Central Europe
Games Lift: These are the Five Teams for the Hamburg Game Developer Incubator in 2023
Five teams have won over the Games Lift awarding committee with their game projects. On September 11, the Games Lift Incubator will start for them as a unique support program in Germany. Included is a one-year workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support as well as room for collaboration and exchange with the other participating teams.
More than 30 experts in game design, product development, pitching, business development, press relations and marketing from the Games Lift network will share their experience with the teams to give their projects a professional start. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and implemented by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
A total of 24 teams and solo developers applied for the fourth Games Lift Incubator. The decision for the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, consisting of Mareike Ottrand (Professor for Interactive Illustration and Games/HAW Hamburg), Ole Schaper (Managing Director The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director Rocket Beans Entertainment) and Amanda Förtsch (Project Manager Gamecity Hamburg).
“With each year of Games Lift Incubator, more talented teams with exciting projects apply,” Schaper said. “The passion and commitment of the developers impress me over and over again. Hamburg’s academic institutions, but also the city’s extremely lively indie scene, ensure that the steady stream of creativity never stops.”
The five winner projects and teams for Games Lift Incubator 2023:
* Chaos Royale by Monodot
* Dottobeau by Dottobeau
* Journey Beyond the Edge of the World by Markus Koepke
* Map Map – A Game About Maps by Kopfkino Games
* We the Valarii by Bagpack Games
Chaos Royale by Monodot is a free-to-play battle royale game with shooting mechanics, full of eccentric and fantastic characters. Different weapon combinations and an improvement of the own shooting power turn the matches for 16 to 32 players into fast-paced firefights.
The team behind Dottobeau formed at HAW Hamburg to develop a classic point-and-click adventure game wherein players solve tricky puzzles by changing the overall atmosphere of the in-game world. The more puzzles players solve, the more new items they can find. This way they can manipulate the storyline and move on to the next chapter of this sensitive adventure.
Journey Beyond the Edge of the World by Markus Koepke is a musical first-person adventure game with a story told through five atmospheric pieces of music. The story, which spans over three time periods, is set in a mysterious abandoned fishing boat whose history needs to be uncovered. This nostalgic, low-poly game world contains a lot of tricky puzzles to unravel.
Map Map – A Game About Maps by Kopfkino Games is a cozy exploration game with puzzle elements where the atmosphere of a relaxed hike meets typical landscape puzzles à la GeoGuessing. The unique mapping mechanic allows players to interact with the atmospheric game world and its many elements in a completely new way.
We the Valarii by Bagpack Games is an entertaining couch co-op racer with a literal spin as the unique motion physics are created by rotating the mouse or stick. The focus is not on competition but on overcoming obstacles and completing boss battles together.
More information about the projects at https:// gamecity-hamburg .de/incubator.
The incubator program addresses the individual needs of developers with comprehensive workshops, mentoring and coaching content. Workshops and mentoring sessions are offered in the fields of project management, marketing and business start-up.
After completing the three-month workshop program of phase one, the teams will present their results to a broad audience at a final public pitch in December of 2023. Phase two will immediately follow and will run until September of 2024.
Starting this year, selected mentors will work even closer with the teams and will support them directly and according to their needs throughout the entire incubator period; Manny Hachey (Chief Operating Officer for THREAKS), Björn Bergstein (Coach and Consultant for Management and Leadership), Daniel Marx (Chief Executive Officer and Game Director for Osmotic Studios), Søren Lass (Business Development Consultant) and Steffen Rühl (Expert for the digital and analog games industry). In periodic, personalized mentoring sessions, they will provide advice to the teams and their project progress. In addition, the Games Lift Network, with more than 30 experts from all areas of the industry, will once again provide support to the participating teams on specific issues from all areas of the development and marketing of digital games. In addition, the teams will receive individual communication support from a PR agency specialized in indie games.
You don’t want to miss the registration start for Games Lift Incubator 2024? Then sign up for our Games Lift mailing list at https:// airtable .com/shrHJMH96v6fYe2yQ.
Further funding opportunities through Gamecity Hamburg
In addition to the Games Lift Incubator, Gamecity Hamburg also supports developers and games companies from Hamburg with a prototype funding. Each year, 400,000 euros are available for games projects from Hamburg, of which up to 120,000 euros can be applied per game. The next application round will start in spring of 2024.
Central Europe
Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership
Leading German software provider teams up with Hamburg-born aggregator to make full suite of slots available to customers in regulated markets worldwide
With immediate effect, German iGaming-business Apparat Gaming is teaming up with fellow Hamburg-founded company edict egaming. The former, having forged a reputation for providing premium casino content with a German accent, has thus joined forces with one of the country’s top aggregators in edict, one of the Merkur Group’s subsidiaries.
