Political guests of honour officially open gamescom 2024

gamescom 2024 is now officially open: the world’s largest games event kicked off on Wednesday afternoon as numerous political guests of honour were on hand for the political opening. Robert Habeck, Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne and Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of Koelnmesse, used their speeches to welcome the representatives of the games industry and repeatedly acknowledged gamescom’s key role in highlighting Germany as a game location. With over 1,400 exhibitors, gamescom has set another new record this year. The importance of the games industry for Germany as a business location was another topic to which the speakers returned time and again. They noted the urgency of improving business conditions for game development in Germany, and both political and industry guests emphasised that this was absolutely essential if Germany is to catch up with its international competitors.

On Thursday morning, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck will be taking a tour of gamescom to find out about the latest industry trends and exchange views with games companies about current conditions in Germany.

The video of the gamescom 2024 political opening can be watched on demand here.

Robert Habeck, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action: “Video games are an important factor in our economy, and foster high innovation and creativity. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action therefore continues to invest heavily in the German gaming industry. A new funding guideline opens the door for us to provide more targeted support to developers in Germany, thus strengthening Germany as a production centre for the gaming industry.”

Hendrik Wüst, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia: “North Rhine-Westphalia is a prominent games industry hub and Germany’s number one games state. Video games secure numerous jobs in a flourishing industry and provide entertainment for millions of people. What is more, they promote creativity and logical thinking, bring people together across borders and also set important trends in schools, medicine and language learning, for example, with teaching and learning applications. The significance of games for society can be seen once again these days, with people making their way to gamescom in Cologne in large numbers to experience the fascination of games peacefully and full of joy. The government of North Rhine-Westphalia is once again supporting its games companies with up to 3.5 million euros this year. It is now up to the Federal Government to follow suit up and ensure that funding is put on a reliable footing.”

Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association, which is a joint organiser of gamescom, says: ‘gamescom is once again offering a clear demonstration of the games industry’s power and potential this year. Political guests from every party value this service, yet the federal government needs to act faster and take bigger steps to ensure that the necessary measures really are introduced and implemented. The only way that we in Germany can be sure of having a real chance in the international games market is by creating reliable conditions for games companies that are comparable to and competitive with those enjoyed internationally.’

Henriette Reker, Mayor of the City of Cologne and Chair of Koelnmesse’s Supervisory Board: “Cologne has firmly established itself as a major hub for the gaming industry and permanent home of gamescom. The city is home to over 1,600 gaming industry professionals and a strong network of companies, research institutions and educational partners, making it the ideal environment for innovation and growth. Gaming unites people from all over the world and you can feel that unique connection and energy throughout the entire city during gamescom.”

Gerald Böse, President and CEO of Koelnmesse: “The world’s biggest gaming event is continuing its growth trajectory! We’re setting a new record with over 1,400 exhibitors from 64 countries – an impressive 15 percent increase over last year. It is also exciting to see the growing international presence with 48 country pavilions from 37 countries. A very special thanks goes to our gamescom partners and our co-organizer, game – the German Games Industry Association, for their vital contribution to this growth.”