The development of the national games industry as an economic force is shaped by the regulatory conditions in Germany. The legislative authorities impose conditions on companies working in the games sector relating to, for example, consumer, youth and data protection. The legislators also influence corporate business models by changing legislation in important areas such as taxation law, competition law and copyright.

G.A.M.E. actively participates in the development of legislature and works to achieve an acceptable balance between the interests of the state, developers and gamers. The German Games Industry Association works hard during the development of legislation to convey its targeted information by issuing written statements and involving itself in hearings. The association also holds regular background meetings and is involved in political workgroups and committees in order to promote the industry’s interests to the political decision makers before laws are passed.

However, in view of the cross-border character of the Internet, national regulations cannot prevent the fact that consumers are often exposed to content that does not meet the requirements of German laws, which are considered to be extremely strict when compared to other European countries. That is why G.A.M.E. works intensively to promote media literacy for Internet users and participates in numerous initiatives that teach people how to use the Internet responsibly and educate parents and educational institutions about the Internet. G.A.M.E. is also a joint initiator and shareholder of Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (Self-Monitoring of Entertainment Software, abbreviated USK), which is an independent organization made up of representatives from the various state media authorities that is responsible for computer game ratings in Germany.