Germany’s game market is the biggest in the EU, and the trends in that country are usually indicative of global patterns. 2021 was a big year for gaming in Germany in more ways than one. With the pandemic causing lockdowns, most Germans stayed at home. Internet usage skyrocketed, with a massive rise in online gaming and gambling activity. Gambling became more restricted, while gaming streaming became even more popular. Some games were more popular than others while in-game purchases and hardware sales lead to the growth of the sector.
The national regulator has taken the lead to look closer in the loot boxes, while Internet providers might get off the hook easier in cases where their customers are pirating protected material such as PC games. The second point might change a lot in the country where a lot of Internet infrastructure is closed compared to other countries due to restrictive laws on who is responsible for misbehaving online.
In July, the Interstate Treaty on Gambling finally came into force, completely overhauling the country’s regulations surrounding online casino games, poker, slots, and sports betting.
The new laws have given a boost to some igaming operators, while others have struggled, but the overall effect of the new laws has been to move a lot of gambling offshore. Now that customers are offered more protections they don’t seem to want them and search for free spins bonuses on websites such as Casinopilot24.
When it comes to PC gaming market which grew 21% only in the first half of 2021, the games that were most bought were:
1. FIFA 22
Unsurprisingly, EA’s superlative football simulator remains at the top, a position held for several years already. FIFA 22 was released only at the start of the fourth quarter of 2021 but takes the crown nonetheless. The game has undergone some significant changes from the previous version, and not all for the better according to many reviewers. One of the most significant additions is the option to create your own club from scratch in career mode.
2. GTA V
Almost a decade after it was first released, the most expensive video game ever to be developed remains incredibly relevant. This title jumped two places from the previous year, perhaps elevated by the release of GTA: The Trilogy towards the end of the year. That date was supposed to be the release of GTA V for Xbox Series X and PS5, which has now been pushed back to March 2022. GTA VI is slated for a late 2023 release.
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Holding on to third place is the perennial racing favorite, released in upgraded form for the Switch in 2017, having previously been available only on WiiU. 2022 is the thirtieth anniversary of the Mario Kart series, but Nintendo is not marking the milestone with Mario Kart 9. Instead, there is a booster course pack due to having its first installment in March, which will double the size of the game with 48 new courses spread over two years.
4. Farming Simulator 22
Simulator games are having a moment, likely influenced by the extensive periods of lockdown over the past couple of years. Even so, the leap of Farming Simulator 22 into fourth place comes as a bit of a surprise, since the previous version ranked fifteenth in 2020. The self-published title from GIANTS Software has always split opinions, with detractors pointing to perceived flaws in the game physics, and the lack of instructions.
5. Minecraft
Is this the most popular video game of all time? With 600 million registered users, over 140 million of whom are active monthly, Minecraft is a phenomenon that keeps getting more popular year on year. The game appeals to all ages, and the fact that it is suitable for children is partly why it has such a following. Despite being kid-friendly, the average user is in their mid-20s.
6. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Bowser’s Fury is a bonus campaign that adds a lot of value to the already popular Super Mario 3D World. With an open-world structure and high-quality graphics, the bonus is a fully realized mini-adventure. For the main game, the content remains pretty much the same as it was, with the added bonus that co-op mode is now available online as well.
7. FIFA 21
While many gamers rushed out to buy FIFA 22, the previous version still sold well across 2021. In fact, according to most reviewers, this is the superior version of the two. The improvement on FIFA 20 is much more pronounced than in the latest update, although this clearly hasn’t had a massive impact on sales as FIFA 22 still takes the top spot overall.
8. Mario Party Superstars
Mario’s final entry in the top ten is this nostalgia-filled title, released in October 2021. Everything in the game is pulled from previous versions, so it plays like a greatest hits reaching all the way back to 1998. The older games have been updated to modern standards without losing the old-school feel that players are looking for. At the moment there is a slight lack of playable characters, but this is certainly something that Nintendo can add for future updates.
9. Ring Fit Adventure
Proving that it has longevity beyond just a passing trend, the fitness game Ring Fit Adventure enters the top ten from two positions below the year before. Following on from previous exer-gaming offerings from Wii Fit, Nintendo added an extra aspect to getting fit with a well-thought-out role-playing game. Despite the added expense of the ring hardware, players in Germany have taken to the fitness game with enthusiasm.
10. Call of Duty – Black Ops Cold War
Tumbling from fifth position in 2020, this installment of the Call of Duty franchise struggled to compete with many of its sister titles. Rated lower than 2019’s Modern Warfare, Black Ops Cold War only just beats Vanguard into the top ten, despite the latter having its release date in November 2021.
