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Hamburg is a gaming hotspot in Europe. Over 190 companies employ 2,500 people. Gamecity Hamburg, a location initiative in Hamburg, has been supporting the gaming industry since 2003. It was the first state-level funding institution in Germany to support the games industry.
Gamecity Hamburg has been part of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft since 2018. The location initiative is planning several events and activities for its 20th birthday to celebrate and spotlight the local industry. In order to kick off the celebrations, key industry players will look back at the history of the Hamburg gaming industry and take a glimpse into the future.
Carsten Brosda said, “Hamburg is a top location for the games industry.” We owe it to the highly creative network of the city, which recognized the importance and vision of a “Gamecity” early on. Since 20 years, the Gamecity Hamburg initiative has created a conducive environment for the games sector. We want to make sure that in the future the Hanseatic City has the talent it needs and can grow further.
Dennis Schoubye said that Hamburg has a diverse gaming ecosystem with companies like InnoGames and Goodgame Studios. Some of the biggest games companies in Germany have their headquarters here. The lively scene of Hamburg’s game studios includes well-known names like Daedalic Entertainment. Bytro. Fishlabs. and Rockfish Games. Gamecity Hamburg is a point of contact that all game companies and their founders can use for financial assistance and access to the city’s strong network.
Gamecity Hamburg supports the local industry through two funding programs: the Prototype Funding Program and the Games Lift Incubator. A combined amount of EUR520,000 per year is available. Gamecity Hamburg also offers a variety of events, such as the Hamburg Games Conference and the “Gamecity Treff” – an industry meet-up that was founded in 2003.
Egbert Rühl, the Managing director of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft said, “Hamburg saw the potential in the games industry very early and created Gamecity – a groundbreaking games support program.” “I’m particularly happy that the enthusiasm of the early days has returned now under the sponsorship by Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft. Gamecity, in collaboration with the games ecosystem as a whole, is working successfully to expand Hamburg’s position as a gaming location and prepare for the future.
The games industry is now an important and integral part of Hamburg’s economy. Tobias Graff is the Managing Director at Mooneye Studios, and spokesperson for game Hamburg, the German Games Industry Association’s regional representative office. He said that the support Gamecity Hamburg provided with funding, networking and political initiatives has been and continues to be extremely important.
Gamecity Hamburg’s online channels will share stories about the industry in the last 20 years. The anniversary video gives a first impression of the industry’s evolution.
Gamecity Hamburg to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023
To commemorate the anniversary of the Hamburg games industry, there are a number of activities and events planned. They will look back at the past decades but also look ahead to the future. A Senate reception will take place on April 20 at the invitation Dr Carsten Brosda. Senator for Culture and Media. Hamburg’s Town Hall is expecting a large number of guests from the German games industry and Hamburg. The ‘Gamecity Treff,’ a games industry meetup, has been running for 20 years and is an institution on the German games scene. Gamecity Hamburg will be hosting a jubilee ‘Gamecity Treff,’ which is open to all industry players and interested parties on the 24th of May. The sponsors of the ‘Gamecity Treff,’ Bigpoint Bytro and The Sandbox are supporting this event.
The sponsors InnoGames & AWS for Games have graciously supported the event. Other public events will be announced in the coming months.
