Blog - GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE (English) http://www.gamesconvention.com/ All the latest blog posts from the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE Blog, the official Blog of the conference for Browser, Client & Mobile Games. en Blog - GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE (English) http://www.gamesconvention.com/favicon.ico http://www.gamesconvention.com/ All the latest blog posts from the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE Blog, the official Blog of the conference for Browser, Client & Mobile Games. TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:03:00 +0100 GCO-Feeling at the Book Fair http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/03/gco-feeling-at-the-book-fair/ For years, the Leipzig Book Fair has been a red-letter-day, not only for book fanatics but also for... For years, the Leipzig Book Fair has been a red-letter-day, not only for book fanatics but also for Cosplayers. After all, they have their own area in the Comics and Manga section.

This year, all book fans will get a foretaste of the Games Convention Online. In cooperation with ComputerSpielSchule Leipzig (Computer Games School) the GCO will present itself on a corner stand in hall 2. The Leipzig Book Fair starts today and will last until march, 21st.

At stand C203 the ComputerSpielSchule – a Leipzig University initiative helping parents understand computer games – will offer a host of information about games as well as the GCO.

There you can play at PCs and consoles and have your picture taken in front of the GCO wall. Those pictures will then be displayed on our website and you will be able to send them to your friends and family as eCards.

So take an afternoon, come to the book fair (in your costume) and take some information about this year’s GCO for your friends. Oh and there will also be some books to take in at the largest book fair of the season. ;-)

]]> Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:03:00 +0100 Caution! Cylons will conquer your Browser! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/03/caution-cylons-will-conquer-your-browser/ Beware of the red scanner! Cylons will conquer your browser – in an online game just announced by...
Beware of the red scanner! Cylons will conquer your browser – in an online game just announced by Bigpoint!

Bigpoint hit the jackpot: the Hamburg-based company will implement an online game for “Battlestar Galactica”. The game is supposed to be a free-to-play title enabling the user to fight space wars and do other activities. In contrast to the latest one-person space adventures such as “Star Trek Online”, the Galactica universe can be explored in a browser, without additional software installation or purchase. The game will be based on the Unity Technologies 3D-engine.

Rollout is scheduled for late summer this year and we can’t wait. Really!

Bigpoint already does smaller games for various NBC-websites. However, the newly announced Battlestar Galactica game is a large-scale project, which should finally catapult Bigpoint across the Atlantic. Just a few weeks ago, the company opened an office in San Francisco.

]]> Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:10:00 +0100 Single Facebook Female http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/03/single-facebook-female/ Sure, we could make striking and polarizing statements now, exclaiming that it’s utterly eerie and... Sure, we could make striking and polarizing statements now, exclaiming that it’s utterly eerie and unacceptable that women should all of a sudden be the main users of games. But we won’t. We’ll just throw the numbers in your face, namely those presented by a new ISG study (Information Service Group). These numbers are “bad” enough. According to that study, women are the main users of games in social networks.55 percent of social gamers are female. 38 percent of those play several times a day versus 29 percent in men. On average, users of Farmville and similar games are 43 years old. And they are loyal, since women like playing with people they know. Unlike men, who like to play against strangers. After all, who wants to offend his friends by winning all the time (cue hellish laughter)?All in all, the study confirms the general growth trend: this year, revenues from social gaming will increase to about one billion dollars. Source, Photo: kurier.at

 

]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:05:00 +0100 „IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE“ http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/03/its-about-the-people/ Play – with, against and for one another. Online games enable us to play with other people, no... Play – with, against and for one another. Online games enable us to play with other people, no matter where they may be on this small blue planet. However, sometimes it can also be exciting to meet with them outside of voice chat!

In the public area of the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE, everything will be about the community. The community stage will be the ideal place to introduce your guild or listen to interesting discussions. In the community lounge you can meet other players or simply relax.

As in last year’s event, the Gothic guild will play an active role in the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. The German language guild also calls on all guilds, clans and teams to meet up in Leipzig.

