Germany has the second-largest video games player base in Europe, with 44.3 million gamers in 2018, after Russia.[1] [2] [3] Consumers in Germany spent €5.87 billion on video games over the course of 2021, a 3 percent year-on-year increase from 2020.[4] The video game market in Germany grew by 6 percent to €6.2 billion ($6.7 billion) in 2019.[5]
The annual Gamescom in Cologne is the world's largest video game expo by number of attendees.[6]
German production of popular video-games began principally on the 16-bit systems such as the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST in the 1980s, although a number of successful titles were also released on the Commodore 64 which dominated the 8-bit computer market in the country at the time. Popular developers of the 16-bit era included Thalion, Factor 5 (who were responsible for developing the entire Turrican series) and Blue Byte. Blue Byte and Factor 5 remain in existence in 2006 and produce titles for Windows PCs.
By 2002, German games were heavily tilted toward construction and management simulations, according Der Spiegels Frank Patalong. He noted that "nowhere else in the world are simulations as successful as here at home. Titles such as The Settlers, Die Völker [and] Anno 1602 have dominated the German sales charts for years".[7] Released in 1998, Anno 1602 by Sunflowers Interactive was Germany's best-selling computer game of all time as of December 2002, with sales of 2.5 million copies worldwide and 1.7 million in the German market.[8] Its sequel, Anno 1503, broke its sales record to become Germany's fastest full-price computer game to reach 500,000 domestic sales.[9] It ultimately sold over one million units in German-speaking countries,[10] and, when combined with its predecessor, reached 4.5 million sales worldwide by October 2006.[11] The titles began the Anno series.
One of the most famed titles to come out of Germany is Far Cry by Frankfurt-based Crytek, who also produced Crysis. Factor 5 had been concentrating on the series of video games from 1999 until 2003, and released Lair, an action game for the PlayStation 3, in 2007.
Ascaron produced the Elite homage Darkstar One, and continued to produce the popular German: [[Anstoss]] ('Kickoff') series of football games, the first two installations of which were released under the title On the Ball in English-speaking countries.
The German Government, as a part of the Gamescom fair, has introduced an investment programme aimed towards the countrywide online games industry, with a purpose to offer assistance of as much as 50% of the cost of development.
| Company | Location | Founded | Known for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Grumpy Fox | Frankfurt | 2017 | Lunistice | |
| Aesir Interactive | Munich | 2013 (Founded) | ||
| Animation Arts Creative | Halle | 2003 | Secret Files series, Lost Horizon, Lost Horizon 2 | |
| Black Pants Studio | Berlin | 2010 | Tiny & Big in Grandpa's Leftovers, About Love, Hate and the other ones series, On Rusty Trails | |
| Bytro Labs GmbH (DE wiki) | Hamburg | 2009 | Supremacy 1914, Call of War 1942, Conflict of Nations: WW3, Iron Order 1919. | |
| Chimera Entertainment (DE wiki) | Munich | 2006 | Angry Birds Epic, Angry Birds Evolution | |
| Claymore Game Studios | Darmstadt | 2020 | Commandos: Origins | |
| Clockwork Origins | Erlangen | 2018 | Elemental War series, | |
| Common Colors | Langen | 2016 | PRIM | |
| Crytek | Frankfurt | 1999 | Crysis series, Far Cry, Warface | |
| Daedalic Entertainment | Hamburg | 2007 | Deponia series, The Whispered World | |
| Deck13 | Frankfurt | 2001 | Ankh series, Jack Keane, Blood Knights, Lords of the Fallen, The Surge | |
| Don VS Dodo GmbH | Munich | 2020 | Industry Giant 4.0 | |
| Egosoft | Würselen | 1988 | X series | |
| Elaborate Games | Würzburg | 2019 | Elaborate Lands | |
| Berlin | 2012 | Runic Rampage, The Plague Doctor of Wippra | ||
| Encrypt Games | Germany | 2020 | Lake Haven | |
| Envision Entertainment | Ingelheim | 2013 | Path of War (2015, mobile), Pioneers of Pagonia | |
| Fluppisoft | Aschau im Chiemgau | 2015 | Brick Rigs | |
| Fourexo Entertainment | Dresden | 2020 | Highrise City | |
| Gaming Minds Studios | Gütersloh | 2009 | DarkStar One, Patrician IV, Port Royale 3, , Railway Empire | |
