Central Europe
Germany: Sales revenues from paid online services for games rises significantly once again
• 461 million euros generated by fees from online services
• More than 5 million people in Germany pay for online services
• German games industry tops 6-billion-euro mark
Sales revenue generated by fees from online services in Germany rose significantly once again. The segment grossed approximately 461 million euros in 2019, which is an increase of 30 per cent compared to 2018 (353 million euros) – and even that year, the segment had nearly doubled, with growth of 97 per cent. These are the figures released today by game – the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research company GfK. Fee-based online services are currently available in multiple versions and for a range of different gaming platforms. For example, services on consoles including Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold offer options such as playing online with and against other players, saving games in the cloud and receiving discounts on games and expansions. Subscription services for PC such as Origin Access Premier (EA) and Uplay+ (Ubisoft) allow players to pay a fixed monthly fee to access a huge rotating library of games and to play some new games before the release date. With cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia Pro and PlayStation Now, on the other hand, gamers no longer need high-performance hardware to play titles with their full range of graphics, as the computing power to run the games is provided in the cloud. Monthly fees for online services can range from 4 to 10 euros, depending on the provider. Last year, a total of approximately 5.1 million gamers paid for these fee-based services, which is around 300,000 people more than in 2018 (4.8 million).
In Germany, growing numbers of gamers are discovering fee-based online services that give them access to an enormous selection of the latest hot titles, offers and discounts for a monthly fee. The strong growth in this segment also indicates how much the games market is currently changing: long-term access and usage rights for games are becoming much more important than purchasing individual titles,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Cloud gaming services are an interesting option for many gamers, particularly if we consider future trends and blockbuster titles that require a lot of processing power. All the heavy processing takes place in data centres, so the players themselves no longer need particularly high-performance hardware. There’s a lot going on in this budding market segment at the moment, and we expect to hear much more about it in future.’
German games market grows by 6 per cent
As already reported by game, the German games market grew by 6 per cent in 2019, to around 6.2 billion euros. Sales of games hardware, including consoles, gaming PCs and accessories, dropped by 2 per cent from the previous year, to 2.4 billion euros. In contrast, the market for games software showed a gain of 11 per cent: in 2019, a total of about 3.9 billion euros was spent on computer and video games and the charges for the respective online services.
About the market data
The current data takes into account further dedicated games hardware like gaming PCs and the corresponding accessories, resulting in a larger market size than previously reported. This is true also of the adjusted data for 2018, which accordingly differs from that reported last year.
The market data is based on statistics compiled by GfK, the GfK Consumer Panel and App Annie. The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s digital games market are unique in terms of both their quality and their global use. They include an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers who are representative of the German population as a whole regarding their digital game purchasing and usage habits, as well as a retail panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games.
game – the German Games Industry Association
We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the best games location.
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Central Europe
Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group
Playtech announced the expansion of its iPoker network into the Czech Republic, in partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group (Fortuna), marking the first introduction of Playtech’s iPoker network in the Czech market.
This launch represents a significant milestone for both Playtech and Fortuna, as it introduces poker into the Fortuna Entertainment Group for the first time. Through Playtech’s iPoker network, Fortuna’s players in the Czech Republic will now have access to a diverse range of poker games, benefitting from a strong international liquidity pool of players from all around the world, plus a high-quality player experience and state-of-the-art poker product.
The iPoker network has experienced explosive growth over the past few years, and the addition of Fortuna will contribute to the continuation of this trend. The Czech Republic is a prominent hub for live poker tournaments in Europe, with prestigious events held year-round in cities like Prague and Rozvadov. By joining forces with Fortuna, Playtech aims to tap into the potential of this vibrant market, bringing an unmatched online poker experience to the Czech audience.
Marat Koss, VP of Interactive Gaming at Playtech, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Fortuna to expand our iPoker network into the Czech market. Playtech is committed to providing a high-quality player experience through its cutting-edge poker product and continuous innovation and together with Fortuna’s continued success and significant growth trajectory as the leading betting and gaming operator in Central and Eastern Europe, this partnership will offer a modern, seamless, and engaging user experience for Fortuna’s players.”
Myke Foster, Group Head of Gaming & Commercial Strategy at Fortuna Entertainment Group, said: “Poker has a significant presence in the Czech market with an established player base and we are impressed by the quality of Playtech’s poker product. We see tremendous potential in this product and are confident it will deliver an exceptional and modern user experience to our customer base. We have had a very successful partnership with Playtech over the years and we look forward to watching this partnership continue to grow from strength to strength.”
The post Playtech Expands iPoker Network into the Czech Republic in Partnership with Fortuna Entertainment Group appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BF Games, the dynamic game development studio, has entered a new market through a collaboration with Apollo Games, a major licensed online casino operator in the Czech Republic. The content deal provides Apollo Games customers with the supplier’s most engaging releases, including titles like Stunning Hot Remastered and Cave of Fortune, which are now available.
ApolloGames.cz has been entertaining Czech players since 2021 and is part of the globally known Apollo Game Group, which boasts more than 17 years of experience in online games as well as land-based operations. The commercial partnership is part of the supplier’s plans to expand across Europe and supply thrilling games to operator partners worldwide.
Rok Hribar, Head of Sales and Account Management at BF Games, said, “Our new partnership with Apollo Games is a huge milestone for us as we make a significant entrance into the growing Czech market.
“We look forward to providing some of our most popular games to Apollo Games player base and bringing our creative content to their screens.”
Stanislav Jurecka, Casino Manager at Apollo Games, said, “We are watching the rapid development of BF Games’ offerings and are thrilled to sign this deal with the studio.”
“Adding BF Games’ slots to our online casino is a great win for us and our players, providing fantastic entertainment through a great mix of classic and innovative content. We look forward to introducing further games throughout the year and growing our successful partnership.”
The post BF Games Enters Czech Market with Apollo Games appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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.”
The post Apparat Gaming and edict egaming announce partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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