As a result of the deal, Apparat Gaming’s ever-expanding portfolio of 30+ quality slots, including recent releases like the high-octane Autobahn Alarm and the hotly-anticipated Fishin’ the Biggest, will be joining edict’s already widespread line-up of over 200 titles – making them now available to all operators who choose edict for their game aggregation needs.
This collaboration will give customers access to an even more diverse selection of games, all of which are fully compliant with the latest German regulation and certified for release in multiple markets.
Founded in 1998, edict was one of the industry’s pioneering online casino service providers before it was acquired by the Merkur Group a decade later. In 2021, the company added an aggregator solution to its offering, and it has been steadily developing this product ever since to a point where it now supplies content to over 150 operators and starts 8.5+ billion games per year.
Specialising in engaging titles that are supplied by some of Germany’s most popular studios, Apparat Gaming’s releases will certainly look right at home among the aggregator’s prestigious game portfolio – and both parties are already looking forward to a highly successful collaboration.
Martin Frindt, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Apparat Gaming, said: “Given Apparat Gaming’s German roots, we’re delighted to be teaming up with a Hamburg-born business-like edict. Adding our titles to their line-up will give operators access to our over 30 top slots that all come with our signature German accent, and we can’t wait to hear how they’re received by customers.”
Dominic-Daniel Lienard CEO at edict, said: “Since launching our aggregator solution, edict has compiled a stellar portfolio of releases from some of the top developers in Germany and beyond – and adding Apparat Gaming titles will strengthen this roster further. With great graphics, unique themes, and innovative bonus features, we’re sure their slots will be a huge hit with our operators.”
Central Europe
Wazdan amplifies Swiss presence with Swiss4Win launch
Wazdan, the gain-focused developer behind some of the world’s most rewarding casino game experiences has further expanded in the regulated Swiss market, taking its games live with Swiss4Win.
The collaboration enhances Wazdan’s profile in the country with Swiss4Win’s leading online gambling platform revolutionising player experiences with the introduction of the studio’s exciting range of games.
As Wazdan continues to deliver the world’s most rewarding casino game experiences, this new partnership heralds a new era of entertainment. Players can look forward to a diverse selection of captivating slots designed to appeal to Swiss players.
In conjunction with this partnership, Swiss4Win unveils its new website, meticulously crafted to enhance user engagement. The platform boasts a cutting-edge SEO-oriented design, complemented by a sleek dark mode interface. With a heightened focus on slot providers, the website features a dedicated page showcasing premier gaming offerings.
Radka Bacheva, Head of Sales and Business Development at Wazdan, said: “We’re excited to join forces with swiss4win.ch to introduce our latest games to players worldwide. This collaboration represents a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in the iGaming industry.”
Paolo Sanvido, Chief Executive Officer at Casino Lugano and Swiss4Win, added: “Wazdan’s distinguished reputation stems from its exceptional graphics and innovative features, which have resonated with players globally. Its dedication to crafting enriching casino experiences offers players greater control over their gaming preferences and seamlessly aligns with our audience’s interests.”
Central Europe
Aleatrust Signs Up as Supporting Member of the Austrian Sports Betting Association
The Austrian Sports Betting Association (OSWV) has welcomed Aleatrust as a new supporting member on board.
Above all, the comprehensive training offered by the E-Casino Academy launched by Aleatrust, which also focuses on the needs of the sports betting industry, is an important asset that will also be available to OSWV members from now on. Central topics such as money laundering prevention, data protection, data security and compliance, including anti-corruption, whistleblower protection and code of conduct, are of central importance here and are comprehensively covered by the E-Casino Academy.
Sharif Shoukry, Managing Director of OSWV, said: “The new active supporting membership of Aleatrust is an important step forward for the OSWV and its members. It provides access to tailor-made training that is specifically tailored to the requirements and challenges of our industry. We are convinced that this cooperation will make a significant contribution to professionalization and security in the Austrian sports betting market.”
A significant benefit of the partnership is the availability of their training programs online, allowing OSWV members to access essential knowledge anytime and anywhere. This flexible learning environment offers an optimal solution to meet the need for continuous education and training without relying on traditional, time- and location-bound training formats. This type of training not only saves valuable resources, but also allows for consistent and high-quality training of employees, regardless of their individual schedules or the location of the company.
“To be accepted into the circle of supporting members of the OSWV is a great recognition for Aleatrust. It confirms our commitment and expertise in developing and delivering world-class training programs that are specifically tailored to the gambling and sports betting industry,” Niklas Sattler, Managing Director of Alatrust, said.
Particularly noteworthy is the specialised course on money laundering prevention, developed in collaboration with the renowned expert Dr. Elena Scherschneva. Given their extensive experience and recognized expertise in training employees of numerous sportsbooks, the availability of this course online represents a unique opportunity for members to benefit from the highest level of expertise. This underscores the OSWV’s commitment not only to strengthen the industry in terms of compliance and security, but also to promote a responsible and honest betting environment.
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