| Wiesbaden | 2014 | In Between (2015), | ||
| Grimlore Games | Maxvorstadt | 2013 | , SpellForce 3: Fallen God, Titan Quest II | |
| Hexagon Sphere Games UG | Hanover | 2020 | Sphere - Flying Cities | |
| InnoGames | Hamburg | 2007 | Tribal Wars, Forge of Empires | |
| Joymania Development GmbH (DE wiki) | Mülheim | 1997 (Founded) | Knights and Merchants, Santa Claus in Trouble (series) | |
| Keen Games (DE wiki) | Frankfurt | 2005 | , , Sacred 3 | |
| King Art Games | Bremen | 2000 | The Book of Unwritten Tales, The Dwarves, Iron Harvest | |
| Limbic Entertainment (DE wiki) | Langen | 2002 | Might & Magic Heroes VI series (Co-dev.), , Might & Magic Heroes VII series, Tropico 6 series | |
| Mad about Pandas UG (Ex-kunst-stoff GmbH till ~2016) | Berlin | 2005 | Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game | |
| Navel GbR | Ludwigsburg | 2013 | Mimics, Tilt Pack | |
| Nine Worlds Studios | Munich | 2021 | Tropico 7 | |
| OMYOG Games | Cologne | 2020 | Project Ferocious | |
| Proxy Studios | Erlangen | 2009 | ,, WH40K: Gladius – Relics of War, ZEPHON | |
| Radical Fish Games | Saarbrücken | 2010 | CrossCode | |
| Randwerk Cooperative | Berlin | 2020 | ABRISS - build to destroy | |
| Hanover | 2014 | Toxikk, G-Rebels | ||
| Realmforge Studios | Munich | 2008 | Ceville, M.U.D. TV, Dungeons, Dark, Spacebase Startopia | |
| Related Designs (Blue Byte Mainz) | Mainz | 1995 | Anno series, No Man's Land, | |
| Cologne Bonn Region | 2011 | Super Kiwi 64 | ||
| Stefan Kelnberger GmbH | Untergriesbach | 2021 | Railroads Online | |
| SureAI | Tutzing | 2003 | Mad Restaurant People, Dreadful River. Mods for The Elder Scrolls & Fallout series. | |
| Ubisoft Berlin | Berlin | 2018 | Far Cry series | |
| Ubisoft Blue Byte | Düsseldorf | 1988 | The Settlers series, Assassin's Creed Identity | |
| Yager Development | Berlin | 1999 | Dead Island 2, |
| Company | Location | Founded | Known for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascaron | Gütersloh | 1992 (Defunct 2009) | Sacred, DarkStar One | |
| Attic Entertainment Software | Albstadt | 1990 (Defunct 2001) | ||
| CAPS Softwaredesign ULM | Germany | 1994~ (Defunct ~1996) | Arcy 2, Jack Flash, Bot Soccer | |
| Munich | 2007 (Migrated to THQ Nordic as Grimlore Games in 2013) | Germany's Next Topmodel 2009, Ion Assault, Jagged Alliance: Back in Action | ||
| EA Phenomic | Ingelheim | 1997 (Defunct 2013) | ||
| eleven Software | Germany | 1992~ (Defunct ~1994) | Dynatech, 2 adult games | |
| Factor 5 | Cologne | 1987 (Defunct 2011) | , Turrican | |
| Fusionsphere Systems | Aichach | 2006 (Defunct 2017) (Merged into Animation Arts) | Secret Files series | |
| House of Tales | Bremen | 1998 (Defunct 2010) | The Mystery of the Druids, The Moment of Silence, Overclocked, 15 Days | |
| Intergenies | Coesfeld | 1999 (Inactive after 2017) | DoveZ - The Second Wave | |
| Kritzelkratz 3000 GmbH | Würzburg | 1996 (Inactive after 2016) | Go Kart Challenge (1999), Far West (2002. Co-dev.), Railroad Pioneer | |
| LightBrain GmbH | Ellerau | 2001 (Defunct 2009) | BomberFUN | |
| Massive Development | Mannheim | 1994 (Defunct 2005) | AquaNox | |
| Master Creating GmbH | Hamburg | 2001 (Defunct 2007) | Krakout Unlimited, Restricted Area, | |
| Mimimi Games | Munich | 2011 (Defunct 2023) | Shadow Tactics, Desperados III, Shadow Gambit | |
| NEON Software GmbH (DE wiki) | Germany (Frankfurt?) | 1993 (Defunct 2005) | , Tunnel B1, (GBC), Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX (GBC), Legend of Kay | |
| NumLock Software | Ludwigshafen | 1994 (Defunct/inactive 2008) | , | |
| Piranha Bytes | Essen | 1997 (Closed 2024) | Gothic series, Risen series, ELEX series | |
| Playcademy | Germany | 2012 (Est.) (Defunct 2018) | Mobile/Hidden object games: eg. Farmington Tales, Tales of Lagoona | |
| Berlin | 1995 (Defunct 2010) | |||
| Reakktor Media GmbH (DE wiki) | Hanover | 1991 (Defunct 2012) | Subtrade, Bermuda Syndrome, Neocron, Black Prophecy | |
| Software 2000 (Ex-Cybernetic Corporation) | Eutin | 1987 (Defunct 2002) | Pizza Tycoon, Exploration, Ocean Trader, Swing (1997), Fast Food Tycoon | |
| Spellbound Entertainment | Offenburg | 1994 (Defunct 2012) | , | |
| Spieleentwicklungskombinat GmbH (DE wiki) | Berlin | 1998 (Defunct 2007) | , ParaWorld | |
