BERLIN and HAMBURG, Germany, February 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --



Online gaming revenue increased 15 percent in one year, reaching 154 million euro for the first half of 2011, according to the German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU). The sale of virtual goods in online games represents the largest and fastest growing source of revenue in German gaming. At this year's Casual Connect Europe in Hamburg from February 7-9, Germany Trade & Invest will have representatives on site to highlight opportunities in social and casual gaming in Germany.

"The framework supporting social gaming has made Germany into a breeding ground for start-ups and content developers. Broadband coverage is at 97 percent and smartphone ownership jumped 50 percent in one year. The solid infrastructure and growing market have made Germany a natural choice for gaming companies," said Julia Oentrich, gaming industry expert at Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin.

The market for virtual goods is expected to double between 2010 and 2012. Growth will likely continue as the number of casual gamers expands. Currently over 17 million Germans are social gamers, roughly one-third of all internet users in Europe's largest economy.

Factors such as Germany's advanced IT-infrastructure and exemplary education system are drawing an increasing number of innovative companies to Germany in order to compete globally. Wooga, a Berlin-based game developer, is now the third largest content provider on Facebook. As more and more gamers go online around the world, companies based in Germany can benefit from these emerging gaming markets as well.

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

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SOURCE Germany Trade and Invest