The German games market generated 2.2 billion Euros in 2017, growing 10% from 2016. This growth was driven by a 21% increase in revenue from virtual goods and additional content (reaching 1.01 billion Euros) and a 57% increase in revenue from online network fees (reaching 179 million Euros).
02
Smartphone gaming has surpassed PC as the most popular gaming platform in Germany, with 18.2 million smartphone gamers compared to 17.3 million PC gamers in 2017. Console gaming also saw significant engagement with 16 million players.
03
The German games industry is largely mid-sized, with 90% of companies generating up to 5 million Euros in annual revenue. It also boasts a high export quota, with 46% of its revenue earned outside Germany, significantly higher than the music (9%) and film/TV (4%) industries.
04
The market share of German game developments continues to decline, reaching 5.4% in 2017 (down from 6.9% in 2014). This is particularly evident in mobile gaming, where the share of German-developed apps dropped from 4.2% to 3.7% due to increased competition and high marketing costs.
05
The gamescom event attracted over 355,000 visitors in 2017, maintaining its position as the world's largest event for games. The number of exhibitors also grew by 6% to 703.
06
The USK (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle) is the primary body for age ratings of computer games in Germany, having processed over 45,000 games since its founding in 1994. In 2017, 21% of games were rated 'USK ab 18 Jahren' (18+), and 17.6% were rated 'USK ab 0 Jahren' (0+).
07
eSports is gaining traction in Germany, with approximately one-quarter of German gamers interested in joining an eSports club. Traditional sports clubs like VfL Wolfsburg and FC Schalke 04 are also integrating eSports into their programs.
Insights
01
The German games market generated 2.2 billion Euros in 2017, growing 10% from 2016. This growth was driven by a 21% increase in revenue from virtual goods and additional content (reaching 1.01 billion Euros) and a 57% increase in revenue from online network fees (reaching 179 million Euros).
02
Smartphone gaming has surpassed PC as the most popular gaming platform in Germany, with 18.2 million smartphone gamers compared to 17.3 million PC gamers in 2017. Console gaming also saw significant engagement with 16 million players.
03
The German games industry is largely mid-sized, with 90% of companies generating up to 5 million Euros in annual revenue. It also boasts a high export quota, with 46% of its revenue earned outside Germany, significantly higher than the music (9%) and film/TV (4%) industries.
04
The market share of German game developments continues to decline, reaching 5.4% in 2017 (down from 6.9% in 2014). This is particularly evident in mobile gaming, where the share of German-developed apps dropped from 4.2% to 3.7% due to increased competition and high marketing costs.
05
The gamescom event attracted over 355,000 visitors in 2017, maintaining its position as the world's largest event for games. The number of exhibitors also grew by 6% to 703.
06
The USK (Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle) is the primary body for age ratings of computer games in Germany, having processed over 45,000 games since its founding in 1994. In 2017, 21% of games were rated 'USK ab 18 Jahren' (18+), and 17.6% were rated 'USK ab 0 Jahren' (0+).
07
eSports is gaining traction in Germany, with approximately one-quarter of German gamers interested in joining an eSports club. Traditional sports clubs like VfL Wolfsburg and FC Schalke 04 are also integrating eSports into their programs.