“Last year we realized that guild and clan members liked the GCO’s concept of an annual meeting. Therefore, this year, we decided to support the GCO more strongly with the organization of this meeting.” explains Werner Matthiesen, board representative of the Gothic guild.

For that reason the Gothic guild will be open to answer questions of interested players regarding guild and clan life, the organization of your own guild, the website, teamspeak or the meeting organization at the GCO, even before the event. So if you have questions, you can simply send an e-mail to wled (at) gilde-gothic (punkt) de

By the way, more than 250 Gothic guild members have already signed up for the meeting at GCO.

]]> Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:28:00 +0100 CONVENTION for GAMES ONLINE http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/02/convention-for-games-online/ Getting to know you even better. That’s the goal of this year’s GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. For four days in July (July 8-11) the Leipzig Fair will become a place of convention, and never before has the term CONVENTION been taken this seriously. Together with you, the GCO project team wants to put on the biggest online player community get-together of all time!

The team has learned from last year’s experience and removed the separation of exhibition space and community area. In the future, all areas will focus on the most important thing: you and online/mobile games!

From now on, exhibitors will be in the middle of the community zone.
Another highlight is the GCO-Planet world. Silvana Kürschner and her project team have developed last year’s water and fire world concept. This year, exhibitors will be located on various theme planets, which they can rent in a very simply way. Just like last year, the GCO will offer a carefree package to exhibitors. Small studios can present themselves just the same as hobby projects or communities. The Leipzig Fair will take care of the exhibition stand, equipment and installation. All an exhibitor needs to present himself inexpensively is a website and a person to attend the stand.

As a visitor, you can use the planet worlds to enter your own cosmos and immerse yourself in the newest online and mobile games.

More information for exhibitors is available on this page. Companies committing to join the GCO until the end of February, will be able to enjoy our early bird special.

We look forward to seeing you in sunny Leipzig – at the biggest community event for online gamers - when we will borrow Vancouver’s motto and exclaim: “Let the Games begin!” ;)

]]> Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:43:00 +0100 Collaborative Online Gaming with Glitch http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/02/collaborative-online-gaming-with-glitch/ Glitch is the name of an online game based on collective activities. It was invented by Stewart... When Stewart Butterfield plans a new online game, it’s bound to be interesting.
After all, Butterfield co-founded the photo sharing service Flickr, which now belongs to Yahoo. Butterfield and his wife Caterina Fake invented the Neverending game in 2002. One of the game’s features was the user’s ability to upload pictures. At the end, the feature established itself, the game was discontinued and Flickr was born.

Now, Butterfield wants to roll out a new game. It is called Glitch, is currently being tested and should launch this fall. The scenery is supposed to be a utopian 2D environment in which players can collaborate to solve tasks. ORF Futurezone (german) mentions puzzles and gardening as examples. The latter has been growing in popularity for a long time. The special feature of Glitch is that individual players can influence the development of others.

Sounds interesting and we are anxious to find out which of the Glitch features will start a new project this time. :-)

]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:13:00 +0100 From movie-screen to your browser http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/01/from-movie-screen-to-your-browser/ Browser games are becoming increasingly popular. Even in Hollywood ... Browser games are becoming increasingly popular. This year alone, item sales will be a billion dollar business. In addition, the development of browser games is less expensive than the production of a console version. Once a framework is developed or an established framework is used as a basis, the development effort is reduced to a minimum.

Hollywood, too, is taking its share of the market. More and more movie-based games are appearing. Whether you want to immerse yourself in the world of The Fast and the Furious, Wanted or X-Men Origins Wolverine – the respective game can be accessed easily and inexpensively. You can even use your browser to have adventures as detective Sherlock Holmes, who will be coming to theaters soon starring Robert Downey Jr.

The studios’ benefits are obvious. It remains to be seen, however, whether browser games using movie plots as story lines will be able to have the same long-term appeal as building and strategy games outside the movie genre.

What do you think?

