The fifth Games Convention Fair took place in Leipzig from August 23^rd to 26^th and closes with a record attendance: 185.000 visitors, 2.000 more than last year, from most different age-groups and social classes. Within the framework of the event the German Cultural Council, the German Federation of Cultural Education, the Federal Office for Political Education, the German Children’s Fund, the Saxon Media Institution, the University of Leipzig and other players organised a two-day training programme on computer games. The participants of the programme were political and association representatives as well as people in charge of cultural education.

 

During the games fair also was published the book “Streitfall Computerspiele” [literally: “The Computer Games Case”], taking up the aroused video games debate between cultural education, artistic freedom and the protection of the youth. Olaf Zimmermann, head of the German Cultural Council, underlines the Council’s intention to deal more intensively with this sector of the creative industries. “The education programme and the book only are the beginning. It is now time to bring the discussion on the distinction of artistically important and minor respecting video games up on the parliamentary level, so that within the Games Convention 2008 we can launch the first national award and support programme for high quality computer games.”

 

Many other European countries are currently taking similar actions, or have already done so; France for example is already one step ahead. But in the end they all need to wait for the final OK from Brussels.

Source: Press release of the German Cultural Council, August 27^th 2007