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Games Convention Online 2011 taken offline
Games Convention Online, the anemic competition to the behemoth that is Gamescom, will not occur this year -- or, likely, ever again. The organizers of the Leipziger Messe said that despite support the past two years, the show was unable to find a "firm financial footing." The GCO was a reactionary show created to fill the void left in Leipzig when the industry made Cologne its new home for an annual European mega-show. In its first year, GCO attracted 43,000 attendees, but the following year it went trade only and no figures were announced. Gamescom 2011 is ready to rock Cologne again from August 17 - 21.
Games Convention Online decides to go trade only
Games Convention Online in Leipzig, Germany will not be open to the public this year, as event organizers decided this week to make it a business forum. A Leipziger Messe spokesperson stated that the "number of registered public exhibitors was insufficient" to satisfy the interest of visitors "whose past experiences bring them with high expectations to Leipzig." Overall, the convention is allegedly "bigger" this year, with 30 companies planning to attend -- three more than last year. Games Convention Online, which had 43,000 attendees in 2009 during its inaugural year, was Leipzig's way of staying on the gaming map after Europe's über convention moved to Cologne, Germany and became the wildly successful GamesCom. This year's business-only Game Convention Online will be held in July. Members of the public interested in playing games can head over to GamesCom in Cologne when it returns this August.
Next 'Games Convention Online' set for July 8-11 in Leipzig
It appears that Games Convention Online has justified its existence for a second year, as the show will take place July 8-11, 2010, at the Leipziger Messe in Germany. The inaugural show last year drew in 43,000 attendees and organizers have added an extra day for more breathing room in the schedule to accommodate "business talks." Games Convention Online was Leipzig's way of staying on the map after it lost the mega European games convention, which became GamesCom in Cologne. That show brought in an astounding 245,000 attendees its first year.
Games Convention Online brings in 43,000 offline visitors
The revamped Leipzig games convention, now Games Convention Online, welcomed 43,000 attendees in its inaugural year. That's not a bad turnout for a show entirely devoted to online, browser and mobile games. For the sake of comparison, the attendance was still higher than this year's 41,000 at E3 '09 (which, to be fair, is not open to the public).Games Convention Online plans to return next year and, according to a survey taken during the show, a little under 90 percent of exhibitors plan to return. Perhaps by next year the show will hit its projected target of 50,000 attendees. Now, all eyes turn to Cologne, Germany, where Gamescom kicks off in a couple weeks.[Via Big Download]
Games Convention Online logs into existence today in Leipzig
The Games Convention Online kicks off today in Leipzig, a mere shell of the once mighty Leipzig Games Convention that was previously held in the location. The new show is designed for online games, featuring browser, mobile and MMO games. The event expects ... 50,000 attendees?! Wow, that's more than the 41,000 at this year's E3. It may be a reduction of its former self, but that's still a big number. Games Convention Online runs through Aug 2.The big boys of video game publishing have thrown their Euros behind Cologne's Gamescom, which kicks off next month -- only at that time will we find out if it'll take Leipzig Games Convention's 200,000 attendees with it.
Ensidia and Method to compete in Ulduar timed run
Live PvP competition is old hat. 2009 appears to be the year of PvE (if you ask me, every year should be that year). At the Games Convention Online, in Leipzig over the weekend of July 31 – August 2, two of the strongest PvE guilds in the world, Ensidia and Method, are competing in a timed run of Ulduar. It's going to be on 10-man, which is kind of strange, given that most people (and especially hardcore raiders) seem to think of the 25-man version as the "real" version of the raid. Maybe they wanted it to be easier for spectators to follow the action. Points will be awarded for killing end bosses of a "zone" faster than the other guild, with points increasing from zone to zone. I'm guessing that by "zone" the press release refers to the Siege, the Antechamber, the Keepers, and the Descent into Madness, but the translation is not perfect - I could be wrong. The Ensidia/Method matchup is going to be on August 2nd; as a prelude, two German guilds (Irae AoD and For the Horde) are going to compete on the same event on August 1st. Apparently the raids will be streaming live on allvatar.com, although I can't really get very far on that site - WTB English translation. Does anyone know if it will be free to watch or not?
Ex-SCEE boss Reeves to keynote Games Convention Online, physics symposium
Choosing to title it "Schrödinger's Cat and Heisenberg's Dog: The Change from Offline to Online," former Sony Computer Entertainment Europe prez David Reeves will deliver his keynote address at Germany's Games Convention Online, which runs July 31 through August 2. The speech "will provide a view of when online sales of games overtake classic retail distribution," Reeves told Develop.It had been (wrongly) rumored that Reeves left Sony for a gig at APB dev Realtime Worlds, but we now know the hobbies he'll be taking up in his retirement: theoretical physics, quantum mechanics and watching The Big Bang Theory. We can't wait to hear how he manages to work those topics into a talk about online games. (10 bucks says Reeves' friends submitted the keynote's title without him knowing it.)
Leipzig Games Convention dead, long live Games Convention Online
Or rather, GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE as the press release puts it. The Leipzig Games Convention, Europe's premier video games showcase, will be closing its doors in 2009 thanks to competition from Cologne's Gamescom, a new event which premieres this Summer. Gamescom boasts the full support of the industry, which it has snatched from Leipzig's grasp. This includes acting as host for GDC Europe, which had previously been hosted at Leipzig alongside the Games Convention. The Leipzigger Messe isn't done with games, though, as it will play host to a new event this year. Games Convention Online will take part in Leipzig between July 31 and August 2, and will focus on "the most dynamic market in the gaming industry: browser, client and mobile games." An exciting prospect, by all accounts, but we suspect it may not see as great a turnout as Gamescom might. As if the news couldn't get any sadder, Leipzig's CEO Wolfgang Marzin says the industry can come back any time (please!). "If the industry is again in search of a platform for console and PC games and hardware with the know-how of the GC - Games Convention, we will immediately be available."
