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Leipzig Games Convention cancelled for 2009
Since 2002, the Leipzig Games Convention has been the predominant European expo for gamers, recently rivaling the Tokyo Game Show as the largest games event in the world. In a move contradicting that success, organizers have just announced that this year's Games Convention will not be held in its traditional form at the Leipziger Messe Fairgrounds. In its place will be Gamescom, which has been backed by Nintendo, Sega and Microsoft. Who could compete with that?You may remember the importance of this Games Convention in recent years to such MMOs as Warhammer Online and Age of Conan. In fact, when AoC's servers merged recently, the EU servers fared a bit better than the North American ones. Not to fret though, as the organizers have announced an online version of the convention called Games Convention Online. "We will be combining the real fair, that is, the offline event, with an online event," says Wolfgang Marzin, Leipzig Trade Fair CEO. "This means that millions of gamers are linked in on the internet and can take part in the Games Convention Online in Leipzig live. The Games Convention Online will host tens of thousands of visitors in Leipzig, and several million in the whole world."
Frank Pearce labels WoW's success as "exhausting"
GamesIndustry.biz recently had an opportunity to chat with Frank Pearce, co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, about World of Warcraft and their other properties. At the Games Convention in Leipzig, Pearce was asked if he found WoW's performance since launch interesting to watch. He doesn't quite say no, but he doesn't say yes, either. "I don't know if I'd describe it as 'interesting' as much as exhausting," he says. He goes on to detail just how much the company has grown, up to 3000 employees worldwide, with 130 people on the WoW development team trying to sate our 'voracious appetite for content.' World of Warcraft is almost directly responsible for that growth.Pearce talks a bit about Blizzard's other franchises and projects, specifically Starcraft II and Battle.net, suggesting a brave new world where World of Warcraft players could crack out a quick 15-20 minute multiplayer round in Starcraft II while waiting for their WoW raid. That sounds like an awesome time to me, but perhaps that's a little too much Blizzard in one evening for most folks. Then again, maybe not!
CCP Games video interview on the Council of Stellar Management
MMORPG.com's video scoop from the Leipzig Games Convention wasn't limited to info on EVE Online's upcoming expansions. They also got some face time with Lead Economist Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson of CCP Games, who discusses some of CCP's projects and initiatives, namely the Council of Stellar Management (CSM). Dr. Eyjólfur shares his point of view on the process of having players interact with the developers on affecting the development pipeline. He also addresses the poor voter turnout in the CSM election, which was not surprising given the general apathy many people have about real-life elections, he comments. The interview largely focuses on Dr. Eyjólfur's experiences with the CSM, but given his role in the company, he also mentioned the economic impact of factional warfare on the market in EVE. More information on this aspect of EVE should be covered in one of his forthcoming Quarterly Economic Newsletters, he says. Be sure to see the video at MMORPG.com if you're interested in seeing more about the Council of Stellar Management and the economics of EVE Online.
Games Convention coming to North America
Following up a very successful year in Leipzig, Germany, it looks like those of us in North America can look forward to the Games Convention in the future. CEO Wolfgang Marzin has announced that they're now planning on bringing the show to North America, likely looking to pick up the slack left in the wake of E3 practically going the way of the dodo."The concept is flexible and the network of the global games industry permits us to be active at different locations," said Marzin. "After the Southeast Asian Games Convention, we are now focusing on the North American market." With a record 203,000 attendees this year, it seems like an easy decision to bring the show to one of the largest gaming markets in the world.
WAR wins the Best Online Game award at Leipzig
The record-setting Games Convention in Leipzig just ended and over 200,000 people are beginning the recovery process as we speak. Not only was this convention a roaring success, it has already been announced for a return to Leipzig next year as well. In addition to this, the awards have been given out for the best games of the show, and Warhammer Online nabbed the Best Online Game award.According to their press release: "The creators of the online RPG legend Dark Age of Camelot, still so successful today, are back with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. GOA squares up to the alpha male World of Warcraft with spectacular visuals, innovative play modi, neat control and an enormous, appealing fantasy world." Our congratulations goes out to the folks at EA Mythic as we (im)patiently wait for September 18th to arrive!
