Background information
Indie game Schedule I counts nearly half a million players – but what’s it about?
by Debora Pape
10 years Gamescom: From die-hard gaming event to festival for the masses
15.8.2018
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Back in 2009, Gamescom took place in Cologne for the very first time. Meanwhile, it has grown into the world’s biggest trade fair with over 350,000 visitors. Director Tim Endres gave me some insight into how a gamer-only event has managed to put its spell on an entire city.
These days, you’re no longer confined to your own four walls if gaming is your passion. In Switzerland alone, numerous new events have popped up over the last few years. They include Fantasy Basel, Zurich Game Show and Suisse Toy Digital. And they all have one thing in common: celebrating games. But even if you put all of them together, they’re no match to Gamescom in Cologne – the world's largest games fair.
Source: Flickr/Harold R Cologne
After a move from Leipzig to Cologne in 2009 and a name change from Games Convention to Gamescom, it was all uphill: More visitors, more exhibitors, more events. Today, ten years down the line, the event is not only the most important one in the European trade but has long turned into an international magnet for gamers and manufacturers alike.
Tim Endres, director of Gamescom, has played a key role in this success story. He has been there from the word go and massively contributed to making the ambitious vision reality. «Along with our focus on creating an international event and increasing visitor numbers, we also set a high bar for the location. Our aim was to infect the whole city with the gaming bug», Endres tells me on the phone.
If you’ve ever been to Cologne’s city centre during Gamescom, you’ll know his vision has turned reality. As soon as you leave the train station or exit the motorway, it’s hard to miss the giant billboards advertising the latest games and giving you a taster of the upcoming event. For a week, Cologne morphs into a mighty gaming Mecca.
Source: Flickr/Tim Bartel
From gaming event to festival for the masses
The common gamer (homo ludens) is no longer the only species drinking from the games trough. This massive media event attracts visitors from over 70 countries. This year, the number of exhibitors hit the 1,000 mark. However, on a surface spanning 200,000m2 (around 28 football fields), it’s not just about gaming. There are family areas with a bike circuit, header table tennis, skateboard contests and a cosplay village that hosts the most elaborate outfits. And the list goes on.
«Back in the day, Gamescom was essentially a gaming fair. Meanwhile, it’s been increasingly festivalised and attracts a much wider audience», Endres explains. This is also because the fair has expanded beyond the fair's grounds. In 2016, even Cologne Cathedral was part of Gamescom and turned «Partydome» for the event. The unusual venue was packed with 50,000 visitors immersed in electronic music and marvelling at the elaborate lightshow during a DJ set by Blank & Jones. Naturally, this changed the public perception, Endres explains: «Gamescom is on everyone’s lips – gamer or not.»
Not a second E3
Initially, it appeared as if Gamescom might push E3 from the throne as most important games fair. The Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles has been in a deep crisis since 2006. Its temporary move to Santa Monica turned this hyped media event into a total flop. Perfect timing for Gamescom’s new start in 2009 and a great chance to turn it into the new platform for news from the industry.
According to Endres, however, this was never the aim: «I’m not comfortable with this comparison.» He emphasises that Gamescom is positioned differently. While E3 only became accessible to the public one year ago, Gamescom was a consumer fair right from the start. And not an exclusive place for Sony, Microsoft and Co. to hold their annual media events.
Source: Flickr/Tim Bartel
With visitors and exhibitors on the rise, so are the challenges for the organisers. Managing hundreds of thousands of gamers is a Herculean task in itself. «Worldwide, there isn’t a single fair that is comparable to Gamescom in terms of duration and visitor numbers», Endres says. Having your finger on the pulse is vital. «From VR to mobile to e-sports. We’ve always managed to spot topics and trends early on and incorporate them.».
On 22 August, Gamescom is opening its doors for the tenth time. The vision from back in the day has become a reality and the next ten years look promising. To keep up its reputation as leading European gaming event, Gamescom needs to stay innovative and flexible. In times of increasing digitalisation, where every event and trailer is streamed, it’s questionable if people are still willing to queue up for hours. But Gamescom is a sum of its parts. As long as the mixture of fun, games and festival is right, the masses will most likely keep flocking to Cologne each year. In any case, I’m about to burst with anticipation waiting for Tuesday (media day), when the clock strikes 9 a.m. and I can step into the buzzing and blinking hall once again.
Header image: Image: Flickr/Harold R Cologne
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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