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From 31st July to 2nd August 2009, Leipziger
Messe presents a new games fair. Headlined GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE,
it is the first independent platform in Europe for what is currently
the most dynamic market in the gaming industry: browser, client and
mobile games. The new gaming trade show is supported by market
leaders in the online industry such as BIGPOINT and GAMEFORGE.
Carsten van Husen, CEO at GAMEFORGE 4D, emphasises the need for the
industry to have its own platform: "The size achieved and the
dynamics for growth in the market for online games really cry out
for a strong fair – in Europe too. Given our domestic industry's
leading world role for this segment, Germany is predestined to serve
as the location." GAMEFORGE is the biggest independent provider of
online games worldwide. More than 65 million gamers are registered
for GAMEFORGE games which are on offer in 50 languages.
Nils-Holger Henning, CCO at BIGPOINT: "We are very pleased with the
recognition shown to the games industry with two big and important
fairs in Germany. We very much welcome the fact that with the GAMES
CONVENTION ONLINE, Leipzig is now offering a trade show for online
and casual gaming. This confirms that as an entertainment branch
worth taking seriously, online gaming has an important role to play
within the overall game industry. In the area of online and casual
gaming, there is a big need for interchange, as shown by the
internationally established trade fairs. The topics are precisely
aligned to our needs, and in both the consumer and business area we
can appeal to a public that is specifically interested in online
gaming. Exchange within the industry, contacts with small, dedicated
developers and the technical subject-matter dealt with at the GAMES
CONVENTION ONLINE will contribute to strengthening and driving
forward the online and mobile gaming industry." BIGP OINT is one of
the 200 biggest websites and the biggest game portal for
browser-based online gaming worldwide. The Hamburg company is
growing daily with more than 150 thousand registrations in 30
languages.
Wolfgang Marzin, CEO, Leipziger Messe, sums up the excellent
starting-point for the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. "Worldwide, Leipzig
means games", he says, referring to the high profile enjoyed by the
"Games Convention" brand. "The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE provides an
independent platform of its own for the most dynamic growth market
in the gaming industry." The rapid spread of browser, client and
mobile games was the basis for rapid development of the industry's
new trade fair. "On the Asian market, a third of the population
already regularly plays online games. In Germany too, the final
barriers are being broken down with the rapid spread of fast
broadband connections and mobile wireless connection standards."
The figures for German and world market development underline
Marzin's assessment. "Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2008 –
2012" (Source: PWC, 2008), for example, predicts global growth rates
of up to just under 20 per cent for online and wireless games
(whilst sales for PC games are set to drop by an average of 1.2 per
cent).
The German market is driven by the spread of faster internet
connections. The number of households with broadband is set to
double in the coming years. Whilst broadband coverage was still at
44.5 per cent of all households in 2007, experts expect an increase
to 82.9 per cent for 2012 (Source: PWC, 2008).
For the European market, the Verband der deutschen
Internetwirtschaft eco (Association of the German Internet Industry)
concludes that sales turnover for mobile phone games will also
double by 2012 across Europe, on the basis of a figure of 2.4
billion euros for 2008 (Source: eco, 2009). In Germany, every fifth
mobile connection user also plays games on his or her mobile, in
other words, about 11 million users in 2008 (Source: comScore,
2008).
The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will be organised in two separate areas,
namely for the trade and professional public on the one hand, and
for gamers on the other.
The Business Center is at the hub of the fair with a trade show
exhibition and professionally organised matchmaking. There will also
be an integrated dialogue conference. Individual forums at the
conference will be shown online for registered participants (for a
conference fee).
In the public exhibition halls, exhibitors present themselves
alongside many events and show matches. For this part of the fair,
Leipziger Messe has joined forces with the industry to develop a
completely new concept. "We will be combining the real fair, that
is, the offline event, with an online event" explained CEO Wolfgang
Marzin. "This means that millions of gamers are linked in on the
internet and can take part in the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE in Leipzig
live. The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE will host tens of thousands of
visitors in Leipzig, and several million in the whole world."
For this to happen, the new event will be accessible on the internet
throughout its entire duration. Several exhibitors are creating
links to the new games being introduced at the Leipzig show. As long
as the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is still taking place in Leipzig,
access is free of charge.
In partnership with exhibitors, Leipziger Messe is organising
various special events for gamers. Several communities and leagues
are being invited to meet up at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE in
Leipzig. Championships will be held in the run-up to the fair so
that their winners can travel to Leipzig and the finals can be
played live at the fair against online gamers. For the finalists,
their stay in Leipzig is combined with an exclusive luxury prize
package. There are also plans for a role-play event.
For the premiere of the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE, Leipziger Messe is
preparing a partnership with South Korea. The Korean involvement is
backed by kotra (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency), the
Korean government foreign trade and investment promotion agency.
In-Sung Park, Business Development Manager at kotra, says: "We are
pleased that Korea has been invited to be the first national partner
for the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. We will soon have confirmation from
the Ministry of Culture. Korea is a forerunner in the market for
online and mobile games. Furthermore, Korea is the biggest market
for online games and occupies a leading position worldwide for
mobile games. We have considerable know-how in the development and
marketing of games and we can contribute this to international
partnerships. The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE conference is a
particularly well-suited forum for setting up new business contacts
and opening up new markets across continents. We are happy to
support Leipziger Messe in the organisation of business
matchmakings."
In Korea, online gaming has been the number one national sport for
some years. 80 per cent of all households are linked to the
internet. Every third Korean is registered as a regular online
gamer, making a total of more than 18 million women, men and
children (by comparison: Germany currently counts 4.15 million
online gamers). For 2009, Korea expects the online gaming market to
reach sales worth 1.7 billion USD (Pearl Research, "Online Games
Market in Korea", 2008).
Classic GC - Games Convention dropped for 2009
CEO Marzin: "Leipzig is still open to the whole industry"
In announcing the new gaming fair, the Leipzig CEO Wolfgang Marzin
emphasised: "This is a completely new and fully independent product
for a market that is adjusting to new business models, setting off
along new sales routes and appealing to new target groups. Browser,
client and mobile games are on course to becoming a big success
story and in that way, the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is like the GC -
Games Convention when it first began. We are delighted that as trade
fair organisers, we can again accompany this development too."
Having achieved rapid and internationally recognised success since
its launch in 2002, the GC - Games Convention, the European fair for
interactive entertainment, infotainment and hardware remained
unaffected by the new fair. In 2008, the GC - Games Convention was
the biggest gaming show in the world. But, said Wolfgang Marzin, in
view of the new situation in terms of competition on the German
trade fair market, Leipziger Messe would be dropping the GC - Games
Convention from the 2009 calendar. It had been scheduled for 20 to
23 August 2009. At the same time, Marzin emphasised that Leipziger
Messe was still open to the entire gaming industry: "If the industry
is again in search of a platform for console and PC games and
hardware with the know-how of the GC - Games Convention, we will
immediately be available." | 