]]> Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:34:00 +0100 Virtual goods market will grow http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/01/virtual-goods-market-will-grow/ Gaming online is increasingly driven by the sale of virtual goods. And these sales will outperform... From an historic standpoint, the gaming industry as a whole is relatively young.
Still, in the past years, it has grown to be a serious commercial sector, attracting investors and venture capitalists, trying to get their share of the financial success. And, since there has to be someone forecasting the industry’s whims, there are now economic and financial experts evaluating the status quo.

One of these expert organizations is Lazard Capital Markets. The company has taken a good look at the gaming industry and determined what many traditional producers already felt in 2009: software sales are going down due to the economic crisis). However, this only concerns “flat” software, meaning software available in retail stores on a CD, DVD, Blueray or memory chip. Online gaming, on the other hand, is booming and sustains the industry’s growth despite the sluggish software business.
According to analyst Colin Sebastian, this trend is supposed to continue:
“We expect that mobile, online and social games will be responsible for about 40 percent of this year’s sales in the gaming industry. That provides gaming companies with an enormous possibility for growth outside the traditional console and handhelds market.”

Sebastian also confirms what previous studies by other analysts have shown: in 2011, the worldwide sale of ingame items (“virtual goods”) is estimated to reach $1 billion. This would mean that the worldwide sales of virtual goods will outperform the entire real-world economy of the Seychelles.  

]]> Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:45:00 +0100 300,000 US-$ for a virtual space station http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2010/01/300000-us-for-a-virtual-space-station/ Have you ever wanted to treat yourself to something nice without worrying about money? Well, Buzz... Have you ever wanted to treat yourself to something nice without worrying about money? Well, Buzz “Erik” Lightyear did just that. He got himself a space station - a virtual one. And, of course, it had to be the most expensive one ever sold.

The Swedish town of Gothenburg is home to the software company Mindark. For fifteen years, the firm has been involved in virtual worlds. In 2004, they launched the MMO “Entropia Universe”, a virtual universe featuring a genuine economic system. That in itself doesn’t seem particularly thrilling, taking into account that many virtual worlds try to establish a working trade system. What makes “Entropia Universe” stand out is the fact that it has existed for six years and the trade system in the game is a real economic system. The game’s currency, the PE-dollar, is linked to the real US dollar at a conversion rate of 1:10. You can buy PE-dollars and sell them to get real money – officially and legitimately. The virtual money is also used for trading inside the game, to purchase property, rent hotel rooms or purchase things for one’s avatar. “Entropia Universe” can be played without money, too. There are no recurring subscription fees and the client is free of charge. Nevertheless, it is estimated that one dollar will be invested per hour of playing the game.

Now let’s get back to Buzz “Erik” Lightyear – the man who doesn’t only possess his own space station, orbiting the main planet of Calypso, but who also holds the record for the most expensive virtual commodity ever sold. Erik purchased the “Crystal Palace Space Station” at an auction for 3.3 million PE-dollars, which translates to a real value of US $330,000 or 230,000 Euro.
After his new acquisition, Erik showed up in the official forum and was apparently very pleased about his new “company”, because the investment can pay for itself quite rapidly: the station features four hunting grounds where players can show their skills hunting animals and monsters. However, there is a fee. Erik’s job now is to make sure that there is something to hunt for. Despite his new work, it is quite likely that he will be making a decent living.



Today, the “Entropia Universe” has approximately 810,000 registered users in 220 countries worldwide. In 2004 and 2008, the MMO was entered into the Guinness Book of Records for the sale of the most expensive virtual goods. Back then, the property and hotel resort changed owners for real US$100,000. The current version of the virtual universe is based on Cryengine 2.

]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:32:00 +0100 Browsergames of the Year http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/12/browsergames-of-the-year/ With the beginning of the year 2010 there will also start the vote for the "Browsergame of the...
With the beginning of the year 2010 there will also start the vote for the “Browsergame of the Year”. The award reviews a large number of games that went online mainly during 2009.

Currently, the list of nominees includes 50 games in various categories such as game design, presentation, game play and story. The public award can be voted on from January 5 to 20, on the award website. Among the nominated games are also “Gilde 1400” and “FunFastFantastic”, both presented at GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE back in August.

