Global gaming exhibition to feature online blockbusters

Nexon, Blizzard will showcase new games at gamescom to open next week in Germany


Gamescom, one of the world’s largest game premieres, is gearing up to feature new innovations in the sectors of mobile games, online games, console and PC games when it kicks off next Wednesday in Cologne, Germany.

Scheduled for a five-day run, big name game firms like Nexon Europe, Blizzard Entertainment, Capcom, Electronics Arts and KONAMI will take part in the games exhibition, one of the top three such shows in the world.

Nexon will feature the one-person shooter “Shadow Company” and unveil a new online game at the event and Blizzard is expected to present “World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria” and “Starcraft: Heart of the Swarm,” according to gamescom organizer Koelnmesse.

Electronics Arts will roll out a series of games which include “FIFA 13,” “Football Manager 13,” “Crysis 3,” “Medal of Honor: Warfighter,” “Sim City” and “Star Wars: The Old Republic.”

Capcom will also showcase its revamped interactive entertainment trademarks like “Resident Evil 6” and “Lost Planet 3” and KONAMI will try to lure gamers with its “Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” and “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ― Mirror of Fate,” the organizer said.

“Gamescom will once again become the international stage for spectacular innovations from the games industry,” said Tim Endres, gamescom project manager. “Among the more than 300 premieres are numerous world premieres which games fans from all over the world are already looking forward to today.”

With Korea being gamescom’s partner country this year, it will kick off the show by holding a press conference on Wednesday, followed by media events organized by game firms such as Nexon and Ubisoft.

According to the organizers, this year’s exhibition space has been expanded to 140,000 square meters ― an increase of 15 percent compared to last year ― with over 300 new products and game premieres expected to be seen from Aug. 15-19.

“With its unique concept in the area of business and entertainment, gamescom covers all genres of interactive games, from PC and console games, to online and browser games, all the way to social and mobile gaming,” said its organizers. “Plus, prestigious exhibitors including LG, Samsung and GREE will enrich the new ‘mobile gaming’ focus theme at the gamescom 2012.”

Katharina Hamma, managing director of Koelnmesse, said that visitors will also be able to enjoy the new gamescom trailer cinema powered by LG as well as the “cosplay village” during the show.

The trailer cinema, made in collaboration with LG, will enable visitors to experience the latest game trailers live and the cosplay village will host numerous activities and events for fans of costume play, or dressing up as game characters.

More than 20 Korean game firms will also form a Korean Pavilion led by the Korea Creative Content Agency.

Another collaborative stand will be prepared for nations representing China, France, the U.K., Italy, Canada, Scandinavia, Iran, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, Hungary and Austria, organizers said.

Other global game companies that have added their names to the exhibitors’ list are: Sony Computer Entertainment, wargaming.net, Red5 Studios, Turtle Entertainment, Perfect World, World Cyber Games, Take-Two Interactive, Riot Games and Gaya Entertainment.

Last year, a total of 557 companies from 39 nations joined in the games fair, displaying their goods on over 120,000 square meters.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)