Marika Schmitt From Upjers: “We Are Nowhere Near The End”

Marika, after almost twenty years of upjers: Have you finally had enough of games?

Marika Schmitt: [laughs] Absolutely not! Of course, it can happen that my curiosity wanes a little when I test a tutorial for the umpteenth time during development and know the content inside out. But I'm far from fed up with it. There's just so much variety in our industry and I can play new games all the time because we bring out lots of new games and I also keep an eye on what else is on the market and try out a lot. That's still incredibly fun for me.

... And I've been doing it for over seventeen years. Why don't you tell us what it was like in the early days? What was the start-up period like?

Marika: My husband developed games as a hobby back then. I was also interested in it and quickly realized that there were a lot of people who wanted to play these games, and then I was right in the middle of it. I took care of the community, tracked down bugs, kept the press work going, created graphics. One thing led to another and suddenly the whole thing had become so big that we had to decide whether to go all in or not. It was clear to us that if we wanted to get serious about games, we had to do it differently and turn our hobby into a profession. Of course, that was a risk. But we took it consciously and luckily it worked out.

We spoke to the founding team for the first time back in 2019.

upjers: From ridiculed beginner to serious competitor

What was the gaming landscape like back then and what has changed since then?

Marika: We really started out in our living room back then and weren't involved in the games industry at all. There were still relatively few companies in our field. HandyGames was already active on the market and Travian Games was just starting up, to name just a few. As a browser game developer, we were quite ridiculed at first. Many people didn't consider them to be real games. We first had to fight to be taken seriously. But our games quickly caught on. Browser games and mobile games have become an important part of the German and international games industry. In general, the gaming landscape has developed significantly over the years. Games have become an important economic factor, especially in Bavaria. A lot has also happened in games culture. There are numerous game jams and many community events and games have long been supported by the FFF.

... This is the FilmFernsehFonds Bayern. It has been funding digital games since 2009, making it one of the first institutions in Germany to include games in its funding program. Does this mean that the image of games in society as a whole has changed over the years?

Marika: Games definitely have a completely different status today. Whereas in the past there was often derogatory talk of “daddling” or “gaming” and the typical nerd clichés were conjured up, today we have the same status as an entertainment and cultural medium as, for example, film. We have also worked hard to achieve this in the industry.

As casual games developers, you first had to fight for your place at the table. How has that changed over the years and where do you see the importance of casual games today?

Marika: If you look at who's playing, it's no longer the younger generation, as was perhaps the case in the early days of the industry. Today, everyone has a mom or dad at home who likes to play games. And casual games are particularly interesting for these target groups. In the beginning, the main success factor of our games was that you could play with each other, exchange ideas with others and also compare them. However, development didn't stop there, but has continued steadily. For example, we are constantly working on creating even more needs-oriented offers and simply making it even more fun for people to play - regardless of age and gaming background. And we are nowhere near the end.

... And in the future? How will the market develop?

Marika: A completely new challenge will certainly be the use of AI. Artificial intelligence is already being used to some extent in the gaming sector, but this will have to be completely rethought. Overall, there are always technological developments and innovations in the gaming context that you have to keep up with. It never gets boring and I'm excited to see where the journey will take us.

Marika Schmitt: To captivate players, you need quality

Your zoo app “Zoo 2: Animal Park” has had more than 10 million players since its release, while “My Free Farm” is a perennial favorite. What do you think fascinates people about your games?

Marika: People are always fascinated by games in general. You can build your very own world, test things out and yes, sometimes simply escape to other worlds. Our games are all about creating and managing your own little world. Many friendships are also formed in our games. Overall, there is a positive atmosphere - you can simply relax, have a good time and have fun. We always get this as feedback from the players: They are absolutely delighted when they can look after their animals, for example, and are then rewarded with lovely animations.

The concept of Free2Play is often criticized. Many of these games are free in their basic version, but quickly turn into a money pit through in-game purchases. On your website you write: “In our opinion, free-to-play is the fairest model of all.” Can you explain that in more detail?

Marika: In the past, there was only one model: you had to spend 50 euros or more on a game and you were buying a pig in a poke. Of course, you knew what the game looked like and what it was about before you bought it. But you still had to pay the full price first - at the risk of not liking it in the end. The money was still gone. With theFree2Play concept, you can get a taste of everything and try it out for free. Do I like it? Do I want to play it? And if it doesn't suit your personal taste, you simply move on to the next game. Of course, this also makes it more difficult for us because we have to convince the players that they really want to stick with it. In other words, we have to deliver quality right from the start. Players will only spend money if they feel the game is worth it. I think that's fair. If our games are valuable enough for them, they can reward the work and passion we put into them. And if we couldn't convince them, they haven't lost anything either.

The industry is always struggling with structural sexism. As a woman in a management position, you are rather the exception internationally in the games industry. How do you see the problem? How can the situation for women in the industry be changed?

Marika: I think we need to empower women a lot more. To be more self-confident, but also to make the grievances very loud and clear to the public. We all need to keep addressing these issues and initiate change. There is certainly still a lot to do. On a positive note, many initial steps have already been taken. Many men are now also campaigning for these issues. So: the topic is present. And that's a good thing. Now it's time not to let up, keep at it, be a role model and we must all continue to work together to make things better.

upjers: Up-and-coming talent and a growing community in Bamberg

You moved from Memmelsdorf near Bamberg to Bamberg in the early days. And you haven't left Bamberg since. Why?

Marika: Bamberg is simply a wonderful, wonderful place [laughs]. We are also deeply rooted here. Klaus and I have two children who went to school here. Our employees all came from the region at the beginning and many of them have family here. We didn't want to simply tear them away from their lives and many of them probably wouldn't have gone with us if we had opted for another, larger location such as Hamburg or Munich. We stayed here and haven't regretted it. Bamberg is a good location in many respects and we want to stay here.

Location advantages in Bamberg - can you give a few examples?

Marika: I can think of a few. It starts with the rent. You can live comparatively cheaply in Franconia. In my opinion, it's also very liveable: you're quickly in the countryside, in the most beautiful nature, but also quickly by train to Munich or Berlin if necessary. Bamberg as a city is just the right size for me - you can get everywhere quickly by bike. That's something I wouldn't like in big cities - it can take me three quarters of an hour to get to the office by public transport, depending on where I live. It's much easier in Bamberg. There is also a large computer science and technology department at the University of Bamberg, which attracts a lot of young talent, which is also an advantage for us. All in all, Bamberg is a great place to live and work.

As a visitor with an affinity for games in Bamberg: Where is there something to experience? What is a must-see?

Marika: Apart from all the breweries? There are many, many of them here. In fact, the district of Bamberg probably has the highest density of breweries in the world. But joking aside: just come and visit us! It's best to send us a short email beforehand [laughs]. We look forward to your visit! Apart from that, there is a growing games scene in Bamberg with start-up meetings, game jams and an active community where everyone is sure to find interesting platforms for exchange.