Six years ago, Marc Bosch ran for mayor of Neufahrn, a small town of 22,000 people near Munich, Germany. He lost, but now he’s running again in an election on March 8.
Since it’s pretty rare to see gamers or even more so game developers involved in politics, I decided to ask him some questions over LinkedIn. It seems to me that the game industry would benefit from having politicians who understand it, and so it will be interesting to see if he wins. He thinks that he gamifies some town processes, people will enjoy it more.
Bosch brings with his political views industry experience in gaming, technology and AI. He wants to give something back, and he has made it a habit of attending local council meetings and asking questions.
The first game he worked on was quailty assurance and programming for the original Far Cry from Crytek. More recently, he worked on Ambulance Life and Legend of Khiimori. his favorite game is an Xbox Original called Black and on the racing side, the original Le Mans 24 hours on Dreamcast.
Bosch ran six years ago, but he noted that this time, the last mayor is not running again and also “people are fed up with no progress after two terms of each six years.”
He added, “I think I will win because I had a very elegant campaign, not trying to win over the people of Neufahrn in the last few weeks before the election but over showing my commitment and engangement over the last decade.”
He is running against candidates from three political parties (Green, Black CSU, Free Voters) but also minors like the Red SPD party and the ÖDP). The main vote is on March 8 and then a possible runoff is on March 22.
Here’s our Q&A.
GamesBeat: Why are you doing it?
Marc Bosch: For more than twelve years, I have closely followed the work of the city council of Neufahrn bei Freising as an engaged citizen. During that time, I repeatedly raised questions around public wellbeing: the need for additional kindergartens and schools, faster planning processes, transparent roadmaps, and better support for local businesses and youth spaces. What became increasingly clear to me was a lack of strategic leadership at the municipal level. Neufahrn has enormous potential: a town of 22,000 people, directly connected to Munich’s S-Bahn (fast public train) network since 1972, and located next to Germany’s second-largest airport “Munich”. Yet much of this potential has never been actively developed.
GamesBeat: What does Munich already do for game companies?
Bosch: Munich and Bavaria are among the most progressive regions in Germany when it comes to supporting the games industry. For 2026 alone, Bavaria plans to invest around €9.4 million (11m USD) in game development, nearly doubling previous funding levels. (Games-)Minister for Digital Affairs Dr. Fabian Mehring sends a strong signal of long-term commitment to all other 15 German states.
At the state level, Bavaria has positioned itself as a leader in games, esports, and immersive technologies. This has helped establish Munich as one of Germany’s most important hubs for interactive entertainment and digital creativity.
GamesBeat: What does the region do?
Bosch: At the regional and municipal level, development has historically been reactive rather than proactive. Major infrastructure investments, such as the S-Bahn connection in 1972 and the construction of Munich Airport 1992, were driven externally. While these developments brought prosperity, they also reduced pressure for local strategic planning. Neighboring cities and towns have since turned those advantages into long-term economic strategies, while Neufahrn has largely left its potential untapped. This is precisely where I see the need for change.
GamesBeat: What does Germany do?
Bosch: At the federal level, Germany has significantly expanded its support for game development in recent years. A multi-year funding framework of €125 million (145m USD) per year until 2030 has been established to strengthen the domestic games industry. This represents a fundamental shift in how games are perceived: not merely as entertainment, but as a cultural, economic, and technological pillar with export relevance.
GamesBeat: What has failed so far in terms of game policy?
Bosch: For a long time, video games in Germany were primarily discussed through the lens of youth protection and violence, rather than innovation, creativity, and economic impact. This led to years of missed opportunities. Policy frameworks were fragmented, eSports lacked formal recognition, and public discourse lagged behind reality. While this has improved considerably, the industry still struggles with bureaucracy.
GamesBeat: What do you think will work?
Bosch: Games are not only an entertainment product, they are a driver of technology and creativity across many sectors, including AI, robotics, healthcare, education, and mobility. Gamification can also play a role in public administration. Making civic processes more accessible, transparent, and engaging. Applications inspired by location-based games like Pokémon Go, could help citizens interact with their city, whether reporting issues, accessing services, or discovering local culture, events & programs.
GamesBeat: Why are you running for office?
Bosch: After years of civic engagement, I decided to take the next step. I have been actively involved in schools, kindergartens, parent associations, and local initiatives, and I have seen how much impact individual action can have. Professionally, I have spent decades in the games industry, working with international companies such as Crytek, Microsoft, and Plaion, as well as building my own game-related businesses. This combination of community involvement and industry experience gives me the confidence to apply structured, forward-looking thinking to local governance. My goal: be the first one to play through all levels of the local mayor’s office, including the endboss: German bureaucracy.
GamesBeat: What do you think the United States should do to help game companies?
Bosch: Games should be recognized as a legitimate art form and cultural asset, comparable to film or music. They are created by highly skilled teams and increasingly influence how societies tell stories, educate, and innovate. Artificial intelligence will play a growing role, but new ideas, worlds, and experiences still originate from human thinking & creativity. Supporting games means supporting that creative foundation and thinktank mentality.
GamesBeat: Why should game companies be given “handouts”?
Bosch: Public funding for games should not be viewed as handouts, but as strategic investments. The games industry creates high-skilled jobs, drives innovation in adjacent sectors, and generates strong export value with relatively low environmental impact. Compared to traditional industries such as automotive or pharmaceuticals, public investment in games remains modest, despite its outsized cultural and technological influence.
GamesBeat: What should every country do for game companies?
Bosch: Every country should treat games as one of its key future industries. That means stable funding frameworks, reduced bureaucracy, access to talent, and long-term planning security. As automation and AI reshape traditional sectors, societies will increasingly depend on creative industries that foster interaction, competition, and meaning. Games sit at the center of that transformation.