Deutscher Computerspielpreis

The Deutscher Computerspielpreis (German computer games award) is awarded annually by the Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (federal association for interactive entertainment software), G.A.M.E. Bundesverband der Entwickler von Computerspielen (federal association of computer game developers) and Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Alexander Dobrindt, starting in 2009.

The Deutscher Computerspielpreis (The German Video Game Awards) was first awarded in 2009. The venue for the German Video Game Awards ceremony alternates annually between Munich and Berlin. The German Video Game Awards are presented by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and the BIU (German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software) and GAME (German Games Industry Association) trade associations, with the support of the Digital Gaming Culture Foundation. The prize money is donated by those supporters and amounts to a total of €385.000. The German Video Game Awards are the most prestigious games award within Germany. Awarded are games of “cultural and pedagogical value”, technical or gameplay-related innovations or games of high entertainment value. Prize money is only disbursed to winners in national categories. Basic condition to submit a game in one of the donated categories is a development quota of 80 percent of the game in Germany.

Regarding the year 2015, the award has been fundamentally reshaped by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and the BIU (German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software) and GAME (German Games Industry Association) trade associations, with the support of the Digital Gaming Culture Foundation. Besides the introduction of new and the re-structuring of existing categories, criteria for registration have been reformulated. The award currently consists of 14 categories with the latest additions of an audience award category and three international award categories, albeit those four categories are exempt from donation. Regarding criteria, pleasure as part of the gaming experience has been included and the overall catalog of criteria has been refocused. Part of the decision was also the restaffing of juries and increase of prize money up to €450.000 in 2017.

The German Video Game Awards are announced (tendered) jointly by politicians and industry and were created by the German Government following an initiative of the German Bundestag (German Parliament) in cooperation with BIU (German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software) and GAME (German Games Industry Association) trade associations. Documents concerning the origin of the award are the Report of BKM to the German Bundestag dated 24. October 2007 (federal printed matter: BT-Drs. 16/7081) and the resolution of the German Bundestag dating 21. February 2008 following a proposal of the grand coalition of the SPD Party and the CDU Party (printed matter: BT-Drs. 16/7116). Background of the initiative was the perceived change of importance within society regardless of age, sex and social background of gamers and the increase of games industry as an economy of scale, as well as the extended application of games and game technology in other sectors of economy. Until 2014 the Kulturstaatsministerium (State Ministry of Culture) was the political Partner complementary to BIU and GAME as the economical partners of the German Video Game Awards. In 2014 the Ministry of Transport and digital Infrastructure adopted the role of the political partner.

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