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Film und Medien Stiftung NRW➝News➝News➝NRW on the starting block: gamescom 2015 begins next week

NRW on the starting block: gamescom 2015 begins next week

  • World’s largest trade fair for interactive entertainment from 05.-09.08. for the seventh time in Cologne
  • Over 700 exhibitors from more than 40 countries on 193,000 square metres, 50 independent developers in the „Indie Arena“
  • Evoke, NotGames Fest, GDC Europe, Respawn, Platine Festival, gamescom congress, gamescom city festival, Video Games LIVE, VideoDays and more
  • NRW@gamescom: „Media Region NRW“ stand, Hall 3.2, B-030/C-031

The coming week will see Cologne again becoming the meeting place for the international games sector. The seventh edition of the  gamescom, the world’s largest event for interactive entertainment, will open on Wednesday, 05.08.. The Koelnmesse is expecting to host more than 700 exhibitors from over 40 countries, and the trade fair has also already sold out for the general public two weeks before the event. Apart from hundreds of premieres and game innovations, around 50 independent developers will also be presenting their ideas in the „Indie Arena“. The industry and gaming enthusiasts will also meet up outside the trade fair grounds at numerous conferences and events being held in the media metropolis.

„Even more visitors, more events and more networking opportunities for the sector. Gamescom looks like it will break all the records again this year,¨ says Petra Müller, CEO of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. „Whether it’s in the Indie Arena, at the GDC Europe or the gamescom city festival – games fans will be meeting again throughout Cologne in the coming week. We are looking forward to a fun-packed games week, eager to see the innovations at the trade fair, and are very pleased that the German games industry will be appearing here for the first time under the joint umbrella of ‚Made in Germany‘.“

Evoke (31.07.-02.08.)

Events are kicked off at the weekend by the digital art festival Evoke in the  Abenteuerhalle Kalk where Demos, Intros and Wilds will be celebrated with digital art and music. Lectures and seminars will guarantee a varied programme alongside the competitions. www.evoke.eu/2015

NotGames Fest (02.-08.08.)
Organised by the Cologne Game Lab, the NotGames Fest sees itself as an alternative festival presenting outstanding interactive works and art. Inspired by the „NotGames“ idea of Belgian artists, the festival gives its visitors an opportunity to play and experience. www.notgames.colognegamelab.com

 

GDC – Game Developers Conference Europe (03.-04.08.)
Europe’s largest developers conference, the GDC Europe, offers insights into the trends of game development and business for the whole continent and transforms NRW into the centre of the European developers scene. The conference is divided up into a business, design and programming track and is held in cooperation with the gamescom. www.gdceurope.com

 

Respawn – Gathering of Game Developers (03.-04.08.)
Successfully launched in 2013, the developers conference and networking platform Respawn offers presentations, discussions and workshops for developers, trade visitors and students by such experts as Yves L. Bordelau, Jason Della Rocca, Mark Val, Ellis Bartholomeus, Chris Solarski, Julian Dasgupta and Sabine Hahn. www.respawngathering.com

Platine Festival (03.-06.08.)
The Platine Festival is being held for the fifth time this year and focuses on the realm between electronic art and alternative gaming forms. International developers and artists will present their works in pubs and small galleries in Cologne’s Ehrenfeld district.  www.platine-cologne.de

gamescom congress (06.08.)
After the opening speeches by Dr. Angelica Schwall-Düren, NRW Minister for Federal, European and Media Affairs, and Cologne’s Mayor Jürgen Roters, this year’s gamescom congress will feature internationally renowned speakers and experts such as the YouTuber PietSmiet addressing topical  issues concerning media competency, the protection of minors, the games business or games as a cultural entity as well as talking about trends and developments in research, education, science and technology. www.gamescom-congress.de/gamescom/de/Home

gamescom city festival (07.-09.08.)
Thanks to support from the City of Cologne, international artists, DJs and bands such as Ryan Sheridan, OK Kid oder Andreas Bourani will again appear at the gamescom city festival. The festival stretches over three stages in Cologne’s city centre with a varied entertainment programme and a street food festival. www.gamescom.de

Video Games LIVE (07.-09.08.)
The world’s biggest games concert is now being held in Germany for the first time . The concert series Video Games LIVE is conceived by the games industry star Tommy Tallarico who will be the evening’s host. An orchestra and choir will performing from the soundtracks of some of the most well-known video games like Final Fantasy, Warcraft, Monkey Island and many more, accompanied by a light show and interactive games. www.videogameslive.com

VideoDays (07.-08.08.)
The end of the gamescom week will see thousands of YouTube fans gathering again in the webvideo stronghold of Cologne to see stars like Die Lochis, Y-Titty, Kayef, iBlali or Shirin David at Europe’s biggest YouTuber get-together. Last year, around 15,000 people came to the Lanxess Arena for the  VideoDays which were also held in Berlin for the first time this year.  www.videodays.eu

 

Media Region NRW stand (05.-07.08.)
The media region of NRW will also have a presence in 2015 at the gamescom with an umbrella stand in the Business Area (Hall 3.2, B-030/C-031), which has been organised by the Media Cluster NRW in cooperation with the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. Companies, startups and trade visitors can use the stand for appointments, business meetings and conversations. The new „Gaming Area“ will be a space for developers to present their new projects and prototypes „made in NRW“. As a kick-off event for the trade fair, the partners will be joining forces with Creative Europe Desk Germany to again be hosts on Wednesday,  05.08., for a get-together at the stand, with NRW Media Minister Dr. Angelica Schwall-Düren and Lucia Recalde Langarica, Head of Creative Europe MEDIA in Brussels expected to attend. www.medien.nrw.de/de/events/messen-maerkte/gamescom

gamesmatch@gamescom (05.-07.08.)
The successful international matchmaking event gamesmatch@gamescom will take place at the Media Region NRW stand again from 05.-07.08. In 2014, over 140 registrations resulted in 230 bilateral conversations with 120 participants from 25 countries. The format is organised by enterprise europe network and NRW Europa – Zenit, NRW Bank and NRW International, and hosted by Media Cluster NRW. Further partners are: BIU, Mediengründerzentrum NRW, Creative.NRW, Creative Europe Desk NRW and the European Commission.