- Title: GERMANY: Gamescom kicks off for the first time in Cologne
- Date: 21st August 2009
- Summary: GAMER ON NINTENDO WII BALANCE BOARD (SOUNDBITE) (German) CEO OF GAMING COMPANY GAME FORCE KLAAS KERSTING, SAYING "Trends are going in all directions. What we see is that the target audience just gets bigger and bigger, especially females play more and more. We are seeing all age groups, gamers get older and older. According to studies, more the two billion people are online, and 65 percent of those play online, whatever it is they are playing, even just solitaire. The market is huge and currently not really being worked. I am convinced that is is the market of the future in gaming." TRADE FAIR STAND (SOUNDBITE) (German) VICE EDITOR IN CHIEF OF COMPUTER GAMING MAGAZINE „GAME STAR" CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT, SAYING "We are observing three major trends. Firstly, so called free online gaming or browser games. Secondly, a large trend is playing together, no longer sitting in front of a computer alone, but rather meet with other for music games, party games or online games. And thirdly, mobile gaming on hand held devices, especially on mobile phones. That becomes more and more important."
- Embargoed: 5th September 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA4ULCFF3G14T2VEZJ4XP7AIKF2
- Story Text: Fans of interactive entertainment can look forward to world and European premieres of games, action, events and entertainment in Cologne at Gamescom, starting from Wednesday (August 19).
Organisers claim Gamescom to be already the international meeting place of the industry at its very first staging: 420 exhibitors from 30 countries show their latest innovations in computer gaming until Sunday, 23 August.
With foreign participation at 45 per cent, Gamescom has become the industry's international meeting point at a stroke. Spread across a total of more 120,000 square metres of exhibition space, Gamescom invites the industry community, from developers to publishers and trading partners all the way to the large group of gamers, to meet in halls 4 to 9 of Koelnmesse.
"I hope that the trade fair will get established here, especially for Germany as a gaming location. said vice editor in chief of German computer games magazine "Game Star", Christian Schmidt. "The games convention was one of the three most important trade fairs, we thought it might be risking that status moving to Cologne, but it seems to be going well. For the future, it is very important for Germany to keep sporting the most important trade fair for computer games in Europe. I am optimistic that that can be done in Cologne."
Fans and friends of interactive entertainment can look forward to a show of game premieres, events and entertainment programs on the entire trade show grounds - indoors and outdoors - and in the city of Cologne itself.
The German video game industry is expected to grow five percent in 2009 to more than 2.9 billion U.S. dollars, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, bucking the economic downturn that has curbed consumer spending.
In the United States, video game equipment and software sales fell 29 percent in July.
Microsoft's peer Sony Corp said it would cut the retail price of its flagship PlayStation 3 console -- which competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii -- to spur console sales that have lagged those of rivals.
"We have technically improved the Playstation 3 in many ways. It is 30 percent lighter and smaller" said managing director of Sony computer entertainment Germany, Uwe Bassendowski. "Also, it uses 30 per cent less electricity. We have dropped the prize from 399 euro to 299 euro. Additionally, we have boosted the hard drive capacity from 80 to 120 giga byte. So there is quite an array of innovation involved with the product." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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