Connect with us
Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

Central Europe

Sales Revenue of German Game Developers Failed to Keep Pace with the Strong Growth of German Games Market

Published

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

The total sales revenue of game developers in Germany failed to keep pace with the strong growth of the German games market in 2020: although revenue from games from Germany increased, it did so at a slower rate than revenue from games developed abroad. The result is a slight decline in the market share of German-developed games in the domestic market. Whereas German game developers captured €4.93 of every hundred euros spent on games in Germany in 2019, their corresponding share in 2020 was just €4.17. These figures were published by game – the German Games Industry Association. The data is based on surveys conducted by the GfK Consumer Panel, GfK Entertainment and App Annie, and on game’s own market surveys and monitoring.

A closer view shows significant differences in the performance of the individual market segments. The market share of game apps for smartphones and tablets rose from about 3 to nearly 4.1%, while the revenue share of German-developed games in the submarket of games for PCs and consoles dropped from around 1.9 to 1.3% within one year. Online and browser-based games registered a much sharper decline, with their domestic market share plummeting by more than half – from 17.6 to 7.2%. The inability of German-developed games to benefit more strongly from the boom in many areas in 2020 is in large part due to underlying market conditions in Germany that remain more difficult than those in other countries.

The first effects of the games funding programme, such as the increase in employment in the core labour market by 8%, are already evident. However, more comprehensive positive effects will only become apparent with a delay. In addition, the games market is strongly hit-driven and the number of especially successful games has an outsized impact on total revenue. The larger and more diverse the German game development landscape becomes in the future, the less influence individual studios or titles will have on the development of sales revenue overall.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“The development of the games market in 2020 was unique and has brought many games studios forward both internationally and in Germany. Overall, however, we as the German games industry have unfortunately not yet been able to profit enough from the historic leap in growth on our home market. We are not yet strong and broadly enough positioned as a games location. Although the nationwide games funding is already showing initial effects, such as the increase in employees in the core labour market, the full effect will only unfold in a few years. And even that will only succeed if we continue to work on the competitive conditions in Germany. The federal government’s games strategy points the way for this with topics such as skilled workers, digital infrastructure, start-up support, digital education and esports,” Felix Falk, Managing Director of game, said.

German Games Market: Big Jump in Sales Revenue in 2020

The German games market recorded a strong jump in sales revenue in the Covid-19 year 2020: total sales revenue of around 8.5 billion euros was achieved in computer and video games and associated hardware, as already reported by game. This is an increase of 32% compared to the previous year. Sales of more than 3.2 billion euros were registered with games consoles, gaming PCs and the corresponding peripheral equipment. This is an increase of 26% compared to 2019. The submarket for computer and video games saw even stronger growth, with revenues of 5.2 billion euros achieved through game purchases, in-game and in-app purchases, subscriptions and charges for online services. As a result, this part of the market managed to grow by 36% compared to the previous year.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Central Europe

SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austria’s iGaming scene

Published

on

synot-games-teams-up-with-win2day-to-revolutionize-austria’s-igaming-scene
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

SYNOT Games, a leading iGaming provider, has partnered with win2day, taking a major step in its Austrian market growth strategy.

The collaboration marks its debut with the launch of Resin Joker, a fan-favorite slot that combines the simplicity of a classic gaming experience with a fresh, modern twist. With its smooth gameplay, vibrant audio-visuals, and universal appeal, Respin Joker has become a standout title for players seeking both entertainment and nostalgia.

As this partnership progresses, players can look forward to a steady rollout of additional games from SYNOT Games’ extensive portfolio, further enriching win2day’s already robust catalog. This collaboration is designed to offer Austrian players a premium gaming experience, with a diverse selection of games that blend cutting-edge innovation and top-tier quality.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Georg Wawer, Managing Director of win2day, said: „As the sole licensed operator in Austria, our goal is to host all leading iGaming providers on our platform. Synot, being a major player on the international stage, makes us proud to feature their content. We regard SYNOT Games as a skilled and trustworthy partner for win2day, and we are confident that this collaboration will yield great success.

