More initiatives of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft
De
More initiatives of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft

Three Questions to: Sandra Friedrichs, Streamer and Mental Health Advocate

Sandra Friedrichs had been working in the games industry for years, before starting a new career as a streamer and using her platform to raise awareness for mental health topics. This year she won the title as Vice Miss Germany, which we took as an opportunity to talk about her mission and goals.

(c) Melina Hehemeyer
(c) Melina Hehemeyer

Since 2019, "Miss Germany" has no longer been a "beauty contest." Now it is all about women who take responsibility, are role models, and embody female empowerment. You are an active streamer in the games industry: why is it important to you that female role models in the games industry become more visible? As a streamer, do you feel there are different challenges or opportunities?

I recently posted a TikTok quoting the “Game Verband” study: every second German plays video games and half of all gamers are female. Well, I received comments like these:
“Dish Wash Simulator 2023 Grand Master” – “Show me a girl, who has real skills in gaming“

These comments demonstrate that we need more female role models: We need to break down the social belief of gaming as a "male niche" and develop gaming to a diverse space – as it is already, but not in the eyes of everyone!

As an independent streamer, I am unbiased. Even though my love for cozy games and role-playing games is unquestionable, I consider myself part of the whole gaming industry and want to include all genres in my mission. Sure, I get mocked by some for being a streamer and YouTuber as it is still not a real profession to some, but I don't mind them. I know that my mission is important and as you can see in the cited comments we still have a long way to go.
 

(c) Sandra Friedrichs privat
(c) Sandra Friedrichs privat

Your mission, first and foremost, is mental health awareness (in gaming). Is mental health awareness underestimated in gaming in particular? Why do you think that is?
Mental health has taken up little space in gaming, mainly because gaming has always been perceived as a niche. However, game addiction and, unfortunately due to some developments in the gaming industry, gambling addiction are issues that must be taken seriously and should be educated about. It is not about pointing fingers to anyone, but about the increase of self-reflection and self-awareness. If someone is playing video games 7-9 hours a day and completely turns away from reality, this is problematic and poses many risks for their mental health. This shouldn’t be glorified as a “hardcore gamer”.

At the Miss Germany competition, the winner is supported in founding a start-up or implementing a project of their choice (2023 winner Kira Geiss plans to start a nationwide youth-platform). Why did you choose a "safe space" for gaming communities – what do you want to achieve with that and what are your plans now that the contest has ended?

For me, there are two elements I want to achieve: education and a safe place.

First, I would like to educate with psychologists in the form of content and use the platforms where gamers hang out: Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube. With the experts, I want to address the negative and positive sides of gaming and propose solutions. This will never replace therapy, but it could be an impulse for many people to seek professional help.

Second, I would like to set up a Safe Place within this education series, where users can exchange ideas and tell their stories. In the long run, I would like to build a network with other content creators who share this vision. So that users know immediately: If xy is online or sharing content, I feel welcomed and safe there.
The bottom line is that it's important to recognize the issues and discuss them. That's exactly what I want to achieve.
 

(c) Miss Germany
(c) Miss Germany

Having worked in Hamburg's games industry before starting your own business streaming, what's your view on Hamburg as a games location and gaming city?

First of all: Hamburg is my absolute favorite city in Europe and I'm very happy that so many developers and publishers have settled in this beautiful city. Last year's Polaris alone was a brilliant event for Hamburg as a gaming city, which will hopefully become a long, great success story itself.

Unfortunately, Hamburg is expensive, which I had to experience painfully myself with an entry-level salary in the gaming industry. That's why there should be more local support, so that Hamburg can develop into an even bigger gaming city. It should be possible for everyone to live and work here, and not only for wealthy people that can afford a job in the games market at the moment.

 

More News

Games Lift: Meet you at the top

For its 2023 edition, the Games Lift Incubator launches with a new space, new concepts, five brand-new teams - and with years of experience.

Games Lift Kick-Off 2023 in New SPACE Innovation Rooms

On Monday, September 11, 2023, the official kick-off of the Games Lift Incubator 2023 took place in the new SPACE innovation space of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft.

Road to Polaris - Gamecity Hamburg brings 5 indie games to the convention

From October 13 to 15, Polaris, Hamburg's new community convention dedicated to gaming, anime, manga, and Asian pop culture, will open its doors for the second time.

Recap: gamescom 2023

gamescom 2023 was a blast once again – we met some people we rarely see throughout the year otherwise, made new connections and, most importantly, enabled five studios from Hamburg to present their games at the shared Gamecity Hamburg Booth at the Indie Arena Booth.

Hamburg: The Right Place for Your Next Career Level

Hamburg is home to a vast and growing games industry landscape, with over 200 games companies and roughly 2,450 people working in the games sector. Let’s introduce you to the vast amount of companies, educational programs and resources for reaching your next career level.

How to: Make the most of gamescom 2023

For some new members of the industry gamescom 2023 might be their very first visit at the biggest German gaming convention and one of the most important games events worldwide, while others might appreciate a quick refresher on what's going on at gamescom. It's big, it's crazy and it's a lot of fun! Let's take a look at how you can make the most of it as a business visitor.

Road to Polaris 2023 - Apply until August 28

The community convention Polaris takes place on October 13-15 with a three-day program including gaming, e-sports, anime and manga, cosplay, and content creation. Gamecity Hamburg provides free booth packages for Hamburg-based developers, teams, and studios. This way you can present your games, prototypes and demos to the audience and collect direct feedback from your target groups. Applications are open until August 28!

InnoGames Forge of Empires generates one billion euros in lifetime revenues

In 2012, the Hamburg-based developer studio InnoGames launched their strategy hit Forge of Empires, which is still enjoying huge popularity more than 11 years after release. Now, Forge of Empires has surpassed one billion euros in sales. A huge milestone for InnoGames, which shows that successful games can generate significant profits even after years.

Three Questions to: Tiny Roar on their partnership with AONIC

Tiny Roar has become a small institution here in Hamburg since its founding in 2015, both with their original titles, such as their current project "Wanderful" and through collaboration with other studios. This week they announced their partnership with the Swedish investor AONIC, who is now the majority shareholder of Tiny Roar. We took this opportunity to speak to one of the two founders, Maurice Hagelstein, about what this news means for the studio and its future.

Bigpoint celebrates 20 years anniversary

With titles like Farmerama, Seafight and DarkOrbit Reloaded, Bigpoint has been a leading player in the games industry in Hamburg and beyond and is celebrating more than 20 years anniversary! We took this amazing opportunity to talk with Managing Director Michelle Zou about the company and future developments.

Neurodactics releases math learning app Mambio

2021 the Hamburg math learning app Mambio by neurodactics GmbH was supported with 39,273€ with Gamecity Hamburg's prototype funding and 1,172 360€ from the BMWK and has now successfully celebrated its final app release on June 26.

The five winning teams of Games Lift Incubator 2023

Games Lift 2023: These are the five teams

For 2023, five great teams of Hamburg game developers impressed the awarding committee of the Games Lift Incubator with their exciting projects.

More News
Cookies are used to make this website work and to enhance your experience.

To learn more about the types of cookies this website uses, see our Cookie Policy. You can decide for yourself which categories you want to allow. Please note that based on your settings, not all functions of the website may be available.

Cookies are used to make this website work and to enhance your experience.

To learn more about the types of cookies this website uses, see our Cookie Policy. You can decide for yourself which categories you want to allow. Please note that based on your settings, not all functions of the website may be available.

Your cookie preferences have been saved.