Central Europe

Twenty Years of Supporting the Games Industry in Hamburg

Published

2 months ago

April 18, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Hamburg is one of Europe’s gaming hotspots; 2,500 people are working in over 190 game companies in the city. Since 2003, the location initiative Gamecity Hamburg is supporting the industry in the name of the city of Hamburg and was thus the first public funding institution for the games industry at the state level in Germany.

Since 2018, Gamecity Hamburg is part of the city-owned Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft. For its 20th anniversary, the location initiative plans several events and activities to spotlight and celebrate the local industry. To kick the festivities off, industry stakeholders look back on the development of the Hamburg games industry and cast a glance into the future.

“Hamburg is one of the top locations for the games industry,” the Minister of Culture and Media, Dr Carsten Brosda, said. “We owe this to a highly creative network in the city that recognized the importance of the games industry early on and developed the vision of a ‘Gamecity’. With the Gamecity Hamburg initiative, we have been creating a suitable environment for the games industry for 20 years. In the future, we also want to ensure that the industry in Hamburg finds sufficient talent and the potential for further growth in the Hanseatic city through a large network and good opportunities for education and training.”

“A diverse ecosystem of the games industry has developed in Hamburg with companies such as InnoGames, Goodgame Studios and the Applike Group; some of the largest games companies in Germany are located here,” the Head of Gamecity Hamburg, Dennis Schoubye, said. “The lively scene of Hamburg game studios also includes other well-known names such as Daedalic Entertainment, Bytro, Fishlabs and Rockfish Games. Gamecity Hamburg has established itself as a central point of contact for all games companies and founders, both for financial support and for access to the strong network in town.”

Gamecity Hamburg currently supports the local industry with two funding programs, the Prototype Funding program and the Games Lift Incubator, for which a combined sum of €520,000 is available annually. In addition, Gamecity Hamburg is offering a number of events such as the international Hamburg Games Conference, the ‘Gamecity Treff’ – a meet-up for all participants of the industry, which was established in 2003 – and other programs to connect the industry and further the exchange of knowledge.

“Hamburg recognized the potential of the games industry early on and created Gamecity, a ground-breaking games support program,” the Managing Director of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, Egbert Rühl, said. “I am particularly pleased that the energy of the early years has now returned under the sponsorship of Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft. Together with the entire games ecosystem, Gamecity is successfully working to expand Hamburg as a games location and prepare it for the future.”

“The games industry has become an integral and important part of Hamburg’s economy. The support provided by Gamecity Hamburg with funding, networking events and political initiatives was and is immensely important in this regard,” the Managing Director of Mooneye Studios and a spokesperson for the regional representative office of game Hamburg – The German Games Industry Association, Tobias Graff, said.

Gamecity Hamburg will also share stories from the past two decades of the local industry throughout the year on its online channels. A first impression can be gained from the anniversary video, in which insiders recap the evolution of the industry.

20th Anniversary in 2023: Gamecity Hamburg celebrates the Hamburg games industry

To celebrate the anniversary of the games industry in Hamburg, various activities and events are planned to look back on the last decades, but especially to look forward to the future of the games industry in Hamburg. On April 20, there will be a Senate reception at the invitation of Dr Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media. Numerous guests from the German and Hamburg games industry are expected at Hamburg’s Town Hall. With 20 years of runtime, the games industry meet-up ‘Gamecity Treff’, is a solid institution in the German games scene. The industry and all interested parties can look forward to a jubilee edition of the ‘Gamecity Treff’, to which Gamecity Hamburg invites on May 24. The ‘Gamecity Treff’ is supported by sponsors Bigpoint, Bytro and The Sandbox.

Interested parties can also make a note that the ‘Gamecity Treff’ meets Polaris on October 13, which is adjacent to the Hamburg Community Convention Polaris, with the kind support of the sponsors InnoGames and AWS for Games. Further public events are already being prepared and will be announced throughout the year.

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Central Europe

PRAGMATIC PLAY STRENGTHENS AUSTRIAN PRESENCE WITH WIN2DAY PARTNERSHIP

Published

6 days ago

May 31, 2023

George Miller

PRAGMATIC PLAY STRENGTHENS AUSTRIAN PRESENCE WITH WIN2DAY PARTNERSHIP

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Pragmatic Play, a leading content provider to the iGaming industry, is supplying games to Austrian operator win2day.

Operated by Austrian Lotteries, win2day is the only licensed supplier of lottery and online casino in Austria, where it also provides sports betting.

A selection of Pragmatic Play’s award-winning portfolio of Slots is being made available to win2day players over the coming weeks. Already live is Madame Destiny Megaways™, which will soon be followed by award-winning titles Gates of Olympus™ and Sweet Bonanza™.

Other player favourites scheduled for release include Big Bass Bonanza™, Big Bass Splash™, The Dog House Megaways™, Fruit Party™, Book of the Fallen™, John Hunter™ and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen™, and Wolf Gold™.

The partnership with win2day follows a pattern of continued expansion for Pragmatic Play in regulated markets across the globe.

Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “I’m excited to welcome win2day to our growing customer base in Austria. Pragmatic Play is proud to partner with operators who share our commitment to product quality and player protection, as we strive to provide engaging entertainment experiences for new and established audiences worldwide.”

