More initiatives of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft
De
More initiatives of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft

Games Lift: No expiration date!

This year, Gamecity Hamburg's Games Lift Incubator is doing the same as in previous ones: it's evolving.

As of now, developer teams can apply for the next round of our Games Lift Incubator. This includes not only 15,000 euros in financial support; it also means workshops with renowned experts, opportunities to network, and personal mentoring that caters to each team and each project individually. 

"It is important to us to stay in contact with our teams in the long run," says project manager Margarete Schneider. Keeping in touch with alumni has always been a goal of Gamecity Hamburg. Over the years, the benefits of doing so have become abundantly clear. 

The network works 

One person who can attest to that is Ole Jürgensen – in 2020, he participated in the first Games Lift round, Work on his cute but challenging VR roguelike "Crumbling" is well underway. "I got to meet a lot of good people," Jürgensen attests. It has helped him in all sorts of ways: On the one hand, he says, the exchange with other teams has given him courage and motivation. On the other hand, there were very concrete effects. Roman from "Leif's Adventure" is making a contribution. The knowledgeable colleague from another team was the perfect fit to animate the comics that tell the story in Jürgensen's VR game. 

Ole Jürgensen from Crumbling Games

The workshops mark an intensive three-month-phase at the Incubator’s beginning. They aim to keep each team on the right track for quick progress. Jürgensen is eager to highlight Michael Schieben’s workshop on his Product Field Method. To Jürgensen, the course was "helpful in gaining a new perspective" on his project as a whole and identifying what was essential about it, Jürgensen recalls. Getting his priorities right and re-checking them was essential for him, so that he didn't "get lost in the nitty-gritty." 

Jürgensen has evidently taken his steps in the right order. "Crumbling" is heading for a release later this year. 

A year together

Gamecity Hamburg’s project team is always aiming to enable sustainable success. Even during the Incubator’s runtime, it's about more than networking, money, and workshops. Individual mentoring plays a key role. And it will only grow in importance. Gamecity plans to "intensify" the mentoring of the teams over the whole year, explains Margarete Schneider. "Regular meetings throughout" will help identify challenges and opportunities for support. 

The new measures aim precisely at a challenge that Jürgensen addresses and that everyone who has ever managed a project knows all too well: Keeping an overview, staying aware of the status, and regularly identifying the best steps to take next. Gamecity Hamburg has set up additional assistance aimed at this challenge. Starting this year, a group of five mentors will accompany the teams and provide them with direct and individual support. The meetings will focus on reviewing concept and strategy. 

The group of mentors may be new, but the idea is not. Our Games Lift Incubator was always meant to last a full year, to go beyond the workshop phase. It is designed to give teams a safe space and time to move forward quickly; and to do so in a caring and respectful environment. This year, it will also include a new innovation space in HafenCity, bringing together different sectors of Hamburg's creative community under one roof. We will be able to share more about it in the coming months. 

But developer teams shouldn't wait for that. If they have an interesting project, they should apply. And they should do so now. 

Apply here: https://gamecity-hamburg.de/incubator/

Further News

Games Lift: Team Dottobeau have an eye for emotions

The game feels particularly warm and empathetic – and its team is a reflection of those values. “Dottobeau” is a game about searching and finding one’s own place in the universe. And it demands emotional intelligence.

Road to Hamburg Games Conference 2024: Apply until January 21

For Hamburg Games Conference 2024, Gamecity Hamburg once again opens its Road To program: We offer a number of physical showcasing spot packages for Hamburg-based studios, publishers, teams, and devs. Apply until January 21!

Hamburg Games Conference 2024: First Highlight Speakers

The Hamburg Games Conference will bring the international games industry together on March 5 and 6, 2024 under the key topic of "Invest in Games."

Games Compass on November 16 on "AI in game development"

On November 16, InnoGames and Gamecity Hamburg invited decision-makers from the games and digital industry to network and exchange ideas at this year's Games Compass in Hamburg.

Games Lift: Nenad Slavujevic on calculating chaos

His game idea looks like a well-tuned formula. And he can explain it like a pro. Nenad Slavujevic impresses us in the incubator with strong credentials and a clear plan.

Games Lift: Bagpack Games keep moving

They've been around for a few years now: Bagpack Games have successfully established themselves in the Hamburg scene. Now they are bringing a real eye-catcher of an idea to the Games Lift Incubator.

4 Hamburg Games nominated for German Developer Award 2023

The Deutscher Entwicklerpreis (German Developer Award) 2023 has announced its nominees. With SIGNALIS, EVERSPACE 2, Marble Maze and Misgiven 4 Hamburg games have been shortlisted.

Games Lift: Markus Koepke stays the course

Years of experience have led him here: Alone, on an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean. Markus Koepke's project "Journey Beyond the Edge of the World" in the Games Lift Incubator lures us in with its melancholic vibes.

Three Questions to: Gamelight and their AI-Powered User Acquisition Platform

The Hamburg-based company Gamelight is one of the world's biggest rewarded marketing platform for mobile games. The platform uses AI algorithms to provide User Acquisiton services by connecting gamers and game developers through its game recommendation systems. The platform has won multiple prestigious awards, including "Best AI Tool" at the dottCom Awards. Recently they received the Digiday Technology Award in the category of Best Mobile Marketing Platform, which provided the perfect opportunity to invite them for a short interview to explain their business to us.

Recap: Polaris 2023

The Polaris 2023 was a blast! While it was just the second edition of the games, anime and community convention, the event already pulled a great number of visitors from all over Germany and beyond, resulting in a sold-out event on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to that, the organizers even set a new world record!

Games Lift: Pipapo Games get the joke

Pipapo Games know how to make a concerted effort. The team behind "Map Map" reports to the interview in a bright mood, helps each other out on every question and still manages to take their own plans very seriously.

Games Lift: Meet you at the top

For its 2023 edition, the Games Lift Incubator launches with a new space, new concepts, five brand-new teams - and with years of experience.

More News
Cookies are used to make this website work and to enhance your experience.

To learn more about the types of cookies this website uses, see our Cookie Policy. You can decide for yourself which categories you want to allow. Please note that based on your settings, not all functions of the website may be available.

Cookies are used to make this website work and to enhance your experience.

To learn more about the types of cookies this website uses, see our Cookie Policy. You can decide for yourself which categories you want to allow. Please note that based on your settings, not all functions of the website may be available.

Your cookie preferences have been saved.