German Computer Game Prize Awarded for the First Time

With a view to promoting high-quality, educational computer and console games, the German Federal Government has – on the initiative of the German Bundestag – now joined forces with professional associations from this sector to launch the German Computer Game Prize. Given the undeniable dangers associated with such games, the award is designed to provide guidelines and set standards in terms of quality and responsibility. The awards are divided into ten categories, the prize-winning games and ideas being selected by an independent jury composed of representatives of the political and scientific sectors, the game industry, youth media protection agencies and the press.

The prize was presented for the first time in 2009 by Minister of State for Culture Bernd Neumann. The award for the “Best German Computer Game 2009” was won by dtp entertainment AG and Radon Labs GmbHfor their game “Das schwarze Auge: Drakensang” (The Dark Eye: Drakensang). That same evening, the role-playing game had already won in the category “Best Youth Game”. Players of this game are transported to the fantastic trading city Ferdok, where a mysterious string of murders has the inhabitants in a state of alarm. The search for the murderer also involves discovering the motives for the crimes as well as embarking on the Dragon Quest, an event that is held only every 87 years. The beautifully designed Aventuria – the name of the continent on which the game is set – quickly casts its spell on players, whisking them away to a fairy-tale world peopled by fantastic creatures such as ice elves, yetis, goblins and white-furred orks.

Winner of the prize for the “Best Serious Game” was “Tech Force”, developed by Zone 2 Connect GmbH. In the category “Best Children’s Game”, the award went to a chess-learning program entitled “Fritz & Fertig”,produced by Koch Media, Deep Silverand Terzio Möllers & Bellinghausen Verlag. First place in the category “Best Browser Game” was taken by “Ikariam”,a game developed by the software company Gameforge. And the prize for the “Best Mobile Game” (which includes mobile consoles, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, pocket PCs and smartphones) was won by “Crazy Machines” from the games developer and manufacturer Rondomedia Marketing und Vertriebs GmbH and Promotion Software – Agentur für Interaktive Medien GmbH .

The importance that German computer game development has now attained for the country’s economy should not be underestimated. The latest surveys put the number of people currently employed in Germany’s software and games industry at 345,100. With a turnover of some EUR 26.5 billion, it is the culture and creative industry’s fastest-growing subsector.

The Federal Government and the computer game associations G.A.M.E. e.V., BIU e.V., BVDW e.V. and BITKOM e.V. have each contributed half of the prize money, which is tied to the promotion and development of new high-quality computer games.

www.deutschercomputerspielpreis.de

Enlarge image (© picture-alliance/dpa)