Advertisement
'Retrograde', 'booze idea', 'frustrating': The Ministry of Economic Affairs' ideas regarding games funding from 2025 are met with resistance.
Since the introduction of games funding in 2019, the federal government has invested a three-digit million amount in computer games made in Germany (overview). But the funds planned for 2023 were already used up in May last year – the precarious budget situation subsequently ensured that no additional projects can be subsidized until at least the end of 2024.
After a lost year, the industry is already turning its attention to the 2025 season: yesterday, the responsible Federal Ministry of Economics presented key points as to how games funding should change.
Key message: The federal government wants to focus on medium-sized and large projects with budgets starting at €400,000 – in return, the states should provide more support to smaller and younger studios. To do this, the Habeck Ministry is setting up high financial barriers to access that, based on all life experience, are impossible for indie developers.
Advertisement
The long-term goal of tax credits remains – the practical implementation in the short and medium term is little more than a pious wish.
As expected, the criticism of these plans is loud and clear – an overview (is continually updated):
At an event in Munich in the run-up to the German Computer Game Awards Bavaria's Digital Minister Fabian Mehring (Free Voters) the BMWK plans as half-baked. One will “Have to talk very intensively” – in particular about the request to prevent the combination of federal and state funds (accumulation), which Mehring called “historical mistake” and “Crazy idea” classified. In addition, you will “no ideological guidelines” accept, for example with regard to the plan to give preference to climate-neutrally produced games through higher funding quotas.
NRW State Chancellery boss Nathanael Liminski (CDU) warns of the consequences of the traffic light plan and criticizes the lack of coordination between the federal and state governments: “Anyone who expected substantial results for the games industry from Berlin will unfortunately be disappointed once again. It’s frustrating to watch as the traffic light itself threatens to destroy this beautiful topic and this innovative industry.”
The key points for a new games funding guideline are worthless as long as the federal government does not end the standstill in the allocation of funding, said Liminski: “If the federal government takes the goals it has set itself seriously and actually wants to establish a tax credit system, then this will only be possible in cooperation with the federal states. But to do this you would have to start by talking to each other at least once. We are currently seeing the opposite: the countries' outstretched hand for constructive cooperation in the interests of making Germany a strong games location has once again been rejected. The federal government must finally understand the opportunities that lie in a strong games industry. And then grab them too.”
The Game industry association states: There is still a lack of funding for games “Comparability and reliability”. Although the prospect of tax support via tax credits and the desire for more transparency are fundamentally to be welcomed, the association nevertheless suspects that the sole aim of the proposals is to get by with significantly fewer resources.
The minimum project size and the ban on the accumulation of federal and state funds are also a step backwards compared to the status quo. Nothing would change in terms of cost disadvantages compared to other locations.
Association managing director Felix Falk also misses a signal about what will happen to the €100 million that will benefit game developers from 2024 and which the Bundestag has surprisingly parked in the Chancellery. The department of culture representative Claudia Roth (Greens) has not yet presented a concept.