Gamescom managers talk record-setting 2023 convention and the “hybrid” future of gaming events

Speaking to NME, organisers behind Gamescom 2023 have discussed last month’s record-setting event and why in-person events will remain important for the games industry going forward.

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While exact attendance numbers for Gamescom 2023 are yet to be confirmed, Tim Endres, director of Gamescom at Koelnmesse, confirmed that this year’s convention “surpassed pre-COVID shows and hit new record highs in several areas”.

Endres added that Gamescom 2023 involved more exhibitors from a wider variety of countries, received higher views with the convention’s digital program, and offered “more exhibition floor space than ever before”.

The director attributed last month’s success to “Gamescom’s uniqueness” in the visitors it draws. “We’re bringing together everyone from all around the globe – gaming fans, trade professionals, big and small companies, politicians, press, creators, scientists and many more,” he explained. “All of them get what they want and need at Gamescom. And thus, the potential for shared success is huge.”

While other in-person gaming events like E3 have struggled to return from their breaks caused by COVID-19, Christian Baur, director of Gamescom and events at the German Games Industry Association, says they used the pandemic to “significantly expand our digital offering and thus our international reach”.

This set up the convention for its return in 2022 and larger presence last month. Baur is a major champion of in-person events within the games industry, and says that Gamescom is a good example of their importance.

“Games are a digital and above all social and emotional medium and experiencing them together with others is always something special,” said Baur. “The best example is Gamescom: Opening Night Live, which we organize together with [host] Geoff Keighley as one of the top international shows in the games industry. The show is great fun every year. But having an audience on site is simply even better – both for the audience in the hall and for the audience worldwide.”

“And that applies to Gamescom as a whole,” he continued. “Meeting other gamers, trying out new games together, talking about them and experiencing games with all senses is simply much more fun than being able to experience all this only online. Exhibitors can also achieve much more through strong promotions on-site, which are then expanded online: here you achieve a completely different emotionalisation and brand loyalty which also remain a fond memory than if your game is simply the 25th trailer in one of dozens of livestreaming shows.”

Looking ahead, Baur says Gamescom management is “firmly convinced that the future [of games industry events] is hybrid,” a mix of on-site activities that “bring people together and inspire them,” while catering to a wider audience online.

We were on the ground at Gamescom, and checked out everything from Persona 3 Reload to Stalker 2 and Life By You – check out our news and previews from the convention here.

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