Leipzig and Gamescom go head-to-head

Organisers of the new Gamescom event have brought forward the inaugural show’s dates, pitching the Cologne expo directly opposite the Leipzig Games Convention, MCV can reveal.

Gamescom is now set take place in Cologne from August 19th to 23rd – the exact same dates as those already announced by GC organiser Leipziger Messe.

Originally the show was set to take place in early September ’09, however Gamescom organiser Koelnmesse has told MCV that supporting companies in the BIU, Germany’s ELSPA-equivalent trade association, wanted the event take place at a more convenient time to ensure strong public attendance and industry support.

Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of the BIU, described Gamescom as an event that "belongs to the entire industry" in a statement sent to MCV.

It’s not yet known what, if any, Leipziger Messe’s reaction to the news will be – although having a near-identical and BIU-backed video game trade and consumer fair taking place elsewhere in Germany at the same time clearly puts pressure on the long-running show. MCV has contact Leipzig’s organisers for comment.

In recent weeks momentum behind Gamescom has grown further – it has already been confirmed that the trade portion of the event will include a game developers conference, put together by former Leipzig GC Developers Conference organiser Frank Sliwka.