Orientación y participación de la población gitana en los proyectos y acciones en salud

The very size of the German game market alone witnesses to the fact that games are an important part of Germany’s culture.— Stöckmann and Jahnke, 2008a, p. 101

Although it would be a misnomer to imagine that the eurogames now played by hobbyists worldwide are to be found in every German home, Ger- mans do purchase more board and table games per capita than residents of any other country (Curry, 2009). For the most part, these purchases mirror those in other countries in that the mass- market staples produced by Hasbro and Mattel dominate. Still, the broader awareness of games in Germany is reflected in the games aisle of the average toy store that typically stocks a vari- ety of adult strategy games — games that would only find a home in specialist stores elsewhere in the world. Curator of the Bayerische Spiele- Archiv Tom Werneck compares the games market in Germany with that of the United States:

The culture of board games in the U.S. is closely linked to marketing and trade. In Germany you find “Spielwarenhandel,” shops where you can find all kind of toys and games. Furthermore you find well equipped departments with toys and games in all major department stores. Normally you will find sales staff who has at least a good basic knowledge about the games.... There- fore you find informed consumers or consumers who will get a good piece of advice if they ask for it. In the U.S. there is no culture of game critics and you will hardly find a game retailer who knows what’s in the boxes. Market com- munication in the U.S. is done in a different way: TV. Since it is almost impossible to explain a complex board game between 12 (minimum time for a spot) and 30 seconds (whatever exceeds this timeframe costs a fortune) all major producers in the states focus on games which have either a very simple structure which can be demonstrated in a few seconds or they must include a sort of mechanic which can be shown on TV [2008].

The notion that German culture is more supportive of games is borne out by the observations of writers, designers and publishers within the indus-

try. Gaming writer Mario Lanza notes that most Germans consider gaming a “good, healthy pastime” (2006, p. 20) while designer Reiner Knizia offers a similar perspective on the importance of games in the family environment:

You need to understand that playing games in Germany is synonymous with “family values.” It is good to play games and games are quite frequently bought as presents. It’s seen as a very valuable way of spending time together as a family. Children grow up with a natural learning of games and as they grow up they see more and more games and become fascinated with them. I think that’s a culture which is very valuable in Germany and creates a big market for many designers and many game companies [in Glenn, 1999a].

As a result of this attitude, the adult play of commercial board and table games does not suffer the kind of marginalization that is typically seen in other Western countries. Where in the USA and the U.K. board gaming is typically confined to small groups of hobbyists, in Germany the market is far more diverse. Games journalist Rick Thornquist describes the differences through his experience at U.S. and German conventions:

If you go to Origins or GenCon [U.S. conventions] it is mainly a gamer type of convention and you do mainly see gamer geeks, but Essen20_{is not like that}

at all. It’s very much regular people, families, teenagers, kids ... it’s everybody, and it’s amazing to see all these people playing the games that we play all the time.

Because the Germans play games so much it’s really a convention for every- body and not just for gaming geeks [in Alden and Solko, 2004a].

A variety of arguments have been put forward to explain the broader acceptance of gaming within German culture. GAMA21 _{executive director}

Gordon Calleja points to the difficulties of surviving two world wars, sug- gesting economic motivations for pursuing inexpensive entertainment options (in Alden and Solko, 2009b). Games writer Moritz Eggert has suggested that the German predisposition towards gaming stems from a strong culture of hospitality:

Why do Germans like games? I think there are several factors at work here. One is the German concept of Gemütlichkeit [difficult to translate, but, roughly, “hospitality, coziness”], which means that being invited over and spending an evening with your neighbours or your friends is seen as socially desirable [Heli, 2007].

Although such an emphasis on sociability is recognizable in any culture, it is only in Germany, claims Richard Huzzey, that “families savour the latest [game] designs” (2002). Whatever the reason for this sense of appreciation the result, Weiland Freund writes, is that “perhaps no other German cultural industry does as well, in relative terms, as board games” (2005).

It is clear that German culture has a unique relationship with board and

table game play. Not only do Germans purchase more games per capita than any other nation, their cultural value is reflected in the game collections such as those held by the Deutsches Spiele- Archiv, the Bayerische Spiele- Archiv and the Deutsches Spielemuseum. Supported by Spiel des Jahres e.V, Deutsches Spiele-

Archiv in Marburg was created in 1978 as a research center for the study and

documentation of board and card games.22_{Housing one of the largest collec-}

tions of non- digital games in the world (approximately 30,000), the archive also holds a vast library of related literature, including catalogues and brochures, primarily from the post- war era. The archive was established with the following goals:

• Documentation of games development in the German- speaking area after 1945

• Promotion of research and science in the field of games and gaming • Promotion of the game within the family and in society

• Supporting the media in reporting about games (“Deutsches Spiele- Archiv,” 2008)

From these goals it is evident that the organization places a special empha- sis on the connection between gaming and the family, and the importance of promoting this aspect of games through the media. Alongside the Deutsches

Spiele- Archiv is the smaller Bayerische Spiele- Archiv in Haar. Originally estab-

lished to duplicate the functions of the larger archive to insure against loss, the two archives now function independently (Werneck, 2008). Closely related to the archives is the Deutsches Spielemuseum in Chemnitz. Housing 50,000 games from around the world, along with catalogues and documents dating back five centuries, the museum originated in 1986 in Hamburg, moving to its current location in 1994. The museum maintains traveling exhibits that have seen exposure throughout Europe, as well as hosting special events in the city (“Deutsches Spielemuseum,” 2008).