game Rhineland-Palatinate is the regional office representing the members of game – the German Games Industry Association in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The cultural, economic and societal potential of computer and video games is vitally important to Rhineland-Palatinate in particular. The regional games industry is diverse, with numerous companies and institutions ranging from games developers and publishers to service providers, esports stakeholders, educational establishments and public institutions. Alongside regional stakeholders and in close cooperation with partners and institutions in the games industry such as GameUp!, we are committed to promoting Rhineland-Palatinate as a location for digital games and improving conditions for the regional games industry. We at game Rhineland-Palatinate represent the interests of the regional games industry in the political realm and serve as a point of contact for the region.
 
The stakeholders in our industry have agreed on the following proposals, which were developed in a joint process initiated by game Rhineland-Palatinate, GamesAHEAD Rhineland-Palatinate and Trier University of Applied Sciences between November 2018 and March 2019. A broad range of stakeholders from the games industry in Rhineland-Palatinate participated in this process.

Preamble (click)

With its many colleges and universities in technical and design fields, Rhineland-Palatinate is extremely well-positioned as an attractive location for education and training; particularly as regards the field of game development, the federal state offers a great deal of capacity and highly specialised clusters of expertise. Innovative, future-oriented programmes of study at colleges and internationally established companies with offices in Rhineland-Palatinate shape the face of the industry far beyond the borders of the federal state. In that sense, Rhineland-Palatinate has exceptional potential for development and counteracting the skilled labour shortages and migration of qualified professionals away from the state as part of the state government’s digitalisation strategy, as well as significantly increasing the number of start-ups in the federal state.

 

As a medium, games have enormous societal relevance. Combining technology, business and culture in perfect harmony, the industry makes a unique contribution to digital transformation, and does so in a responsible manner. Companies in the games industry are dynamic innovators. Their products and interdisciplinary approaches – from IT to design and media management – create valuable transfer and spillover effects in other economic sectors.

 

Games companies are leaders in the development of artificial intelligence, visualisation and the transfer of knowledge and expertise. The extremely high export rate of digital games (a national average of 46 per cent) is impressive proof of just how international the games market is. Additionally, the majority of employees in production and publishing are salaried and subject to social insurance contributions.

 

In future, maintaining the innovative potential, entrepreneurial spirit and employment rate in the games industry of Rhineland-Palatinate will be vital, as will ensuring that the local industry builds on these strengths. The objective is to transition the numerous skilled professionals educated in Rhineland-Palatinate into highly qualified positions within the region. Improved conditions for companies in this digital industry would help prevent the migration of talented experts away from Rhineland-Palatinate, assist start-ups in becoming established businesses over the long term and intensify the level of research being conducted.

 

Lasting improvements to the conditions for the digital games industry in Rhineland-Palatinate will be vital in ensuring that the state can successfully hold its ground in competition with neighbouring federal states and border regions, particularly France.

Introduction of project funding for digital games in Rhineland-Palatinate (click)

Establishment of games funding with EU notification on a competitive scale so that it is not subject to de minimis aid restrictions

Funding through grants and conditionally repayable loans

No red tape, i.e. rapid approval process without content restrictio

Funding options for entire production and value chain: for various project levels and sizes, for publishing, for participation in trade fairs and conferences

Support for the federal games funding agreed upon the in the federal government’s coalition agreement and ensuring compatibility with regional funding in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate

Implementing a sustainable development concept for start-ups and relocations of games companies in Rhineland-Palatinate (click)

Expansion of an equity capital start-up programme from the ISB Development Bank for the founding of start-ups in the games industry

Entrepreneurship offensive via a lecture series to promote start-up culture

Creation of a start-up scholarship and establishment of a mentoring network to bolster the international marketability of start-ups

Establishment of the game hub in Trier for the entire state of Rhineland-Palatinate with long-term incubator, accelerator and event programmes

Creation of a technology transfer office in the game hub to support digital transformation in Rhineland-Palatinate

Expansion of GameUp! cluster management for the games industry in Rhineland-Palatinate (click)

Further funding and staff for GameUp! Rhineland-Palatinate to ensure state-wide availability of games industry services

Organisation of and support for monthly networking events in Rhineland-Palatinate

Organisation, management and funding of joint initiatives for the representation of the regional games industry at national and international trade fairs and conferences

Expansion of the GameUp! Contest to identify the most promising ideas and concepts in Rhineland-Palatinatez

Establishment of a central point of contact to provide guidance regarding funding issues