20 percent on top. Six out of ten Germans play digitally. They spend around 4.6 billion euros on games and everything that goes with them. The turnover of the computer games industry is thus greater than that of the film and music industries combined.
Germany is the most important market in Europe
Nevertheless, a slight dissatisfaction can be heard when Felix Falk, Managing Director of the industry association game, presents these figures: “We are fifth in the world in terms of sales. The most important market in Europe,” said Falk. “But only five percent of sales end up with German game developers, so there are actually too few games from Germany. We still have to work on that.”
“There are not enough games from Germany” – game managing director Falk.
Image: dpa
“Gamescom”, which starts today, is a very important factor, according to Falk. Because every year the game fair is the moment “when everyone looks to Germany”.
“Gamescom” sees itself as a pioneer
In fact, for the second time, the games fans are primarily looking online, because due to the Corona, “Gamescom” is not taking place as a public fair in the halls of the Cologne trade fair as it used to, but exclusively on the Internet. The organizers feel that they are pioneers – and the digital premiere last year seems to prove them right.
Instead of the number of visitors, Cologne’s trade fair boss Oliver Frese is now thinking in terms of range. 50 million people accessed the digital content at the last Gamescom, he reports. “And two million people alone watched the purely digitally broadcast opening show at the same time.” The organizers hope that there will be even more this year.
Streaming is an important topic
“Gamescom” wants to set the tone on the topic of streaming – because games are no longer just played, but there are also a lot of people who want to watch others play. On online platforms like Twitch, the stars of the scene have millions of people watching them play – and other things too.
At “Gamescom”, for example, a specially built streaming studio will not only be played, but also cooked, played poker and presented a football tournament. Well-known streamers such as Gronkh, Trymacs or Papaplatte should bring the “gaming feeling” out of the 3000 square meter studio into the world.
Games as a phenomenon of everyday culture
It’s not just about games anymore – industry representatives like Felix Falk make that very clear. They see games as a phenomenon that encompasses all of everyday culture: “Games are present everywhere: at home, at work, in schools and in church services,” says Falk. “It is no longer a question of whether we can use the potential of games, but rather how.” For example, 34 percent of all Germans could imagine visiting a museum virtually via a computer game, reports Falk from a survey conducted by his association.
Especially when it comes to education, the Corona crisis has made it clear how great the untapped potential of digital games can be, says Falk: “Vocabulary games and the like are already widespread in the home, only in schools it has not yet arrived. Only seven percent of those involved in digital education actually use games. We have to use this potential, as it corresponds to the media reality of children. “
International industry giants
Whether German manufacturers and game developers can use these options, however, also depends on the political framework. The current federal government only launched games funding many years after other countries. The industry giants can still be found in other countries. And “Gamescom” is also strongly global. Most of the shows and streaming offers are in English, and the Kölnmesse now also has Chinese partners to offer “Gamescom” content on this market.
And yet Cologne’s trade fair boss hopes that, despite everything, a “Gamescom” with an audience in Cologne will be possible again at some point. “It’s just more fun,” says Frese, certainly also thinking of the ticket sales that he misses with the purely digital format.