Leipziger Messe, Bundesverband für Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware
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.
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the Games Convention was the second biggest gaming event in the world, together with the Tokyo Game Show, later only superseded by Gamescom, which is also held in Germany.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
Year
Visitors
Exhibitors
Professional visitors
Journalists
Exhibition size
2002
80,000
166
3,000
750
30,000m²
2003
92,000
207
3,500
1,300
42,000m²
2004
105,000
258
4,200
1,700
55,000m²
2005
134,000
280
6,200
2,000
80,000m²
2006
183,000
367
7,000
2,400
90,000m²
2007
185,000
503
12,300
3,400
112,500m²
2008
203,000
547
14,600
3,800
115,000m²
Games Convention Online
Year
Visitors
Exhibitors
Professional visitors
Journalists
Exhibition size
2009
43,000
74
1,000
500
40,000m²
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.[1][failed verification]
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.
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.
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2016)
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.
