Gamescom 2019: Federal Councillor Alain Berset visits Swiss game studios

Federal Councillor Alain Berset is visiting Gamescom in Cologne today, die largest computer game trade fair in Europe. Switzerland’s game development scene is represented there by a delegation of 19 studios. They will be showcasing their latest creations under the label «SwissGames», organised by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.

Regularly attracting several hundred thousand visitors, the Gamescom trade fair in Cologne is the industry’s most important event in Europe. The 11th edition is officially opening today and is scheduled to run until 24 August. Under the label «SwissGames», the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia is showcasing a selection of the currently most intriguing game projects made in Switzerland. Overall, there are 19 Swiss game studios represented in Cologne. Their presence is part of Pro Helvetia’s comprehensive promotion model, which supports designers at every stage of a game’s development and enables them to present their projects at trade events.

Federal Councillor Alain Berset travelled to Cologne to open the Swiss stand. «Games are one of the characteristic forms of cultural expression in the 21st century. They have great potential, both in cultural and economic terms,» said Switzerland’s Minister of Home Affairs in his speech at the opening ceremony. This is why the Swiss government has put games on a par with all other cultural disciplines in its cultural policy statement («Kulturbotschaft») for 2021-2024. What began as individual pilot initiatives is to be transformed into systematic and regular support and promotion. 

For the seventh time already, the Swiss Arts Council has assumed responsibility for the Swiss delegation of game developers at the Cologne trade fair. For Philippe Bischof, Director of Pro Helvetia, the repeated presence of «SwissGames» at Gamescom shows that the Arts Council’s support programmes are having an international impact. «From the start, we focused our support on putting artistic creation in connection with international market access. Swiss games have gained a solid reputation for quality and innovation, which is why they are now successfully establishing themselves throughout the world.»

The Swiss delegation at Gamescom includes the studio «Momo-pi» from Bull, whose game «Persephone» recently won a top 10 Google Play Award at the Indie Games Festival 2019 in Japan and was designated «Best New Game» both on Apple Store and on Google Play. The Lausanne-based studio «OZWE» will also be represented in Cologne. As a start-up specialising in virtual reality games, it was recently bestowed with a European Business Award.

Further details on this year’s «SwissGames» delegation at Gamescom:
https://swissgames.ch/2019/06/06/swissgames-delegation-to-gamescom-2019/

Press Images: https://prohelvetia.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/EqEGGjzGvPhKjj8PGdABl0YBat5dBqFlxqsTj4HK7WcoiA?e=MlLRaS

Media Release by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, 20 August 2018