Germany is the fifth-largest game market in the world, but as a venue for the games is barely present. This was also confirmed at Gamescom. However, there is hope. Indie developers show what is possible.
Let’s assume that Germany would only know through video games, then the following picture: Abandoned, destroyed cities, burning tanks on the streets, countless soldiers in the SS or Wehrmacht opened makes uniforms. Because of the Second world war, has ceased to be on the PC and on the console never. “The world war Shooter are a well-established Genre,” says Andreas Lange, Director of the computer Museum’s game in Berlin. “People around the world have to the issue of access.” And so it was “mainly a world war II picture”, which would convey matches with Germany.
Gamers interested in Germany?
Meanwhile, there are many successful Open-World games, the US Metropolitan (“Grand Theft Auto”series), but also in London, Paris (“Assassin’s Creed”series), or Tokyo (“Yakuza”series). An Open-World game releases the player in an open world, in which he can move freely. Such a game with a German city are not yet available. “I think Games are a global Medium and foreign manufacturers have difficulties to imagine that a game that is based in Germany, can be successful internationally,” explains Andreas for a Long time. In addition, there is the expectation of the players. If Germany is on the package, many want to experience a world war II scenario, for so Long. In addition, Fantasy or future scenarios allowed the developers much more creative freedom.
German culture in fantasy worlds
This is exactly why most of the games would not play at all in the real worlds. “This is the Exciting to Play, you to fantasy worlds,” says Felix Falk, CEO of the industry Association “game”. Therefore, it is much more exciting, such as German culture reflected in fantasy worlds. The Shooter “Spec Ops: The Line” of the German developer Studio Yager Development games, although not in Germany, tell a story, the point of the horrors of war and the inner struggle of soldiers in the foreground. This is a very German narrative. That was new to the Genre and made the Game probably the first Anti-war game.
Managing Director of the industry Association “game”: Felix Falk at the opening of the Gamescom 2018
As measured by the turnover in Germany is after the USA, China, Japan and South Korea the fifth-largest game market in the world. However, the really big games come from abroad. “Other countries have early recognized the potential of the game industry,” says Felix Falk. VR-technologies, artificial intelligence and 3-D methods are now used in various fields. “In Canada, England or France games to be promoted consciously. The production of a game costs up to 30 percent less than in Germany.” The Federal government has recognized the need and wants – so it is in the coalition agreement – now Games promote. In the autumn it will be decided on the amount of the grant.
Unusual Setting: the German province of
The game is “muddy brook” shows that there is also in Germany, identified the location of the games, which have nothing to do with Nazis. The scene is the fictional, sleepy village of brook Cloudy in the German province in the 1960s. There Hans Tannhauser. The Americans studied quantum physics and has won a trip – to remember, to have ever at a competition. As a player, it runs as a Tannhauser leisurely through the Level, solve puzzles, clicking through numerous dialogues with all sorts of crazy characters, in order to save at the end, of course, the world.
The game with several References to German cultural history: Tannhauser (a nod to the Opera by Richard Wagner) is riddled encounters Gretchen (known from Goethe’s “Faust”) and speaks with a Computer by the name of Barbarossa (Emperor of the Holy Roman-German Empire). Such Gags in the gamers Jargon Easter eggs – had been built in from the beginning, in order to enrich the game world, says the developer of the game, Florian Köhne.
It is produced for the international market and is fully voiced in German and English – the characters speak English, but (with the exception Tannhausers) with a German accent. Also this is not a coincidence. “We wanted to create an exotic world for people who come from Germany.” What succeeds in the Scandinavian TV-series, to carry a degree of exoticism, and to lead the audience to places that you haven’t seen on TV yet, might also work for video games, hope the developer. At the beginning of 2019 muddy brook”, will appear”.
Resistance without firearms
Less contemplative, but very insistently, the game of “Through the Darkest of Times” from the Berlin Two-man-Studio “paint bucket Games”. Although it is the earliest to appear in 2019, is already a few weeks ago, the nationwide awareness. Because it is the first game in Germany, which is released from twelve years of age, and swastikas. This enabled the recent decision by the entertainment software self-regulation body (USK), the German age ratings for video games issued.
“Through the Darkest of Times”: Here, the player is to the resistance fighters
But much more exciting than the swastika debate, the game itself is. The player is the head of a resistance group in Berlin at the time of the third Reich. Despite the simple appearance of an image with a reduced color palette of black and grey, some red accents, as well as many text boxes, one game that covers the entire period from 1933 to 1945, into its spell. “We are always surprised by the intensity of the experience that a lot of people,” says Sebastian Schulz, one of the two developers. “Through the Darkest of Times” is an anti-fascist game, fading in and out, neither everyday life in Nazi Germany, the harassment by the SS, the Holocaust. “We are political people, even if we are a game developer, and want to make political statements,” says Schulz.
“Stories that are actually happening”
“It feels as if it is exactly correct to make such a game and we just wanted to tell a different story,” says Schulz. According to the missions – for example, leaflets to print and distribute, supporters, recruit, collect money, meet the characters at a large table. A Person is missing, she was arrested because of their resistance and imprisoned, an image that does not affect the player.
“We are trying to take stories that are actually happening. If you are busy with the stories, you will notice how often in the past there was actually a Chance, in a different direction to turn. And that’s the Exciting thing, that now puts the player in the Situation, that he can make the decisions,” says Schulz.
Since the game is very text-heavy, want to bring out the developers in many languages, in order to make it to an international audience. Planned versions in English, German, Spanish, French as well as in the long term, also in Italian, Polish and Russian.