Martina Krajčí, CCO at SYNOT Games, commented: “We are excited to partner with win2day and bring our games to Austrian players. At SYNOT Games, our focus has always been on providing quality entertainment, and this partnership highlights our commitment to delivering an outstanding gaming experience.”

The post SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austria’s iGaming scene appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Central Europe

25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany

Published

on

25-years-of-zeal:-a-quarter-century-of-online-lottery-in-germany
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

  • From living room start-up to online market leader
  • Ambitious growth targets and innovative product ideas

ZEAL Network SE, the market leader for online lotteries in Germany, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Founded in 1999 as Tipp24, the company was one of the first on the German market to bring lotteries to the internet. Since then, ZEAL has had a lasting impact on the German online lottery business. 

“We are very proud of a quarter century of ZEAL,” says Helmut Becker, CEO of ZEAL. “What began 25 years ago as a two-man start-up in Hamburg has now developed into a group of companies with more than 250 employees. We are more successful than ever in our core business of lottery brokerage and are continuously expanding our market share and our business model. In doing so, we are staying true to our motto: we define the future of lottery.”

From start-up to international group

ZEAL was founded as Tipp24 in Hamburg in 1999. The company was one of the first providers to enable participation in state lotteries in Germany via the Internet – with great success. The IPO followed in 2005. This was followed by the temporary relocation of the company headquarters to London, the change of name to ZEAL Network SE and the development of new business abroad. In 2019, the company returned to Hamburg and took over LOTTO24 AG. This made ZEAL the largest lottery broker in Germany. Today, more than 1.3 million customers play with ZEAL’s brands every month.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

“As one of the founders, I am particularly happy about ZEAL’s success story,” says Jens Schumann, co-founder of ZEAL 25 years ago and now a member of the Supervisory Board. “When we founded the company, we printed out the lottery tickets that our customers played online and handed them in at the kiosk around the corner. A lot has happened since then. Today, ZEAL is one of Germany’s leading e-commerce companies. It gives me great pleasure to have been so closely involved in its development to date.”

Continuing to grow in the core business, developing new business areas

Today, ZEAL is the market leader for online lotteries in Germany. The brokerage of participation in state and charity lotteries remains the company’s core business, which it intends to expand in the future. In addition, ZEAL is continuously developing its portfolio: in the summer, for example, the company launched the first raffle of an existing property in Germany with Traumhausverlosung (English name: Dream House Raffle). ZEAL also appeals to younger target groups in particular with the freiheit+ charity lottery. Last year, ZEAL also launched an online games offering, which has been continuously expanded since then. ZEAL also operates the online presence of the ONCE charity lottery in Spain, a public organization for the blind, and invests in industry-specific start-ups via its ventures department ZEAL Ventures.

The post 25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Central Europe

NOVOMATIC once again honored with the “Business Superbrands Austria Award”

Published

on

novomatic-once-again-honored-with-the-“business-superbrands-austria-award”
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

The world’s largest independent brand evaluation organization, Business Superbrands Brand Council, has once again recognized NOVOMATIC as one of Austria’s strongest brands for the year 2024/2025.

The prestigious award is given to brands that have built up an outstanding image in their market segment and clearly stand out from their competitors. After a pre-selection by the credit rating service provider Bisnode D&B, an independent panel of experts decides on the awarding of the title. NOVOMATIC’s exceptional brand strength and innovative power were convincing and underlined our success on both the domestic and international markets.

Stefan Krenn, Executive Board Member of NOVOMATIC AG, accepted the award from András Wiszkidenszky, Superbrands Regional Director, and emphasized: “This award underlines our strong market position and the continuous pursuit of innovation and excellence in the international gaming industry. At the same time, it is a sign of appreciation for the extraordinary commitment of our employees, who contribute to the success of the NOVOMATIC brand every day.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

András Wiszkidenszky added: “The Superbrand award underlines the economic appeal of the NOVOMATIC brand. Congratulations on the outstanding brand management and strong positioning that have made NOVOMATIC one of the strongest brands in Austria.”

The post NOVOMATIC once again honored with the “Business Superbrands Austria Award” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending