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At a ceremony in Berlin on August 31, 2023, the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Artists' Social Insurance was celebrated. As the German government pointed out, the Artists' Social Insurance is a unique social and cultural policy achievement in Europe. Freelance game authors also benefit from this.

The "Game of the Year 2023" is Dorfromantik by Lukas Zach and Michael Palm (Pegasus Spiele), and Challangers! by Johannes Krenner and Markus Slawitscheck (Z-Man Games) was chosen as the "Connoisseur-gamer Game of the Year 2023". The "Children's Game of the Year 2023" award went to Mysterium Kids by Antonin Boccara and Yves Hirschfeld (Asmodee).

The Game Designers Association (SAZ) is pleased to announce the founding of SAZ Nederland, its second foreign group after SAZ Italia (2017). This was the logical consequence after the membership in the Netherlands had developed positively in the last years.

On June 03/04, 2023, the 41st Game Designers Convention took place in Göttingen. More than 350 people came to the Lokhalle, prototypes were presented at 180 tables and reviewed by more than 80 publisher representatives.

At its general assembly in Göttingen on June 2nd, the SAZ elected a new board: Hartmut Kommerell as Chairman, and Markus Hagenauer and Rita Modl as Vice Chairmen.

The Jury "Spiel des Jahres e.V." association announced this year's nominations and recommendation lists on May 22, 2023. Three games each were nominated for "Spiel des Jahres 2023", "Kinderspiel des Jahres 2023" and  "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023".

Filmmaker Luca Bitonte and game expert Andrea Angiolino dedicated this documentary to game designer Alexander Randolph on the occasion of his 100th birthday in 2022, based on interviews with game authors, illustrators, publishers and experts who met and collaborated with Randolph.

The Initiative Urheberrecht (Authors’ Rights Initiative) represents over 40 associations and trade unions in Germany. It warns against AI-generated products that directly intervene in social life and calls for clear and fast regulation in the planned European AI Act.

Over 300 people were present at the event. IDEAG celebrated with great success the 18th national meeting organized by SAZ Italia that took place on 1st and 2nd April in Parma. The 75 tables were intensively used by the more than 160 registered authors and the 22 present publishers.

Klaus Teuber was one of the most important German game designers. Four times he received the coveted prize Spiel des Jahres. With the game Catan, he created an entire world, which became one of the most successful export hits of "German Games" worldwide. Klaus Teuber died on April 1, 2023 after a short, serious illness.

Leading German creative associations have expressed their concerns about the current development of AI systems in a first position paper, emphasizing the value of human creativity and making a number of demands for regulation.

A group around the German blogger and YouTuber Stefan Gust (Digger) has announced a game with the title "Unfinished Business" as a crowdfunding project, which not only according to our opinion, but also according to that of many online commentators, is to be considered a plagiarism of the game BIG DEAL by Brent & Jeffrey Beck. Now Brent Beck himself comments.

Plagiarism seems to be booming. The German game author Anja Wrede reported on BoardGameGeek about a Chinese plagiarism of her game "Karla Kuchenfee", which was first published in 2010 by her own publishing house Edition Siebenschläfer.

Time and again, game publishers try to obtain blanket permission for changes to the game (work) in their contracts with the game authors, without requiring their consent. This is not permitted and contradicts the defined author's moral rights – at least in the German Act for Intellectual Property Rights (UrhG).

The 18th Italian Meeting of board game authors organized by SAZ Italia will take place on 1st and 2nd April, 2023 in Parma at the Parma e Congressi Hotel. Registration for authors, bloggers, and playtesters will open on March 1st, while publishers can already sign up. More details at www.idea-g.it.

Today, the Game Authors Guild welcomed its 600th member, a game designer from Salzburg. This speaks for our successful work as a consistent representation of our interests.

In the video, Reiner Knizia introduces his listeners to the world of a game author and describes the path from the initial idea to the finished game. In the process, he gives a clear vote for analog games in which people sit together at the table and have fun.

In Billy Langsworthy's interview with Jens-Peter Schliemann, we get interesting insights about collaborations, how toys can also influence game development, and the development process for "Magic Mountain".

After a two-year Corona break, the International Game Designers' Convention, originally based in Haar, will take place at the Spielwarenmesse on February 3, 2023. As a B2B platform, the event offers an intensive exchange between game designers and game publishers from all over the world.

 

Standardized metadata in the Directory of Available Books (VLB) is intended to increase the visibility of games in the book trade and open up additional sales channels. In order to classify analog games according to a uniform system for the first time, game publishers, scientists, booksellers, and IT service providers have worked together.

100 years ago today, the pioneer of modern game designers, Alex Randolph, was born in Bohemia. His passion belonged to chess, but games like Twixt, Tempo kleine Schnecke, Sagaland, Hol's der Geier and Rüsselbande made him famous. In 1991, he was one of the founders of the Game Designers Association (SAZ).

This comprehensive article highlights the revenue structures in the board game industry: publishers, producers, distributors, retailers, the state, authors, illustrators and translators. Based on a sample calculation, the individual participants are then presented in detail.

Zoom Out Media presents "The Game Designers" and highlights the work and stories of five board game designers. Industry luminaries Antoine Bauza and Matt Leacock share their origin stories and also give a look into their latest projects

Link to the Video

 

In addition to a review of the past months, the participants at the GM on Friday, February 14, 2022, focused in particular on the intended adjustment of Ravensburger's contract and the handling of author rights at HABA and its subsidiary Heldbergs.

If you want to know something about card games, you need the web portal "Pagat" - at least that's what Synes Ernst (former chairman of the jury Game of the Year) says in his blog "The Player". Behind "Pagat" is the now 72-year-old British mathematician John McLeod, who has been involved with card games since his studies in Cambridge. 
 

Luca Borsa has been nominated by the members of SAZ Italia, the Italian group of the international association of game authors, as the new speaker, taking over from Paolo Mori.

The organizers of the Nuremberg Toy Fair have announced in a press release, that due to the strong increase in the omicorn variant and the associated increase in booth cancellations, the stationary Toy Fair 2022 must be canceled.

Spielwarenmesse eG will take over ownership of the International Play Days SPIEL event on January 1, 2022. The previous orientation is to be retained.

The coalition agreement of SPD, BÜNDNIS'90/DIE GRÜNEN and FDP defines in the section cultural and media policy: "Analog games shall be able to be named in the collection catalog of the German National Library." In the coming months and years, SAZ will therefore do everything in their power to find a practical solution and hope for further support.

SENET is a new independent print magazine from England about the craft, creativity and community of board games. The magazine promotes board gaming as an art form. Each issue includes previews of the most exciting and intriguing upcoming games and features on the creative processes behind them, among other things.

The event, which was previously based in Haar near Munich, will in future be held on the Friday in the Saal Brüssel hall at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. The relocation of the International Game Inventors' Fair to the Spielwarenmesse is intended above all to strengthen the international aspect.

„Spiel des Jahres 2021“ is MicroMacro: Crime City by Johannes Sich (Edition Spielwiese and Pegasus Spiele),  the award „Kinderspiel des Jahres 2021“ wins Dragomino by Bruno Cathala, Marie Fort and Wilfried Fort (Pegasus Spiele). Paleo by Peter Rustemeyer (Hans im Glück) was chosen as "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2021".

Initiated by SAZ, an international group of game designers with members of Spiele-Autoren-Zunft (SAZ), members of Société des Auteurs de Jeux (SAJ) as well as of not organized game designers, have created a Code of Respect and Responsibiliy during the last months.

At its SAZ general meeting on June 18, the SAZ elected its three-member board for the first time in a digital general meeting: Hartmut Kommerell as Chairman, and Markus Hagenauer and Katrin Abfalter as Vice Chairmen.

