Koelnmesse and the German Games Industry Association (GAME) have announced that their annual Gamescom event will go back to having an in-person expo this year.
From 24th to 28th August, fans will be able to explore the Koelnmesse exhibition centre and get their hands on the latest games and upcoming releases. For those slightly more hesitant to visit in-person, an "extensive" digital event will be taking place over the course of the five-day event, so no one's missing out.
The expo will kick off on 23rd August with Gamescom: Opening Night Live, and the digital side of the event will be jam-packed with activities, streams, and events, such as:
- Entertainment area and business area, as well as additional sections, including for cosplay, retro, and indie fans, with the unique festival feeling of Gamescom on-site
- Gamescom shows like Gamescom: Opening Night Live, Gamescom studios, and Gamescom: Awesome Indies with a live audience on-site, as well as streams broadcast on numerous channels
- Bundled Gamescom content on Gamescom Now
- Interactive quests on all Gamescom channels and attractive rewards in the context of Gamescom Epix
- Many cooperative projects with international creators and media partners
Gamescom was originally meant to return as a hybrid in-person and digital event last year, but the organisers changed their minds due to the pandemic. This year, though, many video game expos and shows are bringing back their in-person events — such as the Tokyo Game Show — but are keeping their online elements just as prominent.
The organisers are very aware that the showfloor itself won't be as busy as pre-pandemic times. Managing director of Game (the association of the German games industry, not GAME, the UK retailer) Felix Falk, for example, believes they will not sell as many tickets. However, in comments featured in the Gamescom press release he's optimistic about the showcase:
“So the event is basically the best of two worlds from 2019. It has all the digital parts we developed in the last two years. We have COVID measures already in mind, and because we have six months to go we are looking to the measures that we will have at the end of August. There is still time, but we will decide some things. We are very confident that, together with some measures we already have in place, we can get a really nice Gamescom atmosphere and feeling back.”
Likely as a response to returning to in-person showcases, the organisers have announced a sustainability initiative called "Gamescom Goes Green", which pledges to make the expo a climate-friendly one.
Are you excited by the return of live events? Let us know in the comments!
[source gamescom.global]
Comments 13
Lmao, their name reminds me of the Game.com
I might check this out!
Terrible decision given the fact the Pandemic is still not over. All it takes is one person and we're potentially back to square one again like what happened here in Ireland over the Winter when we had an absolute explosion of cases when the Government reopened the Nightclubs. Christmas Day alone saw hundreds of thousands of people get infected. I mean it could be coming to an end but is it really worth taking a chance for the sake of some stupid gaming event? no I don't think it is.
@RubyCarbuncle
It's even worse considering how less noticeable the newer variants are becoming in terms of symptoms. I guess you can say they are becoming more silent, but more deadly.
@ModdedInkling I mean Omicron is a lot less deadly than the previous variants, hence why a lot of places in the world are pretty much back to 2019 normal or close to that.
And if you are a small developer or publisher, being able to talk to decision makers in person does make life a lot easier
@ModdedInkling Well hospitalisations here are very low now compared to before. It seems to hit elderly people the most and ofc being Vaccinated protects you from severe symptoms.
@RubyCarbuncle
Actually, due to Karneval, it is exploding right now here in Cologne. The incidence rate was finally below 1000 but rose to over 2500 in just a few days
10 bucks that it won't be in person.
@NintendoPete Same here in Austria, but who cares for infections if hospitalizations and deaths remain low? With 75% vaccinated and still that high of infections it's clear that either counting infections is the wrong strategy or the vaccines are garbage. Pick.
@ModdedInkling Thats not how it works usually, when a virus is around for a while and mutates a lot it tends to mutate itself out of existence in time. That's how all pandemics and epidemics naturally end. If something mutates and becomes more effective it's usually because it was deliberately done in a lab.
Think of it this way: YOU mutate all the time. Every day. Mutations usually are kept in check by your immune system. Mutated cells self-destruct. But sometimes, they can develop further, then we call it cancer. Cancer is not good for you. You don't become more effective by getting cancer.
The most dangerous thing about this whole pandemic is the panic and hatred that was spread by media and overzealous politicians. Live healthy, use your brain and everyone will be safe.
I have a saying that this pandemic is still far from over. I overheard that with Covid here to stay unfortunately, that according to ABC News, there's another variant called 'Deltacron' and it only takes one person that's infected with Covid, to start a spread. Sadly we just simply cannot go backwards in time, which is what many companies and governments are doing with Covid now. They are opening up things and lifting many restrictions when in reality this pandemic is not over. It's as medical experts point out, it's 'endemic' meaning that it'll be here to stay.
@RubyCarbuncle You can still get it, it just won't be as severe like being hospitalized or dying from it. Vaccines don't protect you from getting sick with COVID-19. Although everyone is different. I tested negative for it twice and still feel completely fine. Some are different than others.
@KingBowser I know all of this yes. I caught Covid in November 2020 and I felt terrible. Caught it again in September of last year but because I was Vaccinated I didn't feel anywhere near as bad, it just felt like I caught a rather nasty head cold but that's it.
Made a full recovery on each occasion.
@RubyCarbuncle Sorry you had twice buddy! But the important thing is that you're alive! Continue to stay as safe as possible!
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