| Tantalus Software | Germany | 1995~ (Defunct ~1995) | Abaron (1995) | |
| Thalion Software | Gütersloh | 1988 (Defunct 1994) | Amberstar, Ambermoon | |
| Westka Interactive GmbH (Westka Kommunikation GmbH) | Cologne | 1993 (Defunct 2002) | The Famous Five: Kidnapped!, Arcatera: The Dark Brotherhood | |
| Wings Simulations GmbH (DE wiki) | Hattingen | 1996 (Closed by JoWood in 2005) | Panzer Elite, |
| Company | Location | Founded | Known for | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conitec Datensysteme GmbH (Also 'Conitec Datasystems, Inc.') | Dieburg | 1985 | Middleware engine
| ||
| Independent Arts Software GmbH (FR wiki) | Hamm | 1990 | Dev, co-dev, porting. | ||
| LAB132 | Ostfildern | 2017 | Dev, co-dev, porting, VR. | ||
| MAWI United GmbH | Wuppertal | 2009 | Sells AAA environment asset packs; makes high end animations, VFX, cinematics, pipeline development & real-time 3D renders (including tech demos). | ||
| NeoBird GmbH & Co. KG | Nuremberg | 2012 | Dev, co-dev, AR/VR, gamification, serious games, mobile & web apps, 3D Viz, real-time 3D. | ||
| NUKKLEAR GmbH | Hanover | 2011 | Dev, co-dev, porting. | Ex-reakktor media holding GmbH till 2014 (parent of old dev name, Reakktor Media). Bought by Jumpgate AB in 2023. | |
| The Light Works - Digital Imagery | Cologne | 1996 | 2D/3D digital graphics, illustrations, cutscenes |
| Company | Location | Founded | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ismaning branch | 1993 | distributor and former publisher | ||
| Berlin HQ | 2006 (Founded in San Francisco) | publisher (online games). (DE wiki) | ||
| Application Systems | Heidelberg | 1985 | publisher, distributor and developer. (DE wiki) | |
| Assemble Entertainment | Wiesbaden HQ | 2016 | publisher and developer. (DE wiki) | |
| Astragon | Düsseldorf | 2000 | publisher | |
| Bigpoint Games | Hamburg HQ | 2002 | publisher and developer | |
| bitComposer Interactive | Eschborn HQ | 2009 | publisher and former developer | |
| Blankhans GmbH | Munich | 2021 | publisher and developer | |
| Broken Lobster | Berlin HQ | 2021 | publisher and developer | |
| Buchwald Interactive | Karlsruhe | 2020 | publisher and developer | |
| ByteRockers' Games | Berlin HQ | 2008 | publisher and developer (casual) | |
| CipSoft | Regensburg | 2001 | publisher and developer (online games). (DE wiki) | |
| Competition Company GmbH | Munich HQ | 2020 | publisher, marketing and developer (sims) | |
| deCode GmbH | Freising HQ | 2018 (Ex-Descape GmbH till 2020) | publisher and developer (websites, also games) | |
| Diplodocus Games | Hagen | 2015 | publisher and developer | |
| FDG Entertainment | Munich HQ | 2001 | core publisher and mobile developer | |
| GameDuell | Berlin HQ | 2003 | distributor and developer | |
| Gameforge | Karlsruhe HQ | 2003 | publisher | |
| gamigo | Hamburg HQ | 2000 | publisher. (DE wiki) | |
| Goodgame Studios | Hamburg HQ | 2009 | publisher and developer | |
| Gunzilla Games | Frankfurt HQ | 2020 | publisher and developer | |
| HandyGames | Giebelstadt | 2000 | publisher and developer | |
| Headup Games | Düren | 2009 | publisher and developer | |
| HH-Games | Frankfurt | 2018 | publisher and former developer (casual) | |
| Kalypso Media | Worms HQ | 2006 | publisher and developer | |
| Bielefeld office | 1987 | publisher and former developer | ||
| MegaZebra | Munich HQ | 2008 | publisher and developer | |
| Mooneye Studios | Hamburg | 2014 | publisher and developer | |
| NBG EDV Handels- und Verlags GmbH | Burglengenfeld | 1988 | distributor and former publisher | |
| Nintendo of Europe GmbH | Frankfurt HQ | 1990 | publisher and main HQ for Nintendo's European division | |
| Overhype Studios | Hamburg HQ | 2014 | publisher and developer | |
| Pixelsplit Simulations | Frankfurt | 2017 | publisher and developer | |
| Rohn Media GmbH | Leipzig HQ | 2014 | publisher and developer (mobile/web) | |
| Schwiezer System GmbH | Hanover | 1991 | publisher, producer: core games; VR apps, media. Marketing. | |
| TopWare Interactive | Karlsruhe | 1996 | publisher and former developer | |
| Travian Games | Munich HQ | 2005 | publisher and developer | |
| Ulisses Digital | Waldems HQ | 1991 | publisher and developer. (DE wiki - Board games firm) | |
| United Soft Media | Munich HQ | 1994 | publisher. (DE wiki) | |
