DLR Projektträger promotes progress in the computer games industry

The turnover of the computer games market is steadily increasing. For the year 2025, the record sum of more than 7 billion euros is forecast for the German region. Computer games have long been more than just a pastime: the games industry has the potential for transfer to various areas, since the character of games goes far beyond that of a pure entertainment medium. Computer games impart knowledge and pedagogically and culturally valuable content, they serve as platforms for dealing with particularly sensitive topics such as war or psychological problems.

DLR Projektträger: Professionals in the funding business

The DLR Projektträger supports federal computer games funding on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) with an interdisciplinary team whose members have many years of experience in both games development and project funding. The team also includes employees who come from the creative industry and have programmed video games themselves.

The Computer Games/Creative Industries Department in the Society, Innovation and Technology Division of the DLR Projektträger advises those interested in funding and provides information about the federal government's funding mechanisms, among other things with the help of a virtual seminar programme. The experts carry out qualified, independent assessments of drafts and applications and actively support the entire funding process from the application to the completion of the development work within the framework of Games Funding Germany.

In addition, the DLR Projektträger supports the BMWK in the strategic planning and implementation of the federal government's overall games strategy.

Practical examination in the game labs of the DLR Projektträger

After the great success of the first funding round in 2019, the computer games funding programme has now been consolidated. The federal government will invest 250 million euros in the games industry in the coming years. This will support computer game developments from prototypes to full-fledged productions to the publication of games. As a result, the market share of computer and video games produced by German companies is to be significantly increased and Germany is to become an attractive development location for the games industry. So far, around 370 projects have been funded; 200 projects have now been completed and another dozen are added every week.

The special nature of the project results, i.e. the need to see and test the submitted developments, led to the establishment of two "game labs" at the DLR Projektträger sites in Bonn and Berlin, where the computer games developed in the projects are tested in practice at different stations - on the PC, on mobile Android and iOS end devices as well as on various game consoles and virtual reality (VR) stations.

Federal funding as a seal of approval

The federal government's computer games funding has given the industry an incredible boost. Many studios were able to emerge, try out or develop new game mechanics in the first place thanks to this funding measure. The success of the funding programme is now visible beyond the industry. And the funding is becoming a seal of quality: In 2021 and 2022, winners of the German Computer Game Award in several categories came from the ranks of those funded by the federal government.