Sega skips Gamescom for commercial reasons

One of the world’s biggest third party publishers will skip Gamescom this year after a commercial evaluation.

Sega confirmed to news site VG247 that it will be absent from the event – but insisted the move is not intended to reflect on the reputation of Gamescom itself.

“Gamescom 2009 was a very successful show for us and continues to be the most important European event in the calendar,” read a statement from Sega.

“The decision not to show at this year’s event was not down to the location of Cologne and will not mean that Sega will never attend Gamescom in the future, but simply a commercial decision made for 2010.”

Gamescom is widely regarded by the industry as a key trade event, albeit one that takes place a short while after E3. Considering the expenses involved in exhibiting at the LA and Cologne shows, some industry professionals claim that the events calendar simply ain’t big enough for both.

Namco Bandai Partners vice president Olivier Comte recently said it was “clear that the industry will have to choose between E3 and Gamescom, because two events within three months that cost a lot of money for all of the publishers will be too much."

It appears that Sega has done just that, having enjoyed an encouraging E3 this year. However 2010 has presented Sega with enough challenges. The group said in April it was laying off 36 staff in San Francisco and 37 in London, a total 12 per cent of Sega West’s workforce.

Gamescom takes place between August 18-22.