The “Browsergame of the Year” has been awarded by GalaxyNews.de since 2005 and established itself as an internationally recognized prize in the browser game community.

]]> Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:42:00 +0100 GCO 2010! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/12/gco-2010/ Do you remember Hubert J. Farnsworth’s famous phrase? Well, today we will begin this post of the... Do you remember Hubert J. Farnsworth’s famous phrase? Well, today we will begin this post of the GCO blog with it: "Good news, everyone!"

The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will take place in 2010. In July, to be exact.
From July 8 to 11, 2010 the Leipzig Fair invites you to join the second iteration of the leading event for browser-, client and mobile gaming. For visitors it’s all fun and games, and business visitors will have one hole day more at the GCO than 2009.
Compared to 2009, the event has moved forward by three weeks. The fair will open for visitors from Friday till Sunday (Business events starts Thursday).

Silvana Kürschner, Strategy Director GC Global about the new schedule: “With the additional day for business visitors we are responding to the express request of the industry. During the the first iteration of the GCO a lot of business talks had to be completed in a very short time. The additional day will provide more room and time for business development and finalization, as well as business matching and networking.”

We look forward to 2010 and hope to see you in Leipzig!

]]> Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:48:00 +0100 Because, We lovin' it! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/09/because-we-lovin-it/ No, this time we don't talk about the fast food-restaurant with the golden arches. We talk about... You know the official GCO-Channel at YouTube? No? Now you know! There you can find some videos about the GCO - this one here is the most recent.

Do you love GCO also? ;)

 

 

]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:27:00 +0200 Games Convention Online: See you 2010! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/09/games-convention-online-see-you-2010/ The last day ends and we now know: With us at the GCO there were 43.000 others on the floors.... The last day ends and we now know: With us at the GCO there were 43.000 others on the floors. Enough too see all of you again in 2010!

 

"Our exhibitors were very satisfied with the visitor structure, which has laid the foundation for Games Convention Online," said Messe boss Wolfgang Marzin. Apparently 90 percent of attendees were "online gamers".

Beside the 43.000 in Leipzig, the GCO’s website was accessed 500.000 times beyond the generous usage of the exhibitor portals. This is the reason why Wolfgang Marzin concluded that "the digital age has reached the fair system. It is just as important to our exhibitors that people are in tune on site and in global access Internet."

 

Next year, there will be a second GCO. The exact date has not been confirmed yet, but we will keep you up to date.

]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:32:00 +0200 Battle of the Best! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/09/battle-of-the-best/ Today the world's best two World of WarCraft guilds battled each other live at the GCO. During the... Today the world's best two World of WarCraft guilds battled each other live at the GCO. During the Plantronics Battle of the Best 2009 the the guild Method and Ensidia fought a hard match. Method-Leader an WoW-Legend "Kungen" was in Leipzig and lead his team to victory.

 

 

You can read on twitter how the match wend. More news about it, and also the video of the match, you can get at allvatar.com.

]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:38:00 +0200 Cosplayer everywhere! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/09/cosplayer-everywhere/ Today, there was the long awaited Cosplayer-Event at the Community Stage in hall 4. Here are the... Today, there was the long awaited Cosplayer-Event at the Community Stage in hall 4. Here are the five best teams, that got some prices.


#5: Sandra with a friend, Guild Wars and WoW
#4: Noctis from Final Fantasy XIII with a friend
#3: Rai and Konoe from Lamento: Beyond the Void
#2 Master Chief (!!)
... and finally #1 twi Mogry from Final Fantasy 9. Nicole and her friend Kristina take home two Acer-Towers, worth 1.400 Euro

]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:58:00 +0200 Be what you want to be! - Cosplay at GCO http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/07/be-what-you-want-to-be-cosplay-at-gco/ There's this one hero or villain you adore? You always wanted to dress up as a mage from World of...

There's this one hero or villain you adore? You always wanted to dress up as a mage from World of Warcraft or become a hobbit rogue from Lord of the Rings Online? Transport your gaming experience to the real world and dress up as your favourite gaming character to join the Games Convention Online Cosplay Competition.