Blizzard interview focuses on Wrath and the changing player experience
As the Wrath of the Lich King expansion gets closer to release, World of Warcraft players have a number of questions about how the game experience is going to change for them as the title moves forward. Co-lead designer Tom Chilton and producer J. Allen Brack spoke with Oli Welsh from Eurogamer at the Games Convention in Leipzig, about where the Blizzard title is now, and where it's heading. The interview touched on how Blizzard will handle instances in the Death Knight starting zone in Wrath of the Lich King, with Brack stating that instances won't actually be used. Rather, a player's environment will shift between different world states dependent upon quest progression. Other highlights of their talk include the design aspects of the hero class, faster leveling, and whether new players can really have the same experience that drew so many gamers to World of Warcraft years ago. Be sure to check out the Eurogamer interview for the full story on Wrath of the Lich King, particularly the Achievement system and how Blizzard feels about its growing competition. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Jumpgate Evolution trailer depicts grand struggle
Fans of the sci-fi MMO genre have been looking for a game that fills a niche in the industry, somewhere between the complexity of EVE Online and the dynamic 'hands-on' starship piloting of many PC and console games. NetDevil might just be creating the title these gamers have been waiting for -- Jumpgate Evolution. Jumpgate Evolution's Games Convention 2008 cinematic trailer is narrated to a series of fleet engagements and dogfights in space. The footage sets the tone for the game's backstory with its conflicts between civilizations, and the struggle for survival against ancient and powerful beings who would 'extinguish their light forever.' You can check out the video after the cut.
Funcom announces Leipzig Games Convention details
This year's Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany should be a big event for Funcom, who will be showcasing new Age of Conan content. Funcom's latest press release states they will be showing attendees new locations, content, and features that will make it into Age of Conan in the coming months. The event will also showcase demos of Blue Orb Inc.'s software which enables gamepad play as well as a look at Matrox's TripleHead2Go, for widescreen gameplay across three screens. Funcom adds that they will reveal the title's forthcoming DirectX 10 features to the press at the Games Convention, so expect more details about the long-awaited features to be announced later this month.
Blizzard showcases in Leipzig Games Convention
The European-gaming savvy among our readers will already be familiar with the Leipzig-held Games Convention. "If a seismograph were installed in Leipzig," says the GC website, "it would probably swing to its limits for four days non-stop in August."Vaneras announced today that Blizzard's going to be once again showcasing at the Games Convention. Not only will attendees be able to try out StarCraft 2 demos, they'll get a chance to play around with Wrath of the Lich King. And, as seems to be standard operating procedure, Blizzard will be providing a "Live Raid" during the show. They've not announced who the Live Raid is going to be, but I think safe money's on Nihilum.The other thing at Leipzig which is pretty cool is that Blizzard's going to have representatives at the booth ... recruiting. They recommend bringing your resume along when you visit the Blizzard booth, and asking questions about what it's like to work for the Big Blue. The Leipzig Games Convention had a few interesting things coming out of it last year, so we might get a chance to hear even more without having to wait for BlizzCon.
Quest for Games Convention: NCsoft EU's own video series
The Leipzig Games Convention is a major event for gamers, not only in Europe, but globally. It's often called one of the largest and most prestigious gaming conventions in the world. So it should be no surprise that the NCsoft Europe team is gearing up for this event in true NCsoft style. Their new mini "web-isode" video series entitled Quest for GC follows the NCsoft Europe staff as they prepare for this gigantic event. Each episode is highly entertaining and stars some of your favorites from the community team, such as Tia "Avatea" Paraurahi and Stephen "Rockjaw" Reid. Be sure to start from the beginning and watch all four current episodes, plus stay tuned to their iTunes RSS feed to catch upcoming videos.
