German Game Industry Sees 3% Decline in Employment for Second Consecutive Year

Germany's game industry is gradually bouncing back from the impact of global consolidation and funding uncertainty, according to recent data from the German Games Industry Association (Game) based on the gamesmap.de database, which has been revamped by Goldmedia and now boasts around 1,800 entries covering developers, publishers, and related companies. The data reveals a slight rise in the number of companies, but a persistent decline in employment. This year, the number of game companies in Germany saw a 4% increase, from 917 to 956, with development-only studios experiencing the strongest growth at 6%, reaching 474. Companies that handle both development and publishing grew by 3%, while those focused solely on publishing saw a 2% increase. However, employment among game developers and publishers dropped by 3% to 12,235, marking the second consecutive year of decline. The German games industry supports over 30,000 jobs across various sectors, including education, media, the public sector, and retail. The industry's resilience during global consolidation is attributed to government initiatives, such as the expanded Federal Games Funding Programme and the 'Press Start' start-up scholarship, which has supported the establishment of 75 new game studios. "The situation for Germany's games companies remains challenging, particularly evident in the employee figures, which have fallen for the second year in a row," stated Game managing director Felix Falk. "The rising number of companies, on the other hand, is a positive sign. Amid the global wave of market consolidation, Germany is faring better than many other countries. With these measures and the announced introduction of tax-based games funding, the federal government is creating important growth stimuli and strengthening Germany's international competitiveness in the crucial future industry of games."