 

Visit the Community Stage on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and present your self-made costume to the audience. GCO and Animexx e.V. contribute to this contest and a jury will decide on the winner, who is going to receive a full-blown pc system to take home with. Runner-ups will be awarded, too.

 

If you're up for the cosplay fun, you should sign up for the contest here. You can also invite up to four more fans for group cosplays.

]]> Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:22:00 +0200 Two Stevies on their way to Germany http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/07/two-stevies-on-their-way-to-germany/ Stevie is approximately 16 inches tall, and is hand-cast and finished in 24-karat gold.Of course we... Stevie is approximately 16 inches tall, and is hand-cast and finished in 24-karat gold.
Of course we don't talk about a real guy, we talk about the "International Business Award" - nicknamed "Stevie". In this year, two of these Stevies will get there new home in two offices in Germany.

First Stevie goes to Gameforge. Second goes to Bigpoint.
Both companys partnered up with GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE when the new event was presented to the press back in January and will be present at the GCO from 31st July to 2nd August. Gameforge und Bigpoint are the leading Publishers for browser-based online games worldwide.

While Gameforge is honored as "Most Innovative Company of the Year in Europe", Bigpoint-CEO Heiko Hubertz will get his very own Stevie as "Executive of the Year in Europe". The Honorees will be celebrated at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City on Monday, 14 September. 

]]> Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:01:00 +0200 "World of Warcraft" - Live: Battle of the Best http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/07/world-of-warcraft-live-battle-of-the-best/ On Sunday, 2nd of August, "World of WarCraft" will quake! Because on that day, World's... On Sunday, 2nd of August, "World of WarCraft" will quake! Because on that day, World's most sucessfull WoW-guilds will fight against each other in a match at GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE!

During the "Plantronics Battle of the Best" there will be two matches:
One on Saturday, 1st August, between the best guilds of Germany - #1 "For the Horde" and #3 "Irae AoD".
But this is just the warm-up.
On Sunday it's time for the ultimate match, when world's best WoW-guilds Ensidia (1) and Method (2) will fight a match against each other. As this would not be sufficient, best known WoW-Gamer Thomas "Kung" Bengtsson is live on stage at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE too. The Ensidias Guild-Leader will lead the virtual match live in Leipzig.

If you can't be in Leipzig for GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE, there's still a chance to follow that match. Presenter allvatar.com will stream the matches live on Saturday and Sunday. 

]]> Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:23:00 +0200 Mobile Gaming? Me too ... already. http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/07/mobile-gaming-me-too-already/ I admit: I was a "Mobiles are made for telephoning (mailing and surfing)"-guy. One of... I admit: I was a "Mobiles are made for telephoning (mailing and surfing)"-guy. One of those who didn’t play mobile games. I hadn’t touched any game on a mobile since “Snake” - until 2009. And I only knew “Snake” because I had played it on the C64 and I was – may I say it? – bored in vocational school….

Anyway, mobile phones, I said, mobile phones are not for gaming. What do I have these two beautiful handhelds lying on my desk for? And besides: you don’t see anything on this mobile display!

But then something happened. A small black smartphone named HTC Magic entered my life. Piano lacquer, touchscreen. Something like the iPhone, but made by Google (Android-OS).

And for the very first time I understood, yes really, why in Apples App Store games are the undisputed number one of the downloads.
Because it’s fun.
It’s fun sitting in a meeting, looking interested and shooting balls in “Bonsai Blast”. It’s fun standing in the suburban train and thrusting a ball through “Labyrinth” while the train judders through the streets.
And as you have to plug the smartphone on the recharger anyway every evening because of the exorbitant power consumption, the game pad is always charged for the way … other than my PSP.

Mobile games can be fun. When they are well-made and when the display has more than 100x100 pixel.

And obviously more and more people agree to that, who thought the same way I did. At least if you can believe the numbers of the GfK. The consumer researchers have found out, that in 2008 there were 7 million downloads of mobile games all together.
Most popular were: the games for the European Football Championship and the Olympic Games in Beijing. After that games for movies and ports of classics and game pad titles.

