German Trade and Invest at Gamescom Cologne 2012 Product: German Trade and Invest Germans spent over EUR 845 million on games in the first half of 2012, according to the latest data from German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU). The slight increase from the first half of last year came from a variety of gaming products, including PC, mobile and online games. The German gaming market caters to 25 million active gamers and the country is an investment haven for firms from all over the world. Industry experts from Germany Trade & Invest are at this year's Gamescom from August 15-19 in Cologne to highlight opportunities for international companies in Germany's gaming industry. Germany's gaming workforce is among the world's most skilled. Roughly 40 public and private universities across the country offer gaming-related concentrations. Highly qualified graduates and international professionals support approximately 275 computer game developers and publishers nationwide. Gaming is becoming increasingly popular across a broad demographic. As game segments diversify, so do gamers, who tend to be multi-platform users. The average social gamer in Germany is now a 27 year old female, contrary to industry stereotypes. "Germany is home to the largest gaming industry in Europe. Programmers and game developers from across the globe are moving to innovative hotspots throughout the country. ...The huge market has created seven gaming clusters nationwide and each hub has its strengths. Whereas Berlin is famous for its international start-up culture, Hamburg's reputation is growing as a gaming city with multinational companies such as Bigpoint and Intenium. The variety of regions makes it easy for companies to find a home in Germany." - Julia Oentrich, gaming industry expert, GT&I in Berlin Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets. -Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins Related Links: The Official Germany Trade & Invest Website Game Vortex's Coverage of Bigpoint's Games The Official Gamescom-Cologne 2012 Website