gamescom 2016 New Records in Sight

Over 800 exhibitors are awaited
More country pavilions and exhibitors from around 50 countries
Day tickets for private visitors are now only available for Sunday in the Online Ticket Shop
Strong congress and supporting programme
Around 500,000 visitors are awaited in Cologne during the gamescom week

In a few weeks, the time will have come around again: From August 17-21, the world’s largest event for computer and video games, gamescom, will take place. And the signs for a successful gamescom 2016 couldn’t be better: The organizers are counting on new record results in terms of both the number of exhibitors and the level of internationality. More than 800 companies from the computer and video games industry will present their new products in Cologne from August 17th onward. With exhibitors from around 50 countries, gamescom 2016 is already more international than ever before now and further applications are being received every day. gamescom 2016 is expected to further expand its position as the leading business platform of the games industry in Europe. In addition to the record results, the congress and supporting program is also proving to be first-class. The gamescom license day as well as the Women in Tech Day will also be repeated this year. Great entertainment will be offered on the social media stage powered by BMVI in the entertainment area and families can once again look forward to their own area, family & friends. The demand for day tickets is still unabated: The day tickets for private visitors for Thursday, Friday and Saturday have been sold out in the Online Ticket Shop since the end of June. Due to the strong demand for tickets, the excellent line-up of exhibitors and the diversified supporting program on the grounds and in the city, in total – the gamescom participants plus the guests of the gamescom city festival and further events in the immediate vicinity of gamescom – half a million visitors are awaited.

“The signs indicate that gamescom is on course for success. The number of exhibitors and the level of internationality are excellent. With exhibitors from all segments, gamescom 2016 is once again presenting an enormous range of offers and also convinces in terms of quality. The comprehensive event and conference programme within the Cologne fair grounds, in the vicinity of gamescom and in the city underlines its function as an holistic event. We are convinced that we will offer trade visitors a first class international business platform and our private guests a spectacular gamescom week thanks to the numerous new products of the exhibitors and a strong event prograe. We are awaiting around 500,000 visitors in Cologne for the gamescom week in 2016,” said Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. In addition to gamescom on the fair grounds, the GDC Europe is being held in the Congress Centre East of Koelnmesse, the RESPAWN gathering of game developers at DOCK.ONE, the VideoDays in the LANXESS Arena and the gamescom city festival in the city centre of Cologne.

“gamescom grows from year to year at the same dynamic rate as the computer and video games and the games industry on the whole – and not only in terms of the number of visitors and exhibitors, but also with regards to the multitude and variety of events that take place during the gamescom week in Cologne,” said Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Executive Director of the BIU – German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software, the sponsor of gamescom. “gamescom is not simply a games trade fair, but indeed a 360 degree event, which presents the future of digital entertainment and the digitalisation of our society. It unites entertainment and business in a way that is unique worldwide.”

European highscore: the business area of gamescom

The business areas will once again in 2016 be under focus in Halls 2, 3.2 and 4 and thus on a total area spanning 56,000 square metres. For the first time in 2016, in addition to Activision and Electronic Arts, further exhibitors will be moving into Hall 4.1, including Digital River, Nordic Games and Sandbox. The business area of gamescom is Europe’s leading business and trading platform for the games industry. Following tradition, the partner country – this year Turkey – is strongly represented in the business area. The pavilion of the partner country spans 500 square metres. The presence of Turkey at gamescom is being organised by the Turkish Game Developers Association (TOGED) and ODTU Teknokent. And with a view to further international presentations, the business area is also proving impressive: It is more international than ever before. By the reference date (end of June), pavilions from 25 countries are represented in the business area. Including Belgium, China (Hong Kong), Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Iran, Italy, Korea, Croatia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and USA/Canada. Chile, Columbia, Indonesia and the Philippines are present in the business area of gamescom with a pavilion for the first time.

The diversity of the congress program matches the internationality of the business area. For example, on 17 August, the Trade Visitor and Media Day, the Women in Tech Day is taking place in the Europasaal of the Congress Centre East (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The event is designed especially for women, who work in the computer and video games industry or who would actively like to get involved in this industry in the future. The Women in Tech Day combines lectures and workshops with networking. The gamescom license day is also being staged in the Congress Centre East from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. License holders and experts from all over the world will meet up at the dialogue platform in order to discuss current developments in the field of licenses and IPs (intellectual properties).

entertainment area: Games and more

Among the many gaming fans, the sweet anticipation for gamescom rises every day. Because, together with their friends, they can test the latest games highlights live for the first time and experience the numerous events at gamescom and in the city from 18 to 21 August. In Halls 5 to 10 and on exhibition space spanning 137,000 square metres, the exhibitors will present the latest hardware and software releases, all important blockbuster titles and hundreds of premieres. The following overview shows which exhibitors have already confirmed their participation at gamescom and where they can be found:

Hall 5 (among others):
Cool 2U, ESET, expert AG, Game Legends, GIGA-BYTE, MIFCOM, Sennheiser, World Cyber Arena

Hall 6 (among others):
Crytek, Electronic Arts, Gameforge 4D, Perfect World, Take-Two Interactive, UBISOFT

Hall 7 (among others):
Blizzard Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment

Hall 8 (among others):
Amazon Germany, astragon, Bandai Namco, BETHESDA, Grey Box, Kalypso, Konami, Microsoft, Nordic Games, Roccat, Wargaming, Wingracers Sports Games

Hall 9 (among others):
Deep Silver, ESL Arena, INTEL, Nintendo, Oculus, Square Enix, Twitch, Warner Bros.

