Gamescom 2011 welcomes 275,000 attendees

Gamescom: Part Drei was another whopper. The premier European gaming event saw an attendance of 275,000, up 21,000 from last year. Despite no major incidents being reported, things did get a bit uncomfortable for organizers yesterday when the Koelnmesse reached capacity and entrance to the event was "temporarily" suspended.

Gamescom 2012 will take place in Cologne August 15-19. Like our roundups of official and unofficial statistics of the past two years, you'll find our 2011 list after the break.

• 275,000 attendees. Breakdown: 21,400 trade visitors (up 2,500) and 253,600 (up 18,500) "end consumers."

• 557 exhibitors from 39 countries (2010: 505 exhibitors from 33 countries; 2009: 458 companies attended from 31 countries).

• Croissants consumed at hotel breakfast: 27.

• Liters of multivitamin juice consumed: 4.

• Number of liters of Kölsch consumed by us: 8 (2010: 1.6; 2009: 6). Number of times "excess" was experienced: 0.

• Number of times we were confused as working for the French magazine: 2.

• Evenings of Turkish take-out (Turkish pizza is amazing!): 3.

• Number of horse images in our hotel room: 10.

• Number of Joystiq Show guests that hung out in our hotel room: 7.

• Number of times we ate at the Bier Esel (Beer Donkey): 3.

• Number of times we had a surly waitress at the Bier Esel, but didn't care because the food was so good: 3.

• Number of times a homeless guy asked us for for cash: 12 (2010: 0; 2009: 8). Number of times we were serenaded while having dinner by men on a bachelor pub crawl: 0 (2010: 1; 2009: 0).

• Schnitzels consumed: 2.

• Attendees at GDC Europe earlier in the week: 2,100 participants, 170 speakers and 300 media representatives.

• Number of times we heard the "German Halo song.": 0 (2010: 1)