What was the best freebie or bit of tat/merch you came away with? Jennifer Bigell: Easy pick: the straw hat from the Farming Simulator stage! Best protection against sunstroke in summer!
Steve Swink: Got an excellent sticker from my friends at Coal Supper.
Eleanor Porter: My best freebies both came from Be Quiet, a speaker and a flask. I used both on the trip! Henry Stockdale: Nothing will ever top the frankly wild Goat Simulator 3 merch from last year, but I did enjoy the Venetian Mask I received during a Vampire the Masquerade - Justice party. What did you not get around to that you wish you had? Will Porter: Many people were there who I wanted to bump into, but did not – mainly PRs and journalists with far busier schedules than mine. My biggest regret is that I saw the bearded ‘Hide the pain’ meme guy, but didn’t ask for a selfie. In retrospect, the selfies were probably why he was there.
Steve Swink: I never did manage to do a full walk of the showfloor. Too many meetings!
Eleanor Porter: I wish I had gotten round to see the team from Corsair, we were meant to meet but kept missing one another. Henry Stockdale: Working for a VR focused outlet, I didn’t have much time for traditional games. As someone who’s played every entry so far, I wish I could have tried Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name. At least there isn’t too long to wait before it releases.
Did gamescom 2023 live up to expectations? Will Porter: It was my first Cologne Gamescom, and it was as big as they say – and as crowded as they say. I have never stood amongst so many simultaneous meetings before. In the UK games industry you sometimes get the feeling that things are small and close-knit, but attending this just blows that all out of the water. I couldn’t shake the feeling that so many people and companies were there fighting for the same air, but then again maybe that’s half the point of events like this.
Steve Swink: I did enjoy doing a smaller, chiller, press-facing set of meetings. Gamescom is a bit overwhelming, though less an assault on the senses than E3 was.
Jennifer Bigell: Gamescom has always been a great experience for me, both as a consumer and as an exhibitor. It has a bit (or a lot?) of everything! With the vast range of
booths the convention offers every year, Gamescom never ceases to amaze me. If I compare it to an event like PAX East for example, it takes much longer to get from point A to point B due to the sheer size of the convention. Makes it harder to have a look around during breaks!
Eleanor Porter: Gamescom did live up to expectations, in comparison to other industry events I have attended it was huge, this is because our publication is heavily channel based and we cover mostly vendors, distributors and resellers in a B2B setting.
Henry Stockdale: I’d say Gamescom lived up to my expectations in a good way. It’s a much larger event than something like EGX and I think that surprises people who’ve never been before, but I knew it would keep me busy. Thankfully, I found it manageable and with so many interesting games to try out, I didn’t mind.
“Best freebie? Easy pick: the straw hat from the Farming Simulator stage! Best protection against sunstroke!” Jennifer Bigell, THQ Nordic
If it was in your power, what would you change or include for next year? Steve Swink: It needs a full scale Helskate booth, bigger than Truck Simulator. Still featuring a life size big rig, though.
Eleanor Porter: Next year I would definitely go for longer and therefore be able to see much more.
Henry Stockdale: If there was one thing I could change, I’d love to see Sony at Gamescom next year. With Xbox and Nintendo both attending, it felt strange not seeing them too and I’d love to see them better promote PlayStation VR2.
Will Porter: More signage. Increased numbers of bowls of crisps/nuts at each different stand to help you top up energy levels. Smaller queues (or, better: no queues) of farting men in the toilets from around midday on the Thursday onwards.
Jennifer Bigell: This one section right before the escalators, where they navigate people to take the route outside and sometimes they don’t? THAT. I’m not a logistics expert, so I’m not sure what else to suggest — all I can say is: the chaos there is real!
September 2023 MCV/DEVELOP | 39
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