The Model License Agreement published by the SAZ in 2020 led to discussions among publishers and a request for clarification. Our position paper on the participation of game authors responds to this request, explains in detail the author rights and content-related reasons, and provides practical examples.

On June 12 th and 13 th 2021, the Game Designer Meeting 2021 will take place in virtual form at which the announcement of the winner of the German Scholarship for Young Game Authors will also be made. A tutorial will already be offered on May 14 th 2021.

The event is cancelled again this year due to the Corona pandemic. In consultation with the publishers, the SAZ will endeavor to create online presentation opportunities. The German Scholarship for Young Game Authors  will be held this year with the help of online elements.

On the basis of recent events, the Game Designers Association emphasizes that it has been working against any kind of discrimination and for a culture of tolerance since its foundation. An international working group is now to draw up a "Code of Respect and Responsibility" and put it up for discussion.

Spielwarenmesse has published a digital product preview on January 25, the presence fair was postponed to July. Unfortunately, it is noticeable that almost all publishers do not mention the names of the game authors in the description text. Exceptions we found only in the German version: moses. and Schmidt Spiele.

In SAZ Talk No. 1, we looked back and opened the door to 2020, but also the door to 2021.

The board of SAZ has decided to make its new model License Agreement for games available not only to SAZ members, but to all interested game authors/designers and publishers. In this way, we want to help ensure that fair conditions for game authors are enforced as widely as possible.

Historical board games are enjoyed by people from all walks of life, but their designers are predominately white men. The Zenobia Award hopes to change this by encouraging game submissions by people from disadvantaged social groups.

For years, the Spiele-Autoren-Zunft (SAZ) has been working to have analog games included in the collection catalog of the German National Library. Today, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) group in the German Bundestag has submitted a motion to this theme.

"A wonderful initiative", with these words Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the " Games Café of Generations" in Bavaria. It received the special prize in the nationwide Startsocial Competition to strenghten voluntary commitment in Germany.

Instead of the physical trade fair SPIEL in Essen, which we all miss, the eagerly awaited experiment with SPIEL.digital will start from 22 to 25 October 2020 with more than 400 exhibitors from all over the world presenting themselves in 17 theme worlds.

The game inventor Tim Walsh explaines in this video the roots of UNO, which was sold estimated 150 million copies. Cincinnati Barber Merle Robbins and his son Ray designed 1971 one of the most popular games in the world, and gave people so much fun.

The Illustrators Organization (IO) in Germany has sent an open letter to Pegasus Spiele about the announced "Pegasus Illustrator Day". In this letter the request for free services is criticized. The Game Designer Association (SAZ) considers this criticism to be justified, ...

The Game Designers Association (SAZ) has launched a new service on its website with the section "Publisher Profiles". Game publishers can introduce themselves there in short form with their focal points and search fields for new games and give contact information.

As the new manager of Spiele-Autoren-Zunft e.V., Hans-Peter Stoll (46) will take over a large part of the responsibilities of Christian Beiersdorf (71) as of August 1, 2020. However, Christian Beiersdorf will continue to work as a consultant for copyright issues and public affairs in the management.

The Jury "Spiel des Jahres" announced today the winners for the Spiel des Jahres (PICTURES) and of the Kennerspiel des Jahres (THE CREW).

The Spielwarenmesse® published on its website a summary of the activities surrounding the planned House of Games as an essential part of Nuremberg's application to become European Capital of Culture in 2025. The German Games Archive Nuremberg remains a central element.

Unfortunately, in accordance with the City of Göttingen, we are forced to cancel the event due to the Corona pandemic and the foreseeable regulations for protection against new infections.

Experts and scientists from all over the world discussed board games as drivers of change in education and society; the possible potential of games to become a core medium for both informal and formal educational contexts; and studies showing that board games make people more intelligent.