Nintendo not attending Leipzig, may return for Cologne '09
Nintendo has decided to opt out of the 2008 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany; a show which attracts over 150,000 attendees. Website Nintendo Revolution translated the German press release which states the big N will instead focus on local events and a national promotional tour during the second half of 2008. Nintendo made sure to note the decision in not attending is not a criticism of the convention.Nintendo has not made any comment on whether it will attend the 2009 Games Convention when it moves to Cologne, Germany, and turns into GAMESCom. We'll have to see if Nintendo's withdrawal will affect attendance numbers when the Games Convention is held for the last time in Leipzig this August.
Leipzig's Games Convention challenged by Cologne's GamesCOM
In the wake of last year's severely scaled back E3, Leipzig's Games Convention emerged as a strong European alternative for game demos and announcements. That reputation might not lat long, though, as GamesIndustry.biz reports that a major German trade group is leaving Leipzig behind for a new show, Cologne's GamesCOM, in September 2009.While the move has been rumored for a while, German industry association Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware announced only this morning that the new show would effectively replace the Leipzig event. Games Convention owner Messe Leipzig, for their part, released a statement expressing regret and saying that it would be a "harsh blow" for the region. No word yet on whether Games Convention would still try to put on a competing show, but consensus seems to be that effort would be difficult without BIU support.
GC 2007: Leipzig dated, Singapore unveiled
The 2007 Leipzig Games Convention will take place at the Leipzig Messe (same venue as this year) from August 22 to 26, according to GamesIndustry.biz. Additionally, a Games Convention Asia has been unveiled for September 7 through 9 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Games Convention Asia is said to cover 25,000 square meters of floor space, or the entirety of Suntec's facilities. In contrast, the Makuhari Messe (where the 2006 Tokyo Game Show took place) claims 210,000 square meters of space. GC Asia organizers expect 200 exhibitors and 105,000 visitors, which is about 60 percent of this year's GDC (183,000) and 54 percent of this year's TGS. GC Asia 2007 will likely be just a few weeks prior to the Tokyo Games Show, but will its scale prove complementary or competitive to Japan's ten-year-old convention?
TF2 shows its class(es)
We rounded up some GC coverage for you just yesterday, but this Team Fortress 2 video deserves a spot right here on the front page. We know how you hate having to add a whole step to the process by clicking on external links. You demand simplicity, and rightfully so. Thus, here's the video for your viewing pleasure, right on the main page. The game has a really great cartoony quality, reminding us all that not every next gen game has to be Crysis to look amazing. Honestly, we find ourselves at a loss to pin down our favorite class. The Demoman, with his twice exploding time bomb? The super speedy Scout? Then again, the Engineer's auto turret is pretty freaking sweet. How about you? What's your favorite?
Guild Wars Nightfall arrives Oct. 27
NCsoft and ArenaNet have announced that both the standard and collector's editions of Guild Wars Nightfall will be available Oct. 27. If you can't wait that long to begin exploring the new continent of Elona, the pre-release bonus pack ships in three weeks.Achtung! For those of you attending the Games Convention in Leipzig this weekend, be sure to check out the final rounds of the Guild Wars Factions Championships.See also: New Guild Wars Nightfall trailer
The winner of Leipzig? PSP
NOTE: This editorial is the opinion of Andrew Yoon, and does not represent the opinion of PSP Fanboy, Joystiq or Weblogs, Inc.Every video game convention, there's a "winner" of some sorts. It's pretty safe to say that the Nintendo Wii "won" the last E3, proving that waving around our hands can be fun. Not only did the Wii prove that the control scheme works, there was an amazing list of exclusives, from Nintendo's own Mario to third party efforts, like Red Steel. Nintendo wowed the crowd at E3 because of the amazing quality and potential of the games for its system.Did Nintendo pull the big win at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany this year? No. Did Microsoft? No. Sony took the win for this year's show, but not because of a great showing of PlayStation 3 goods (there were none at the show), but because of Konami's absolutely excellent lineup of upcoming PSP games. Yes, you heard me right: PSP "won" Leipzig.