Mobile games don’t push handhelds by Sony and Nintendo aside, you can see this in the number of sales. But they permit to play where I don’t have a handheld near. It’s also a thing of the past, that mobile games are less intricate like bad graphic arts or long download times. Mobiles are mad for telephoning? “Also”. Mobiles like the HTC Magic, the iPhone or the Palm Pre can lift “Playing” with UMTS, GPS and compass over the virtual worlds. Key words like Geocaching and Augmented Reality will be in all ears in the next years. Todays mobile games which append to the classical game principle are only the beginning. That already the position sensors and the compass of the smartphones are involved are only the first steps. 

]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:46:00 +0200 GCO-BarCamp: Get involved http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/07/gco-barcamp-get-involved/ We already told you, that there will be a BarCamp at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE, discussing the... We already told you, that there will be a BarCamp at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE, discussing the topic of "Gaming" in a wide range.

So, now the registration for the "GamesCamp", as we call it, is open. You can join the GameCamp by adding yourself to the attendee-list for Saturday and Sunday - 1st and 2nd of August.
The GamesCamp-Website is mostly in german, but you have to sign up here and than click "Ich nehme teil" in the right upper corner when following the links above.

If you need any information about the GameCamp - or help to sign in - then just call us by leaving a comment here. We see if we can help :)

]]> Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:59:00 +0200 Games and more - The BarCamp for Games @ GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/06/games-and-more-the-barcamp-for-games-games-convention-online/ When the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is filling the trade fair halls in this year for the first time,... When the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is filling the trade fair halls in this year for the first time, also two conferences will accompany the new fair for browser, online and mobile games.

With the GCO Conference the Leipzig trade fair and the Hans-Bredow-Institute offer a conference for professionals. Here they will speak about the development, future and technology of online games. For two days, on 31 July and 1st August, a wide conference program invites branch experts, insiders and interested to exchange information and opinions. Among those who will give a lecture are for example well-known names like David Reeves, who led the fortunes of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for years until the end of April.
The entrance fee for the two-day-conference is 200€, for students and apprentices there are tickets for only 150€ each available.

But also an quite special conference awaits you.
The GamesCamp - A BarCamp for Games and Gamers.
This particular conference is open to game developers, interested, fans and publishers. And open doesn’t only mean, the you can take part on the GamesCamp without paying a fee. Open also means in this case, that the contents and lectures of the conference are chosen directly by the participants.
To do that the participants meet in the mornings of the days of the event and suggest the topics about which they want to speak or give a lecture. The lectures are also discussion at the same time, because the GamesCamp lives of the cooperation of the participants – they shall exchange information and opinions, chat and go home with many ideas and new knowledge in the evening.

The GamesCamp is organized by game fans with the support of the Leipzig trade fair on the trade fairground. Everybody who is interested in games is invited to the open conference – developers, StartUp-Makers (hey, you browser games developers and studios!) or student, apprentice, job-seekers,… If you are interested in topics like StartUps in the gaming sector, games development, new online games and so on and you want to speak with others about those topics, then you are right at the GamesCamp.

In the following weeks we will keep you on track with news about the event, because: For the entrance being free, you have to register for the GamesCamp. When the registering starts you can read here or already register on the GamesCamp website or follow the GamesCamp on twitter … 

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:57:00 +0200 40 years of computer gaming ... http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/06/40-years-of-computer-gaming/ With the exhibition „From PONG to PING“ die GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will give you a brief view... With the exhibition „From PONG to PING“ die GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will give you a brief view through 40 years of computer gaming history. And then, there will be two legends of this story be present to open the exhibition.

Ralph Baer is considered to be the inventor of the computer games. With it‘s gaming system „Odyssey“ he created the grandfather of today’s consoles. Baer is 87 years old today - 41 years ago he presented an unimpressive, small brown wooden case with control buttons. With it you could play three white blocks on a TV-monitor - better known as „Pong“. In 2006 Baer was rewarded with the “National Medal of Technology”.

