PUBLISHERS IN THE REGION BigBen Interactive, Capcom, City Interactive, Deep Silver, EA, Kalypso, Microsoft, Namco Bandai, Nintendo, Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment Deutschland, Square Enix, THQ, Ubisoft
THE FACTS Population: 81,799,600 Currency: Euro GDP (Per Capita): $44,555 Capital City: Berlin Language: German
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ABOUT THE MARKET
GERMANY is a crucial European market for publishers. Sales in the region generated a cool €2bn in 2011, according to research from German games trade body BIU. 72m games were sold last year, accounting for €1.5bn. Price comparison site Idealo recently reported that games are over 20 per cent more expensive in Germany than in the UK – as much as 33 per cent more on PC.
Nevertheless, BIU data shows that PC dominates the market with 24.5 games sold. By comparison, console games sales came to 24.7bn. Consumers have also embraced downloads, with more than a quarter of all PC, console and mobile games being sold digitally in 2011. There are 25 million gamers in Germany – with a fairly event split between the sexes, too. Men still lead the way with 13.9m male gamers, but women follow closely with 10.8m.
66 March 30th 2012
More than a quarter of all PC, console and mobile games were sold digitally in Germany last year.
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The average German gamer is 32 years old, although the medium is also particularly popular with teenagers – three quarters (5.5m) of consumers aged 10 to 19 play games regularly.
Small wonder then that so many games firms are looking for ways to enter this market. Lace Mamba recently struck a deal with Koch Media to bring its titles to Germany. The country even hosts Europe’s biggest games show Gamescom every August in Cologne. Germany is also known for its strict censorship. Epic Games shooter Bulletstormwas one of a handful of titles that had to be altered before release last year. However, hope still remains for publishers of violent games. The restrictions that banned the original Doomand Doom IIfrom being sold to teenagers were finally lifted in September – 17 years after it was instigated.