Market share of games made in Germany remains stagnant

The market share of German-developed games remains under 5 per cent in the domestic market

game association calls for smooth, prompt implementation of major funding for games

game publishes 2020 annual report for the German games industry

Berlin, 27 August 2020 – Game developers in Germany benefitted very little from the games industry’s record year in 2019. The market share of games produced in Germany remains below 5 per cent, as game – the German Games Industry Association announced before the opening of gamescom. Although the percentage of sales accounted for by German games rose from 4.3 to 4.9 per cent in 2019, it still remained below the 5 per cent mark. Consequently, of the 3.4 billion euros in turnover generated by games, just 168 million euros were attributable to games studios based in Germany. There is some good news, however: in two of the three market sectors studied, the percentage of sales made up by German game titles increased slightly. Firstly, the share of PC and console games sold as downloads or on physical media increased from 1.1 to 1.9 per cent. The release of a number of popular titles, such as Anno 1800 from Ubisoft and Tropico 6 from Kalypso Media, contributed significantly to this trend. Secondly, the market share of German titles in the online and browser games segment recorded the sharpest rise, from 13 to 17.6 per cent. Conversely, the share of German games in the particularly fast-growing game apps market decreased from 3.2 to 2.9 per cent.

‘While the German games market breaks one record after another, the market share of games developed in Germany continues to stagnate at a low level. The slight increase last year gives us some hope, but in order to truly reverse the trend, political steps must be taken to ensure a level playing field,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Professional implementation of the final funding guideline is now crucial. If it is rolled out promptly, the mistakes from the pilot phase are corrected, and the process is rapid, free from red tape, and specifically tailored to the needs of games companies, it will give the industry the kick-start it needs. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again demonstrated just how important games are. Our goal as the German games industry must be to ensure that we can finally compete at a global level. Germany is historically known as a nation of poets and philosophers, and we want to be able to tell our stories in games, as well.’

German games market grows by 6 per cent

As already reported by game, the German games market grew by 6 per cent in 2019, to around 6.2 billion euros. Sales of games hardware, including consoles, gaming PCs and accessories, dropped by 2 per cent from the previous year, to 2.4 billion euros. In contrast, the market for games software showed a gain of 11 per cent: in 2019, a total of about 3.9 billion euros was spent on computer and video games and the charges for the respective online services.

game publishes 2020 annual report on the German games industry

game published its 2020 annual report to coincide with the start of gamescom. Spanning more than 60 pages, it details the most important developments, covering everything from the German games market, the current situation and the challenges faced by games companies in Germany to the ‘Hier spielt Vielfalt’ diversity campaign. The annual report can be downloaded free of charge in German language from jahresreport.game.de.

About the market data

The data used is based on surveys conducted by the GfK Consumer Panel, GfK Entertainment and App Annie. The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s digital games market are unique in terms of both their quality and their global use. They include an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers who are representative of the German population as a whole regarding their digital game purchasing and usage habits, as well as a retail panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games.

game – the German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the best games location.

Source：the German Games Industry Association