In this special tribute issue, we honor the person who is the greatest American game designer in terms of both quantity AND quality – a combination impossible to beat: Sid Sackson. The World of Games has lost a true titan. Judging from the reactions around the globe, gamers around the world know this all too well and he is greatly missed.

The competition PREMIO ARCHIMEDE 2020 is announced by studiogiochi in Venice and it concerns the creation of new, original boardgames. In the past, it has helped more than 40 authors in making the dream of having their game published comes true. Participation is open to singles or groups, with no age or residence restrictions.

At the general meeting on the eve of the Game Designers Convention in Göttingen, the previous board of SAZ was re-elected. With approx. 350 participants – including approx. 170 Game Authors and 80 publishing house representatives – the Game Designers Convention in the new location LOKHALLE was a complete success.

In Germany, the Game Designers Association (SAZ) has asked the Germany parties CDU/CSU, SPD, B'90/DIE GRÜNEN, FDP and DIE LINKE to comment on the demand to tax ALL cultural assets and artistic services uniformly at the reduced VAT rate. Most of the responses we received were positive.

The Dutch website spellenmaakgilde.net published an interview with the manager of SAZ, Christian Beiersdorf – introducing himself and the Game Designers Association to the audience in the Netherlands.

The winners of the Hippodice game author competition 2019 have now been announced. The Lithuanian game author Andrejus Avchimovičius convinced with his game "Time Strategy" and got the 1st prize. Antoine Noblet won the 2nd prize for "Streets of Chicago", Amir Salamati the 3rd prize for "Fly or not?

In the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deepmind is a leading research and development laboratory belonging to Google. The researchers chose the card game Hanabi as the ideal game to consider how to incorporate the 'Theory of Mind' into Intelligent Agents.

Board games are becoming more and more popular. But who makes all the games that drive this industry? And how are all these games designed, developed and finally presented to the public? You'll find the answer in "The Game Designers" – the (nearly finished) documentary that focuses on game authors!

The Italian meeting of the game designers reach new records of participation. About 200 authors were present at the 15th edition of the Italian game designer meeting the 12th and 13th of January at the Hotel San Marco in Ponte Taro, in the province of Parma. During the event, 400 new prototypes were presented and tested.

At the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, the Game Designers Association welcomed its 500th member, a game author from Berlin. This growth is not limited to the German-speaking countries but takes place internationally. This speaks for our successful work as a consistent representation of our interests. 

The rights and conditions for various forms of digital exploitation are becoming increasingly important. This is also shown by a lawsuit by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, whose books were used as the basis for digital games. After a long dispute, a settlement was reached.

Uwe Rosenberg's "Bohnanza" - in Amigo's program - was recently plagiarized several times and was offered in a modified design on Kickstarter. Amigo proved this in detail and criticized it in a press release. There was nothing to be heard of legal steps such as a warning.

Some members of the Spiel des Jahres jury have launched the initiative "Spielend für Toleranz" (Playing for Tolerance), which has since been joined by many game bloggers and game websites.  The Game Designers Association (SAZ) supports this campaign ...


The German Spiel des Jahres jury announced its decisions for the Spiel des Jahres and the Kennerspiel des Jahres in Berlin. Game of the Year is AZUL

Recently, a campaign was launched on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter for a new edition of Alex Randolph's classic TwixT, which has since been cancelled after repeated criticism on the platform. However, the initiator Wayne Dolezal of Lil' Cerebral Games still wants to publish the game in the USA.

More than 70 German associations of the cultural and creative economy – including the Game Designers Association (SAZ) – are appealing to MEPs to support the Legal Committee's recommendations for resolutions on the planned EU Copyright Directive.

The 37th Game Designers Convention, organized by the SAZ and the City of Göttingen, ended on Sunday, June 3 with a positive result.

The Jury Game of the Year has announced the nominated games for its three prize categories as well as the games on the recommendation lists. There is also a special price.