Hall 10.1 (among others):
Bigpoint, Creative Labs, Daum Games, HTC, INDIE ARENA BOOTH, Samsung, TeamSpeak, Techland, Twitter, YouTube

Hall 10.2 (among others):
Youth Forum NRW and various universities (gamescom campus)

family & friends:
Activision with Skylanders, Crytek, Electronic Arts, Fender Musical Instruments, UBISOFT

In addition to spectacular games highlights and product presentations by the exhibitors, the comprehensive supporting programme at the fair grounds and in the City of Cologne makes the ‘gamescom experience’ perfect. For example, the social media stage powered by BMVI (The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure) is offering an interesting programme in Hall 10.1 with bands, let’s plays or the award ceremony of the gamescom award on Friday, 19 August at 6:00 p.m.
New this year: the cooperation partner YouTube is streaming all content from the social media stage live. Those, who aren’t on site themselves, can follow all appearances and award ceremonies live on the official gamescom channel ‘mygamescom’. Furthemore, for the first time this year, the outdoor area behind hall 8, P8, will be used by gamescom’s partner, Red Bull for, among other things, the Red Bull F-Fighters FMX Show, during which spectacular stunts will be shown twice daily. All information on the (supporting) programme is available at www.gamescom-cologne.com under the section ‘for everyone’ – events.

gamescom week: A city celebrates the games

For five days, from 17 to 21 August, Cologne is celebrating the games – at the fair grounds and in the city. In the vicinity of gamescom, the trade fair visitors can look forward to numerous events on the theme of gaming and entertainment – in one city and always in the direct vicinity of the Cologne fair grounds. Following tradition, the gamescom week kicks off in Cologne with the Game Developer Conference Europe (GDC Europe). The biggest developer conference in Europe takes place at the Congress Centre East on 15 to 16 August. A further industry highlight for developers, trade visitors and students, the ‘RESPAWN gathering of game developers’, is also being staged on 15 and 16 August, just one kilometre further away, at DOCK.ONE in Cologne. A further major event, which can be reached on foot from gamescom, and which will additionally attract tens of thousands of visitors on 19 and 20 August, is Europe’s largest get-together of YouTubers: the VideoDays. At the gamescom city festival, thanks to numerous stages, campaign stands and the Street Food Festival, the city centre of Cologne will be transformed into a three-day festival landscape from 19 to 21 August. In total – the gamescom participants plus the guests of the gamescom city festival and further events in the immediate vicinity of gamescom – half a million visitors are awaited during the gamescom week.

Supplement: Current ticket overview (status as of 30 June 2016)

The advance sales for gamescom, that is open to everyone from 18 to 21 August 2016, are in full swing. After the day tickets had already sold out for the Saturday of the trade fair in mid-May already and the day tickets for the trade fair Friday have already been sold out in the Online Ticket Shop since mid-June, the day tickets for private visitors for the gamescom Thursday have also been sold-out since the end of June. An overview of the current availability of tickets:

Thursday, 18 August 2016: day tickets sold out* There are still some tickets available at Saturn – only while stocks last. Afternoon tickets will be available on-site at the fair grounds.

Friday, 19 August 2016: day tickets sold out* There are still some tickets available at Saturn – only while stocks last. Afternoon tickets will be available on-site at the fair grounds.

Saturday, 20 August 2016: day tickets sold out* There are still some tickets available at Saturn – only while stocks last. Afternoon tickets will be available on-site at the fair grounds.

Sunday, 21 August 2016: only a few thousand day tickets are still available in the Online Ticket Shop – expected to sell out very soon. Remaining tickets available at Saturn – only while stocks last.

Family tickets: Saturday sold out. Thursday, Friday, Sunday available. Reserved and limited amount. Please note the conditions of eligibility for the purchase of family tickets.

Trade visitor tickets: trade visitor tickets are available for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the Online Ticket Shop.

* Afternoon tickets: the afternoon tickets will presumably allow admission from approximately 2:00 p.m. onwards. Admission is dependent on visitor circulation, i.e. the volume of visitors leaving the fair grounds. Queues must be expected

Nathan Stevens

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I have always enjoyed playing video games and am a programming team lead for a video game company. I co-founded Gaming Cypher because I enjoy the gaming community and would like to provide the best news service around. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will make sure to get back to you quickly.