Central Europe
German Games Market Stabilises at a High Level
Following major increases in sales revenue in both 2020 and 2021, the German games market stabilised at a high level in 2022 – that was the conclusion offered by game – the German Games Industry Association when presenting the market data from surveys carried out by market research companies GfK and data.ai. Whereas the Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in annual growth of 32% and 17% respectively, in 2022 sales revenue generated by games, gaming hardware and charges for online services rose by an additional 1% to 9.87 billion euros.
“The German games market was amazingly stable in 2022 despite various challenges. Following the strong growth achieved in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many people had expected sales revenue to decline in 2022, for example due to the high rate of inflation over the course of the year, the decline in time spent playing games, or the many games whose release dates had been postponed. In light of these circumstances, the 1% growth achieved in 2022 is yet another sign of the industry’s success as the German games market manages to consolidate its gains near the ten-billion-euro mark,” said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – the German Games Industry Association.
Even the number of video game players has managed to stabilise at a high level following the growth achieved in the Covid-19 years: approximately six out of every ten people between the ages of six and 69 in Germany play games. There is also little difference according to gender, with women making up 48% of video game players in Germany, and men 52%. As has been the case in recent years, the average age once again rose slightly and is now 37.9 years. In all, 78% of players in Germany are at least 18 years old.
Sales revenue from online gaming services is growing, while demand for gaming hardware has declined somewhat.
As with the market overall, the market segment devoted to games for PCs, game consoles and mobile devices has remained stable. For computer and video games (−1% to approximately 1.1 billion euros) as well as in-game and in-app purchases (+2% to approximately 4.5 billion euros), sales revenue figures were similar to last year’s. These include season passes, additional levels, cosmetic items (for example skins) and subscription fees for individual online games. In total, sales revenue from games for PCs, game consoles and mobile devices grew by roughly 1% to 5.5 billion euros in 2022.
The online gaming services market segment experienced yet another year of strong growth, with sales revenue from these services increasing by 20% to 866 million euros. Among the categories in this segment are fee-based subscription services that provide access to a large selection of games, cloud-based games, online multiplayer functions, and the ability to save game progress in the cloud. This market segment has enjoyed particularly dynamic growth. This is demonstrated not only by the large increase in sales revenue, but also by the wide range of gaming services on offer. Even though some large providers discontinued certain services last year, other services were expanded and revamped. As a result, numerous online gaming services have long since begun offering a range of functions – thereby rendering the old distinctions between online gaming services, subscription gaming services and cloud gaming services obsolete. Examples of these services include EA Play, Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus, Xbox Game Pass and Ubisoft+.
One of the most significant growth drivers in recent years has been gaming hardware, including gaming PCs, game consoles and the corresponding accessories. Following huge leaps in growth of 30 and 18% in the past two years, 2022 saw this market segment decline slightly, by around 3% to 3.5 billion euros. Reasons for this fall in revenues include the fact that game consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X as well as the latest graphic cards were not available across the board. In addition, the major growth of the past two years means that numerous video game players already own the very latest gaming hardware.
Central Europe
SYNOT Games teams up with win2day to revolutionize Austria’s iGaming scene
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.
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.
Central Europe
25 years of ZEAL: A quarter century of online lottery in Germany
- 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.
“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.
Central Europe
NOVOMATIC once again honored with the “Business Superbrands Austria Award”
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.”
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.
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