German Developer Award: Games.NRW takes on responsibility

A turning point in Germany’s most traditional games award: Games.NRW is the new organizer of the German Developer Award.

The German Developer Award (DEP) has been a real institution since 2004 – i.e. for almost two decades: the ‘unofficial Christmas party’ of the games industry honors trades such as story, sound and game design as well as social commitment, the best indie game and the best studio.

In contrast to the state German computer game prize, the prize money for which is provided in full by the federal government, the mostly undoped developer prize is a private-sector event supported by sponsors. Partners such as the City of Cologne, the Game industry association, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW and Ubisoft donate their own prizes and categories.

Today it was announced that the Fürth media company Computec Media (PC Games, Buffed, Golem) is giving away the German Developer Award – to Games.NRW: The location initiative obviously wants to continue to hold the award in North Rhine-Westphalia and to work closely with the partners mentioned for this purpose. The next award ceremony is planned for December 2022.

Indie studios, publishers and universities have joined forces in Games.NRW, including Aerosoft, Astragon, Bright Future, the Cologne Game Lab, Egosoft, Electronic Arts, Gaming Minds, Headup, Independent Arts, The Good Evil, Ubisoft and Ubisoft Blue Byte and Z software.

Games.NRW board spokesman Benedikt Grindel, who is also head of the German Ubisoft studios: “It is a matter close to our hearts to continue an important tradition of strengthening and publicizing video game developers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with the German Developer Award. The DEP has long been part of our industry’s annual calendar. We are looking forward to finally meeting the German-speaking developer scene again in person at the next award ceremony – and now as organizers.”

Computec Media Managing Director Christian Müller: “We are very pleased that the German Developer Award has found a new home at Games.NRW and that this award, which is steeped in tradition in the German games industry, is thus being anchored even more firmly in North Rhine-Westphalia. I am sure that the new organizers, in cooperation with sponsors and the jury, will further develop the DEP as a colorful and diverse award from developers for developers and will express all creative facets of Germany as a whole as a games location.”