The subject matter is the game NEXTPRESS, for which Karsten Adlung was also responsible as author and referred explicitly to EXPRESS by Reiner Knizia. This game has been in the program of Adlung before.

More than 300 participants have already registered for the Game Designers Convention on June 2 and 3 in Göttingen. This event is a perfect platform where game designers can present their prototypes to representatives of more than 26 game publishers and agencies. The event is fully booked in the meantime, the registration closed.

Currently, the publishers send the license statements for the last billing period, mostly for the second half of 2017. Despite all the joy of the upcoming payments, we recommend from actual experience to check these statements very closely.

At this year's Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg, the SAZ and the IO appeared for the first time as partners with the Spielwarenmesse in the GamesCafé and informed about their organisations and their interests in the toy industry. The focus was on the often missing mention of authors in the online trade.

The so-called "bestseller paragraph" (§ 32a German law of IP) provides for the subsequent participation of an author if the original remuneration is in a "conspicuous disproportion" to the income. On the basis of this law, the cameraman has now been awarded an appropriate remuneration.

In Italy, a national group of the Game Designers Association (SAZ) was founded in October. This is the first regional group outside of Germany and gives a strong signal for a better international presence of the advocacy group of game author.

For this demand, SAZ and German game publishers have submitted an application in the section Socio-Culture and Cultural Education in the German Cultural Council. Games are a valuable cultural asset and have a high social significance. Facilitated access is worthy of promotion.

A spectacular takeover is underway in the toy industry. Rumors are being celebrated on the stock exchange. However, what this will mean for the market and the future supply of analogue games in a merged group will only become apparent later on.

At the gamescom 2017 in Cologne, the representatives of five parties expressed their support for the promotion of the digital game culture. We now confronted CDU, SPD, DIE LINKE, B'90/DIE GRÜNEN and FDP with our demands for the promotion of the analogous game culture.

Kingdomino by Bruno Cathala (Pegasus Games) was voted "Game of the Year". EXIT by Inka and Markus Brand (Kosmos) received the award "Kennerspiel of the Year".

The famous game author Wolfgang Kramer is celebrating today, June 29, 2017, his 75th birthday. The SAZ congratulates him cordially and honors him by awarding the honorary membership.

At this year’s General Meeting in Göttingen on the 9th of June, the SAZ elected a new three-man Executive Board: Hartmut Kommerell as chairman, Stefan Kloß as deputy chairman and Markus Hagenauer as treasurer.

The 36th Game Designers Convention in Göttingen on the 10th and 11th of June 2017 can announce a participation record with more than 300 registrations this year.

The German Jury Spiel des Jahres announced their three nomination lists for 2017 and – in additon – for each category a recomendation list with further games.

After the termination of the contract to Reiner Knizia EXPRESS, Adlung Games launched in autumn 2016 NEXT PRESS with the author stating "Karsten Adlung" – promoted by the publisher expressly as a further development and as "The new EXPRESS".

With the complete redesign, an optimized structure and additional service offerings ... be curious!

The PREMIO ARCHIMEDE 2018, organized by studiogiochi in Venice (Italy), is a competition for unpublished board games. Further, some special prizes will also be awarded. The entry fee is May 31st, 2018.

World renowned game designer Dr. Reiner Knizia informed us that he will continue the family of games known by titles such as EINFACH GENIAL or INGENIOUS, under the new brand name AXIO. This is motivated by a legal dispute with Sophisticated Games in England.

The Game Designers Association (SAZ) lost its founding member and first chairman of the board (1991–1993). The games designer and book author Hajo Bücken died on 30th December 2016 in Berlin at the age of 72.

On June 3, 2011, the eve of the Game Designer Meeting in Göttingen, the Game Designer Association (SAZ) held it‘s general meeting. At the regular end of the term, a new executive board was elected: As new members join Harald Mücke, as 1. Chairman and Dr. Michael Feldkötter as 2. Chairman. Christian Beiersdorf was reelected as treasurer.

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