The other legendary person is Richard Bartle. In 1978 he and Roy Thrubshaw programmed the first ancestor of todays Multiplayer-Online-Role-Playing Games. With “MUG” they accomplished to get role play games, which you played only on paper up to then into the precurser of todays internet.

Together Baer and Bartle will open up the exhibition on the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. The common exhibition of the Leipzig Trade Fair and the Computer Game Museum Berlin deals with the history of online gaming. It shows the development of digital games from their childhood-days to today – once touchable in Leipzig and of course here on the website. From the beginnings in the 60s across the triumphal procession of the internet to todays MMO- and browser games with which most of all German companies celebrate international success today.  

]]> Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:40:00 +0200 South Korea partners up with Games Convention Online http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/06/south-korea-partners-up-with-games-convention-online/ When the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will take place for it's first time from 31 July until 2 August,... When the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will take place for it's first time from 31 July until 2 August, also the market leader in the online and mobile gaming branch will present themselves: South Korea. In the land of the many mobile phones and internet accesses, browser- and especially mobile-games are already a part of everyday life. So it’s no wonder that the Leipzig Trade Fair started already very early to get in contact with the gaming portals and institutions there. Around 15 companies will arrive from the now official partner country South Korea  and introduce themselves in Europe for the very first time. One of them is NHN Games, Korea  biggest publisher today.

You will not miss the shared booth – the tiger state comes with a gazebo in the style of a traditional korean tea garden, which wants to take you to a world of up to now unknown hers and mysteries. Most of all manga games are highly demanded in Korea and will surely bewitch you as well. The presentation befitting it’s rank will continue in the Business Center (only for trade visitors and media representatives), where there will be a gazebo, too.

"The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is the gate to the European online gaming market for korean publishers. In Leipzig we will have the possibility for the first time, to present ourselves to the gamers and get in contact with branch representatives," rejoices Il Kim, director of Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), an organisation for the promotion of the creative business subordinated to the korean Ministry for Culture, Sports and Tourism. Together with the KOTRA, the korean Export Trading Company and the SBA, a Business Promotion Agency from Seoul, the KOCCA organizes the korean attendance at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE.

The Leipzig Trade Fair is pleased about the commitment: "As the market leader in the branch of online and mobile gameing Korea disposes of a perennial advance in know-how and technology. Thanks to their presentation at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE professional and private visitors can get an impression about the development, which awaits the European market and at the same time find new inspiration," says Silvana Kürschner, Strategy Director GC Global.

We are looking forward with her and bridge the time with waiting and drinking tea. Let’s see, they say green sangjang tastes good. 

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0200 Join GamersCamp now! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/06/join-gamerscamp-now/ An unfamiliar city, an unfamiliar hotel and unfamiliar people? You don’t fancy that? Then it’s time... An unfamiliar city, an unfamiliar hotel and unfamiliar people? You don’t fancy that? Then it’s time for Leipzig, camping and lots of friends. Because the Games Convention Online invites you to a big camping area with lots of space for your own tent.

You can register now for the "GamersCamp" and rent your campsite. The GCO GamersCamp will find its place on the Leipzig Festwiese – everyone, who has already been in Leipzig in August last year will know the area. The rest is explained <a href="http://www.leipziger-messe.de/LeMMon/PRESSE.NSF/html_newstickerger/8A9B8AADAFD2D95FC12575CF004B185F?OpenDocument">in the press bulletin</a>: "The ticket for the Camp includes the entrance to the GCO as well as the free use of the Leipzig public transport. The day ticket is available for only 34,50 Euro, the full time ticket costs 81,00 Euro. A breakfast can be booked for little money additionaly." There will also be an internet access on site.

You can find more infos <a href="http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/convention/gamerscamp/">here</a> and <a href="https://www.lm-order.de/osc/servlet/rubin.osc.IndexServlet?ishop_id2=&spr=GB&null&ishop_id=GCOG09_TAKO_OL&vs=null&t=0511094942">here's the direct link</a> to the registration form.

See you there! 

