Games Convention

The Games Convention (GC), sometimes called the Leipzig Games Convention, was an annual video game event held in Leipzig, Germany, first held in 2002. Besides video games, the event also covers Infotainment, Hardware, and Edutainment. Its concept was created by the Leipziger Messe (Leipzig Fair) in cooperation with Bundesverband für Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (German Federal Association for Entertainment Software) amongst others. The 2010 Gamescon was held August 18 to August 22.

"GamesCon" redirects here. For the trade fair for interactive games in Cologne, see Gamescom. For other uses, see Games Convention (disambiguation).
Games Convention
Official logo
StatusInactive
GenreVideo games
Location(s)Leipzig, Germany
CountryGermany
Inaugurated2002
Most recent2008 (online until 2010)
Attendance203,000 (2008)
Organized byLeipziger Messe, Bundesverband für Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware

With 183,000 visitors, 2,600 journalists, and 368 exhibitors from 25 countries in 2006, the Games Convention was the second biggest gaming event in the world, together with the Tokyo Game Show, later only superseded by Gamescom, which is also held in Germany. By comparison, both the Leipzig and Tokyo shows, where gamers of all ages could visit the show floor, are three times the size of the trade-only 2006 E3 show in Los Angeles. The Business Centre at Leipzig was reserved for professional visitors. In 2008, the Games Convention had a record of 203,000 visitors.[1] The conference took place in a sprawling modern complex of exhibition halls in Leipzig.

To help identify younger visitors, coloured bracelets were handed out to attendees, indicating their age: "12 years and older" (green), "16 years and older" (blue), and "18 years and older" (red). These colours corresponded to the age indicators used by the USK, the German version of PEGI or ESRB.

In April 2011, it was announced that GCO 2011 would not take place.

History
The western wings and central hall of the new Leipziger Messe Fairgrounds. The east wings and business centre are off-camera to the right. The central hall alone has been described as being large enough to enclose a World Cup football pitch.

The Leipzig Games Convention was first held in 2002. In 2005, the convention achieved visitor numbers of 134,000, which had risen to 185,000 by 2007.

The Games Convention was usually held in the last week of August. The Games Convention 2007 took place from 23 August to 26 August 2007. It started one day earlier for press members, exhibitors, and professionals.

In 2008, the Industry consortium BIU announced not to back a Games Convention in 2009 in Leipzig, preferring a newly to be established convention held in Cologne under the name of Gamescom. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are members of the BIU, representing 12 companies.

On 29 January 2009, the Leipziger Messe (Leipzig Fair) announced that in 2009 there would be no Games Convention as in 2008, but a new fair called "Games Convention Online" from 31 July to 2 August 2009. It featured mainly browser games and other online and casual games.[2]

Asian expansion

An Asian edition of the Games Convention, called Games Convention Asia was first held in 2007. It was a yearly convention held in Singapore, starting on 6 September 2007. However, it has since become defunct as of 2010 when it was officially announced that the convention would no longer be held.

Statistics

Games Convention
YearVisitorsExhibitorsProfessional visitorsJournalistsExhibition size
200280,0001663,00075030,000m²
200392,0002073,5001,30042,000m²
2004105,0002584,2001,70055,000m²
2005134,0002806,2002,00080,000m²
2006183,0003677,0002,40090,000m²
2007185,00050312,3003,400112,500m²
2008203,00054714,6003,800115,000m²

Games Convention Online
YearVisitorsExhibitorsProfessional visitorsJournalistsExhibition size
200943,000741,00050040,000m²
2010--630--

International Games Convention Developers Conference

The Games Convention Developers Conference (GCDC) was the largest game design and development conference in Europe, with 950 attendees in 2008.

The GCDC was held in a building in the same complex in Leipzig where the GC took place, typically just before the opening of the main show. During the conference attendees gained ideas and inspiration from the presentation of new tools and methods, and from a variety of sessions discussing both the craft and the business of game design and development. The conference was open to both game professionals, students and press.

As the major European conference, GCDC drew top speakers from all over the world. Presenters in recent years included Bob Bates, Louis Castle, Don Daglow, Peter Molyneux, Bill Roper, Bruce Shelley, David Perry and Will Wright.

2007

Notable speakers from the GCDC 2007.[3]

2008

Press day and press conferences

The Games Convention opened for professional visitors, such as developers and members of the press, one day before the event opened to the public. Many developers and publishers held official press conferences on this day.

Symphonic Game Music Concert
Main article: Symphonic Game Music Concert

As part of the Games Convention, on the evening of the first day of the Games Convention, a grand Symphonic Game Music Concert was held in the Leipzig Gewandhaus. Well-known game music composers such as Nobuo Uematsu, Michiru Yamane, Akira Yamaoka, Jason Hayes, Rob Hubbard, Chris Hülsbeck and Yuzo Koshiro were among those who have attended.

European Nations Championship

The European Nations Championship has taken place since 2004. It is a national team competition, where it determines which European nation has the best e-athletes. The ENC holds events in Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike: Source, Warcraft III, FIFA, Call of Duty 4, and DotA. The final takes place every year in August at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany.

ESL European National Championship
Discipline Winner Second Third
2004
Counter-Strike  Sweden  Austria  Germany
Warcraft III  Sweden  France  Denmark
2005
Counter-Strike  Germany  Bulgaria  Austria
Warcraft III  Sweden  France  Germany
FIFA  Germany  Russia  Austria
UT 2004  Germany  Netherlands  Sweden
2006
Counter-Strike  Sweden  Norway  Poland
Warcraft III  Sweden  Bulgaria  Germany
FIFA  Germany  Hungary  Russia
2007
Counter-Strike  Poland  Germany  Denmark
Warcraft III  Finland  Sweden  Germany
FIFA  Germany  Ukraine  Hungary
2008
Counter-Strike  Sweden  Germany  Denmark
Warcraft III  Germany  Finland  Sweden
FIFA  Poland  Germany  Romania
Counter-Strike: Source  Czech Republic  France  Slovenia
2009
Counter-Strike  Sweden  Germany  Poland
Warcraft III  Denmark  Netherlands  Germany
FIFA  Germany  Ukraine  Austria
Counter-Strike: Source  Germany  France  Italy
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare  Germany  Finland  Poland
DotA  Ukraine  Romania  Bulgaria
Perpetual Medal
Space Land Gold Silver Bronze Total
1.  Germany 9 4 5 18
2.  Sweden 7 1 2 10
3.  Poland 2 0 3 5
4.  Finland 1 2 0 3
5.  Czech Republic 1 0 0 1
6.  Bulgaria 0 2 1 3
7.  France 0 3 0 3
8.  Austria 0 1 3 4
9.  Russia 0 1 1 2
10.  Hungary 0 1 1 2
11.  Netherlands 0 2 0 2
12.  Norway 0 1 0 1
13.  Ukraine 1 2 0 3
14.  Denmark 1 0 3 4
15.  Romania 0 0 1 1
16.  Slovenia 0 0 1 1

See also

References
  1. Gamasutra: Attendance Up For Leipzig’s Games Convention 2008
  2. Spiegel.de: Games Convention Online in 2009 (german)
  3. "Beyond 3D speaker list". Archived from the original on 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
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