Saxony has great potential for the gaming industry, but so far it remains largely untapped. Although there are some successes, such as the recently launched video game fair "Caggtus" in Leipzig and the successful developer studio Toxtronyx, Saxon developer studios and video games have a hard time gaining a foothold in the market. The reasons for this are manifold and are only partly due to money. In this article, the challenges, obstacles and possible solutions for the Saxon gaming industry are highlighted.
The Saxon gaming industry consists largely of small and micro enterprises, many of which live at or below subsistence level. In a location assessment of the German gaming industry associations, Saxony landed in last place, and not without reason. One of the main reasons is the lack of specific public funding for video games. There are funding opportunities through the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), but these are primarily focused on films and television productions. The promotion of video games and their developer studios often falls by the wayside.