]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:51:00 +0200 Clan, Guild, Community? Here's our invitation to you. http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/05/clan-guild-community-here-s-our-invitation-to-you/ For the first time the Leipzig Trade Fair will address the growing market of online and mobile... For the first time the Leipzig Trade Fair will address the growing market of online and mobile games with it's own trade show - the  Games Convention Online. And you can be a part of it! Because for guilds, clans and gamers the Games Convention Online will provide a direct place, in which you can meet face-to-face - in real life.

The Games Convention Online wants to bring gamers together - live on the ground. In a special hall at the fairground, which is dedicated to the community, guilds and clans can present themselves to the visitors and hold their own meetings. And all of this for free, because the Leipzig Trade Fair cordially invites all guilds. In addition to that there will be action, concerts and movies in Hall 3 - the "community hall" - around the clock.

The invitation to hold a community meeting is being followed by the "Gilde Gothic" for example, a German community with around 2.000 members. Of course this possibility is offered to any other guild as well. If you are interested to present your guild on the fair or hold a meeting, just contact the project team. For this it is only necessary to write a short mail to community (at) gamesconvention (punkt) com, the rest will be clarified quickly after that.

To shorten your time of waiting for the Games Convention Online, we will not only have our blog here, but also a high-official bulletin board. You will find it at the website of the boys of "Wheel of Games".

In the upcoming weeks we will intensively prepare you for the Games Convention Online. With portraits of guilds, infos about the events and many other details, that we can give away to you. ;) 

]]> Wed, 27 May 2009 21:33:00 +0200 Nilz Bokelberg: Let's rock! http://www.gamesconvention.com/en/blog/article/2009/04/nilz-bokelberg-let-s-rock/ I still remember the first Games Convention. I was presenting back then for THQ and none of us knew... I still remember the first Games Convention. I was presenting back then for THQ and none of us knew what to expect. There’d never been a games fair in Germany and the E3 was just for trade visitors. Here in Leipzig, ordinary guys were set to get gaming for themselves for the first time ever. No-one knew if it would work. Or how it would go in Leipzig. And just anyway… The first year was a big success straight off, we all knew it and from then on, the fair’s history took its course. That reminds me of a good story from the second year. I’d been at a stand party with a couple of friends and we were wandering around the gangways to get home, looking for an exit, a main road and a taxi. And do you know where we ended up? At the annual general meeting of Tupperware agents! That was just sooo wicked! They were having their conference in the hall next door and because it was already the evening, a bit of a party was going on, I think Matthias Reim had just been on and the women (it was ONLY women) were going crazy. So we joined in a bit and they told us what a great evening it was and how amazing they found it and I had a bit of a feeling/suspicion they were coming on to us too. But then security came along because we rather obviously didn’t belong in Tupperware world and we were thrown out. But for 10 minutes it had been well worth it! Fantastic!

Of course you get loads of stories like that over the years. And in 7 years of Games Convention quite a few mad things have happened, I can tell you. And Leipzig is more fun from year to year. This lovely friendly town, it was almost always like a holiday you come back from not exactly rested and rather hoarse…

And the good old Games Convention is going to be an online gaming show? When I first heard it, I had to think about it for a minute. Was it good or bad? Online games, do I go for any of them at all? Isn’t the whole thing a bit TOO specialised? But if you just think that bit further, you see it all very differently. My goodness yes, I so like to procrastinate with browser games, and if you just think of WoW then there really can be no question of whether purely online games are relevant or not. It’s just a totally huge market. And what I like most about it: this decision buries the hatchet. All fairs have different focuses of attention, nobody gets in anybody’s way and we have a few stressful weeks ahead of us, running around all over the country… But you just love to do it for your favourite hobby. I’m looking forward to Leipzig again and I’m keen to see what it’ll be like. There are sure to be lots of games I don’t yet know and in Leipzig, you can try them all at your leisure. So I’ll get to take my time to find what’s going to be distracting me from working from now on … ha ha ha. So folks, we’ve got exciting times ahead of us: let’s rock! 

]]> s.berger@leipziger-messe.de Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:51:00 +0200