Martin Miesler, Head of Games at win2day, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Pragmatic Play and begin uploading its slot content to our platform. Win2day is proud of providing the most impressive and innovative offering to our online casino players, a criterion that Pragmatic Play fills perfectly and we can’t wait to see how our audience responds.”

Central Europe

Hipther’s Autumn Flagship Event Rebranded to GamingTECH CEE – Don’t Miss the Early Bird Offer!

Published

1 week ago

May 29, 2023

George Miller

Hipther’s Autumn Flagship Event Rebranded to GamingTECH CEE - Don’t Miss the Early Bird Offer!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The #hipthers are thrilled to announce the biggest edition and rebranding of Hipther Agency’s renowned flagship event for the Central and Eastern European region: the CEEGC Budapest gets a fresh makeover and becomes the GamingTECH CEE Summit Budapest!

The hugely successful event series in Budapest has cemented the hipthers’ leadership in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, embraced by the iGaming and Tech industry professionals locally and beyond.

GamingTECH CEE, formerly known as CEEGC, has a 7-year tradition of being the leading event in the Central and Eastern European region during Autumn. The conference brings together key players in the gaming industry, providing a wealth of valuable information and opportunities for quality networking. Furthermore, the GamingTECH Awards recognize and celebrate the most innovative and successful companies in the region.

GamingTECH CEE 2023 will take place on 26 September at the Ritz-Carlton, Budapest, while the hipthers will be offering Early Registration and Welcome Drinks on the 25th, to help participants break the ice, connect with new and old friends, and relax before the knowledge-packed conference.

The final Conference Agenda is to be announced, with the current draft promising insights about the future of Gaming in the Central and Eastern Europe, Compliance Challenges and Opportunities, Responsible Gaming, Blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, as well as Networking Sessions and the Evening Social Gathering to close the event in style and togetherness!

Zoltan Tuendik, Co-Founder and Head of Business of Hipther, stated about the upcoming event: “We are embracing the boundless possibilities of the future and the transformative power of technology in the gambling industry. Through the rebranding of CEEGC Budapest to GamingTECH CEE Summit Budapest, we herald a new era of excitement, innovation, and limitless potential. Join us this September in Budapest to explore the frontiers of gaming technology, as we pave the way for a future that will revolutionize the way we play, engage, and win”.

GamingTECH CEE 2023 Registration is Now Open!

→ Don’t Miss the Early Bird Rates & Stay Tuned for the Combo Pass that is coming soon!

Central Europe

Esports Championships Amplifies the Excitement of Highly Anticipated European Games in Poland

Published

2 weeks ago

May 26, 2023

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The inaugural European Games Esports Championships (#EGE23) will welcome esports athletes and teams from across Europe to compete in two top esports titles – eFootball 2023 and Rocket League, this June.

The esports athletes will compete in parallel with the 7000 athletes representing 48 countries at the third edition of the European Games in Kraków and the Małopolska region of Poland. #EGE23 will add a whole new dimension of competition and entertainment to this grand sporting fiesta.

The Global Esports Federation and the European Olympic Committees confirmed that #EGE23 will run from June 30 to July 2. The International Congress Centre (MCK) in Katowice will become the epicentre of digital competition and is set to be a landmark event in the region’s sporting calendar.

The Open and Women Categories for eFootball 2023 and Open Category for Rocket League at #EGE23 will allow esports athletes from across the continent to compete for national glory.

Commenting on the groundbreaking nature of #EGE23, Aurelia Ruetsch, GEF Board Member and Chair of the EGE23 Coordination Commission, said: “The European Games Esports Championships represents a pioneering moment for esports in Europe. Having been part of the team at the inaugural European Games Baku 2015, I am thrilled to see another first with the EOC as we convene top-level esports competitions alongside traditional sports, celebrating youth culture in the heart of Europe.”

“We are delighted to see esports in this prestigious event – the European Games. The #EGE23 is a significant milestone in the development of esports in Europe. It’s a joyful celebration of youth, esports, and sport all together,” Chris Chan, President of the GEF, said.

In addition to the esports competitions, the #EGE23 will feature the GEFestival – a celebration of esports’ inclusive culture, games, music and entertainment – and GEFcon, a global convention of thought leaders and idea creators in business, esports, sport and technology on an international stage for sharing and learning.

“The Esports Championships is an extraordinary addition to the European Games lineup and underscores the progressive vision of the diversity and inclusivity of the sports world, highlighting the common ground they share in terms of dedication, strategy, and the pursuit of excellence. We are delighted to collaborate with the Global Esports Federation on the first of many planned initiatives,” Spyros Capralos, President of EOC, said.

Hasan Arat, Chair of the EOC Coordination Commission for the European Games 2023, said: “The EOC is delighted to have partnered with the Global Esports Federation to host the Esports Championships in Katowice this summer.

“Esports is hugely popular worldwide, especially among the younger generation, and as the European Games continues to look for ways to innovate and attract a younger audience, this is a significant step.

“The International Congress Center in Katowice will be the perfect venue for the competition, and I know that it will be a memorable occasion for all the esports athletes taking part.”