News

+++ The significance of New Media Funding for the development of the media location of the future continues to increase: the growth of games, XR, and innovative storytelling in the capital region is supported, for the first time, by funding totaling 12.3 million euros.

• 12.3 million euros of funding for games, XR, serial formats and media events
• More game funding than ever before: MBB takes the top spot in federal state funding with a funding volume of over 5 million euros
• The volume of applications has doubled in comparison to previous years: the media industry is on track for growth
• Forecast: new flagship events for the capital region

Berlin / Potsdam - Strong content, strong industry, strong numbers! Medienboard’s New Media Funding enjoyed a successful year, with this business sector providing double-digit million funding for the first time: in 2023, 12.3 million euros were awarded to 115 projects! 5.3 million euros were allocated to games (including XR games), securing MBB’s spot as the number one gaming location in a nationwide funding comparison. 1.4 million euros went to projects from the innovative audiovisual content sector, as well as 3.6 million euros to serial formats.Media events / locations received 2 million euros.

Helge Jürgens, MBB Managing Director for New Media Funding: “The volume of applications has, with 20.2 million euros, more than doubled in comparison to last year, and the number of applications continues to rise. The demand for funding is increasing, especially in the gaming and XR sectors – a sign of how much economic potential there is in this field to strengthen the region as media location of the future. Not only as a film and series location, we are now also the number one games location! This boom was supported significantly by the increased funding from the federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg.”

++ Overview New Media Funding 2023

20.2 million euros application amount
12.3 million euros funding amount

Games: 5.3 million euros (incl. XR games with 1.1 million euros)
Innovative audiovisial content: 1.4 million euros
Serial formats: 3.6 million euros
Location measures: 2 million euros 

GAMES

++ Continued and significant growth in the capital region’s gaming industry

• Positive development for the capital region: the gaming industry continues to grow and is becoming an important economic sector within the creative audiovisual industries. Thanks to increased state funding for games, MBB can fulfill the increased need for financing and allocate the highest sum to date – 5.3 million euros.
• The volume of applications for games and XR is also increasing significantly due to the freeze on federal funding applications for computer games. MBB strives to compensate and react flexibly in order to provide a perspective for projects that are directly affected. Working together with the industry, MBB hopes for better framework parameters in the form of reliable funding at a national level.
• As the industry grows, production budgets rise! In both the gaming and XR sectors, an increased number of projects are funded with higher individual sums.
• Examples of funding in 2023 ++ XR games: The narrative single-player VR adventure Selinatakes the players into a little girl’s world of ideas. Fresh talent: MBB is supporting the newest gaming talent with projects from high school and graduate teams, for example: Schrott, One S’More, Deckof Memories. ++ Adventure: Lindwyrm, an action roleplay with gloomy dungeons ‘made in Potsdam’. Lost Legion, a complex open-world survival game in a Roman/Germanic setting.

XR & OTHER INNOVATIVE AUDIOVISIAL CONTENT

++ The capital region’s XR industry cooperates at an international level

• More XR games among the funded XR projects: games are being submitted from the augmented, mixed, and virtual reality sectors.
• Many of the funded projects are international co-productions: skills and resources are pooled in order to open up to international markets.
• MBB also strives to network the industry at an international level. In addition to a long-time cooperation with the Canada Media Fund, New Media Funding gave a presentation at the Venice International Film Festival’s Venice Immersive section in 2023. Alongside federal state booths, delegation trips, networking, and panels, 6 funded XR experiences will participate in official programs and the market.
• Examples of funding in 2023 ++ Art/Culture: to commemorate the centenary anniversary of Franz Kafka’s death: in the XR experience Metamorphosis, based on Kafka’s eponymous novella, users awake one morning to discover that they have transformed into beetles. The interactive VR installation Duchampiana VR, based on Marcel Duchamp’s famous work: “Nude Descending a Staircase, No.2”. ++ Fantasy/Magic: the Flüsterwald (Whispering Woods) interactive novel, based on the successful fantasy book series from Andreas Suchanek.

SERIAL FORMATS

++ New technology and innovative formats

• Regarding new technology, MBB is always looking to the future: The Digital Media Production program supports projects that place a special emphasis on new production technologies. As a result, projects such as Wingspanwere created in the virtual production studios in Babelsberg, with a record funding sum of 595,000 euros.
• Funding examples in 2023 ++ Fresh talent:Wingspan: arkanum pictures is a start-up created by graduates from the Babelsberg Media University.++ Gender Equality/Diversity: In the RTL dramedy series Von einer, die auszog, das Fürchten zu lehren (From one who went forth to instill fear), a house maid who goes on the hunt for sexual offenders becomes a superheroine. ++ Daily Soap: Klinikum Brandenburg (Brandenburg Hospital), a new daily soap ‘Made in Berlin-Brandenburg’ is ready to roll out.

NEW FLAGSHIP EVENTS FOR THE CAPITAL REGION

++ A flagship event for every area of funding #MBBGefördert

• Games Ground was successfully funded and launched in 2023: the first edition of the gaming festival for businesses and consumers brought together over 1,000 industry experts and over 2,000 gaming fans at the Alte Münze event venue in Berlin.
• A new international series festival as well as a new XR event in cooperation with re:publica are ready to launch in 2024. As part of the Media Track of re:publica, MBB will once again organize its own reception, with the goal being the interdisciplinary networking between various players in the media industries, politics, and stakeholders in the capital region. 2024, here we come!

PRIZES & AWARDS

++ Games, XR, serial formats: success with festivals and awards worldwide (selection)

• 4 awards for the capital region at the German Computer Game Awards:Abriss – Build to Destroy, Die Magische Bretterbudenburg (Magical Shack Castle), Beholder 3, Best Studio: Paintbucket Games
• INDIE CUP GERMANY: 2 awards for The Darkest Files (Paintbucket Games)
• Gaming without Borders Award: 1 award for Sibel’s Journey (Food for Thought)
• Apple App Store Awards: 1 award for Finding Hannah
• Venice Immersive (Venice Film Festival): 1 award for Emperor
• Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards: 1 award for Crime Scene Reeperbahn: The Contract Killer
• First Steps Awards: 1 award for Clashing Differences (A little. film production)

REPAYMENT

++ Games, XR, serial formats: also economically successful

• The RTLZWEI channel youth series Wir sind jetzt (Producers at Work) recently paid 266,000 euros back.
• Four Berlin games studios paid back roughly 370,000 euros as part of #GamesSpringBerlin: Randwerk Games Cooperative for Abriss – Build to Destroy, Crafting Legends for Death Trash, Point Blank Games for Stray Blade, and Maschinen-Mensch for Curious Expedition 2.

ALL FUNDED PROJECTS 2023

++ Astro & Blob, Hannahs House, Lindwyrm, Lost Legion, Night Divides the Day, Selina, Duchampiana VR, Flüsterwald Interactive Novel, Human Within VR, Metamorphosis, Haus Kummerveldt Staffel 3, Wingspan, Der korrekte Diener, Klinikum Brandenburg, The Wagner Brothers, Von einer, die auszog, das Fürchten zu lehren and much more

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO SEE AND PLAY

++ The Wagadu Chronicles, Abriss - Build to Destroy, Driftwood, Finding Hannah, Stray Blade, Emperor, Aufwind, Berlin 2037, From the Main Square, The Soil of the Namib, Clashing Differences, #racegirl - Das Comeback der Sophia Flörsch, Haus Kummerveldt, Loving Her and much more

OVERVIEW NEW MEDIA FUNDING 2023