Molyneux: "I'm lazy... motion sensing may be annoying"
All right, so the subject line isn't a direct quote, but it's exactly how many gamers from days gone by feel. Lionhead's Peter Molyneux spoke at the Games Convention, talking about ways to switch up traditional combat games by removing hit points, adding one hit kills (Bushido Blade, anyone?) and more environment-player interaction. Valid points, sort of. An audience member asked how the Wiimote would treat these ideas and he responded thus: "If you wanted to make a big difference, where's the best place to make that difference? I think the controller is definitely it. There's no doubt in my mind that controllers are changing, and they're changing really fast."Good answer, right? He wasn't done. "I've realized I'm an incredibly lazy person when I play games, and actually slouching back on the sofa, playing on my beer belly, is my most comfortable position. When I have to get up, it's painful. I make noises and start grunting." Yeah. Many will agree that sitting in a straight, upright position (let alone having room to stand to move around with your controller) isn't their favorite way of playing games. Basically, the rest of his argument stated that the physical exertion (though little) isn't what gamers want to do for hours at a time. 20 minutes, sure. What does everyone think? If more subtle, creative ways were thought up to utilize the motion-sensitive controllers of tomorrow, is that better than waving it around like a sword for however long a game is? Or do you not mind swinging a fake sword, baseball bat, etc, for more than an hour at a time?
Bloody beautiful Silent Hill trailer [Update 3]
A few hours ago, we revealed the very first footage of the game in motion. Now, Konami has revealed an official trailer from the Games Convention in Germany Konami's Gamer Day, and it is absolutely mind-blowingly beautiful. Comparing the game to Resident Evil 4 seems apt, not only because of the gameplay, but because of the insane quality of the graphics. Watch and be amazed.[Update 1: Footage actually from Konami's Gamer Day, not Games Convention. Also, Gamespot has added two excellent gameplay videos to their site. They seem to feature some awkward hit detection and camera, but hopefully that'll be worked out soon. Check out video 1 here and video 2 here.][Update 2: A video interview with the producer reveals that the playable build is very early, with most everything being placeholders. So, yes... the graphics and the animations are going to be much better. Players of the original Silent Hill be able to experience how the town became the way it did, but the main character of the game is not responsible for it. The town will be a mix of old and new, with two thirds of it being new. The game will be large: "a good size PSP game." The game features 4 vocal tracks, one of them being featured in the trailer.][Update 3: Another video of the game in motion, now featured after the cut.]
New Metal Gear Portable Ops trailer and details
As we promised earlier, a new trailer for the upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops was revealed today at the Games Convention in Germany. As you know, Naked Snake no longer works alone in this mission, which takes place six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. You'll have to choose your allies wisely, and strategically coordinate with them. According to Gamespot, you can even switch control between your four allies by pressing a button. Fans will be giddy to know that the original voice cast is back, including David Hayter who called the script for Portable Ops the best one yet. Also revealed was the downloadable characters feature: you can access different wi-fi points around the world and have characters (either from the story or randomly generated) appear in your game. Wow. How the GPS feature of the game will work hasn't been revealed yet, but let's not forget the game will be appearing at TGS.Once you're done watching the trailer, visit our sister site Joystiq for some more hands-on impressions and a crazy motherload of screenshots.
Silent Hill Origins gameplay footage [Update 1]
PSP Fanboy once wrote: "So how about a port of Resident Evil 4? The new over-the-shoulder camera style would be perfect for the handheld!"Well, we might not have Resident Evil yet, but it looks like Silent Hill Origins will fit the bill just nicely. This first gameplay video (delivered by Playstation Portable.de) leaked from the floors of the Games Convention in Germany doesn't show off any enemies, but it shows some particularly nice graphics (the fog looks great), atmosphere and familiar controls. Hopefully we'll discover more nuggets of gameplay over the course of the convention, so keep it locked in to the Fanboy.[Update 1: According to PSP World, the game will offer "a cinematic experience comparable to the previous games, but framed within interactive moments." That sounds a lot like Resident Evil 4's button-mashing cutscenes to me.][Via IGN Boards]
