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Gamescom is the biggest gaming event in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors – from developers and publishers to gamers and cosplayers – to Cologne, Germany every single year.
What each of those visitors needs and expects from a show like Gamescom, though, is different, and in a fast-paced industry like video games, those needs and expectations change rapidly. Because of this, Gamescom’s organizers, Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association, have had to adapt quickly to meet the requirements of attendees.
In an interview with DBLTAP, German Games Industry Association managing director Felix Falk spoke at length about the need to meet attendee requirements, and all the organizers have done to keep up with an ever-changing industry. Some of that has seen the introduction of live events for those watching along at home, such as Gamescom Opening Night Live, which was implemented in 2019 with the help of The Game Awards’ Geoff Keighley to help bring the excitement of Gamescom to everyone – not just those who can afford to travel to Germany – while also acting as a starting point for attendees.
“Every year we have to react to a very dynamic games industry, which is stressful for the team, but we love it because we stay dynamic and we keep on track with the industry,” Falk told DBLTAP. “That’s what’s needed to fulfill the expectations of the industry … With COVID and the digital showcases, we experienced that the expectation for Opening Night Live has changed, so now people are showcasing and then the next day you can actually play the game, or you have the follow-up developer talk, where you go into a deeper experience of the title or something.”
There’s no denying that it’s been a rough few years for the games industry, though. The last three years have seen mass layoffs from across the industry, from small studios and publishers to some of the big players, like Microsoft, Sony, and more. Because of this, many developers who would have attended Gamescom have been left in the lurch, so Gamescom’s organizers came up with a way to make sure everyone who wants to attend still can.
“You’ve seen the layoffs and studio closures in the past two years,” Falk said. “There were tough times for the games industry, so we came up with a program, starting last year, for unemployed people from the industry who are able to get free tickets, for example. If the industry needs it, we build it into gamescom.
In same the interview, Falk also said that there’s “maybe no need” for a US version of Gamescom, saying that most of the industry already shows up at its various events across Europe, Asia, and South America.
The post Gamescom Co-Organizer Details How They React to a Volatile Games Industry appeared first on Newsweek.
