The Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany attracted its largest number of visitors ever, organizers say, with 203,000 people visiting the four-day expo.
The figures include public visitors as well as 8,000 trade attendees registered with the GC Business Center. This figure was also up on the previous year, which saw only 6,000 games industry visitors.
A total of 547 companies were present at the Leipzig Exhibition Center, spread out over its 115,000 square meters of floor space. Organizers suggest that more than 300 products made their world, European or German premiers at the vent.
Although widely attended by publishers (with the notable exception of Nintendo), the Games Convention has been criticized by international visitors for its lacking transport links to Leipzig, particularly by air. Although it is by far the largest European trade event, a 2009 expo has not yet been announced, and some speculate that it may be moved to another location.
It is official that the event will move to Cologne. It will be renamed Games.Com or something very similar. Moving here means that the new event will take place for the first time and the BIU will support this fair instead of the Games Convention. The name rights for the GC stay with Leipzig - leaving the opportunity to reiterate the trade fair. Although without BIU support which means probably thinner publisher support.
Now the GC 2008 is over, and there have been 203.000 visitors altogether. Seems that the GC 2009 is already set for 19.8. to 23.8. 2009, again in Leipzig.