| Berlin HQ | 2009 | publisher and developer |
| Company | Location | Founded | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burglengenfeld branch | 1995 (Defunct 2009) | publisher and former distributor | ||
| dtp entertainment | Hamburg HQ | 1995 (Defunct 2012) | publisher and developer | |
| Innonics GmbH | Hanover | 1998 (Defunct 2002) | publisher, distributor and developer | |
| Lifetimes | Germany | 1988~ (Defunct ~1995) | publisher | |
| phenomedia publishing gmbh | Bochum | 1993 (Defunct ~2022)[12] | publisher, developer and former licensing (casual games) | |
| Procom Datentechnik GmbH | Germany | 1995~ (Defunct ~1995) | publisher | |
| Rainbow Arts (DE wiki) | Gütersloh HQ | 1984 (Defunct 1999) | publisher, developer, producer and porting | |
| TLC Tewi Verlag GmbH | Munich | 1977~ (Defunct ~1999) | publisher and distributor (books, software); game business in 1995-1999 |
Within Germany there is a popular taste for historical trade and warfare simulations, notably exceeding that of many other countries. Some German-developed titles in this genre, such as 1602 A.D. and its sequels, and The Patrician, have also been successful abroad.
Vehicle simulator games are also very popular in Germany.[13] Many add-on developers for established simulator franchises, including Train Simulator and Microsoft Flight Simulator, are based in Germany, with one of the most popular, Aerosoft, being based in North Rhine-Westphalia.
First-person shooters have also been traditionally quite popular in recent years, and there has been considerable debate about and censorship of the violent content of many such games. Consequently these games, especially uncut versions, became highly coveted in gaming circles for many years (though the modern Internet and VPNs allow players virtually anywhere to obtain a game from, or play on a server hosted in, virtually any other jurisdiction today).
From 2002 to 2008 the main video game trade fair in Germany was the Games Convention which was held annually in Leipzig, and was highly recognized by the press. Since 2009 it was discontinued, as the Gamescom in Cologne took the place of the major video game trade fair in the world.
See also: Unbanning of violent video games in Germany.
Violence in video games is a controversial subject in Germany, and German localisations of violent games are often heavily cut by the publishers to permit a public release. Usually this entails a simple removal or reduction of depictions of blood and gore, but often extends to cuts in the content or plot of the game, as was the case in Phantasmagoria, , Counter-Strike, Grand Theft Auto, , and .
All games that are released to the public are required to carry a certificate given by the USK (German: [[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle]] – Voluntary Monitoring Organisation of Entertainment Software). The compulsory nature of the USK label was a consequence of the 2003 modification of the German: Jugendschutzgesetz or youth protection law. If the USK has not issued a label, a game may be placed upon the "index" of media harmful to youth kept by the BPjM (Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons). This results, at least, in a ban on promoting the game in any way and strict requirements for age checks. As prosecutors are inconsistent on whether reviews are a form of promotion this creates a chilling effect on games journalism for the affected titles. The strict requirements for age checks frequently lead to a game being taken off the market entirely, or only being made available in a cut version even for adults, due to economic considerations by developers/publishers. Independently, courts may also issue confiscation orders against games deemed to be especially egregious, resulting in an outright ban.
The 2003 changes to the German: Jugendschutzgesetz also announced an intent to extend the restrictions on the depiction of violence in video games, leaving open the possibility of banning any depiction of violence in video games, which was met by widespread outcry from the video game community in Germany. The then in power CDU/SPD coalition government announced an intention to enact this in 2005, but in November 2006 such restrictions were not enacted at that time.