GamesCom 2009 pulls in 245,000 attendees

Premiere of the Cologne-based games convention sees unprecedented turnout, pulling in 42K more than its 2008 Leipzig predecessor.

Two years ago, Germany's Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (German Federal Association for Entertainment Software) announced it would secede from Leipziger Messe's yearly Games Convention and would form its own Cologne-based summit, GamesCom, in 2009. One of the reasons it gave was that the convention's host city, Leipzig, was too small and inaccessible for a popular international venue. The organization argued that the East German city barely housed the 185,000 attendees in 2007. With 245,000 attendees at the premiere of GamesCom this year, the record-breaking crowd would be enough to congest most any metropolis.

The PlayStation 3 Slim leaves its emblematic mark on Cologne.

The PlayStation 3 Slim leaves its emblematic mark on Cologne.

Today, the BIU announced the convention--which included 458 exhibiting companies from 31 countries--is now the "largest game trade fair in the world," with an additional 100,000 people attending GamesCom-related events outside the trade fairgrounds. By comparison, last year's 2008 Games Convention in Leipzig attracted 203,000.

Following a standoff between the BIU and Leipziger Messe that ended in January 2009, the latter canceled its Games Convention and launched a new show titled Games Convention Online, which focused on mobile, casual, and browser-based games. The premiere expo ran from July 31 to August 2 and pulled in 43,000, according to the organizers.

GamesCom 2009 saw the announcement of the long-rumored PlayStation 3 Slim and Microsoft's role-playing sequel Fable III. The convention also handed out its own awards for showcased games, with Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty winning best-of-show all around. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves won among console titles, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks won for mobile games, Aion won for online titles, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 won among PC games. The BIU also announced that GamesCom 2010 will run from August 18-22 next year.

For more information on GamesCom 2009, be sure to check out GameSpot's convention coverage.

27 Comments

  • fahd511

    Posted Aug 26, 2009 4:12 am GMT

    جميل وانا اخوك جميل

  • NuKkU

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 5:51 pm GMT

    thats great Gamescom was great i hope to see it every year

  • chaisemon

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 8:19 am GMT

    i wish these kind of conventions to happen in every country.

  • Alexi_Leki

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 6:08 am GMT

    i went this year and wouldn't go again, if you cant speak german then dont bother since everything is 95% german. Massive queues to get to play a game or see a trailer.

    Also they are racist at least towards english people, after the show me and my mate tried getting into some of the night clubs in the city and were not allowed in with the reason "no english" lol

    maybe they are still bitter about losing the war? heh

    They have good public transport though once you step around the 100's of homeless people.

  • aaaaaa12

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 4:32 am GMT

    uncharted 2 and starcraft ROCKSSS

  • Gothika707

    Posted Aug 25, 2009 4:01 am GMT

    GAMERS UNITE!!!!!!!

  • mmahawkinz

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 10:51 pm GMT

    i diddnt read ne of that. its way to long so im gonna type a pointless message going on about nothing and itz probly gonna make all of you read this and when you get to the end itz gonna make you say wow this dood has no life at all talking about random dumb stuff and taking time out of his day to do this? what does he do all day? drink beer and type pointless messages on a game website? well no. that not what i do at all, ya i drink but occasonly and i work dureing the day thankyou. i have a job and when i get off i sometimes type **** out 4 no reason...........im hi how r you doing to day lol.

  • yixingtpot

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 7:58 pm GMT

    nice to know there is still interest there... the main problem with gaming should be solved now that Sony is poised to take their rightful place on top of consoles at least. The more PS3 gains market share, the more developers will get off their lazy dvd filling butts and move onto Blu-ray level gaming experiences. Plus, we need more Japanese styled high level games, which are nowhere to be found now. The Last Guardian will be the first when it comes out. MGS4 was a let down in many ways. Things have been pushed to far into PC/MS style shooter gaming. True creativity and more imaginative use of PS3 power if sadly lacking in most current gen games.

  • brian_13un

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 5:30 pm GMT

    The Horde has arrived

  • glimpus

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 4:24 pm GMT

    I don't really care about going to any of these events myself. I'm perfectly fine with the media reporting any significant findings to us.

    I can wait for a game to be released to demo/play it. Less spoilers that way.

  • phil-_-meh

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 4:23 pm GMT

    Great games con this year, with good news (For Sony), and awesome games

  • snoopy248

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 4:08 pm GMT

    I would be there if I knew of GUILD WARS 2 being there! ;D

  • Pete5506

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 4:07 pm GMT

    wow thats alot of people

  • Xan4toX

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 3:33 pm GMT

    What an army lol

  • UnknownForm

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 3:20 pm GMT

    Glad to hear that so much gamer's came,and that it was a sucess,might even be bigger next year.

  • DanC1989

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 2:57 pm GMT

    If only it was in England! Biggest market in Europe and we don't get a half decent games show.

  • Forza69

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 2:48 pm GMT

    Nice I wish I could of attended this event. Oh well maybe next year.

  • poodeek

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 2:30 pm GMT

    ahhh Someday they need to have a gaming convention in Amsterdam. I would totally go to that.

  • LightR

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 2:15 pm GMT

    Awsome, I hope it's even bigger next year.

  • XenoLair

    Posted Aug 24, 2009 2:06 pm GMT

    Nice to hear. Sadly couldn't go there this year but next year... huhu 4 drive and i'm there The E3 of Europe.. or not so E3 since anyone can attend