The E3 Expo may be assumed to be the biggest videogames show, but Gamescom is even bigger! It is a German games convention, which anyone can attend, making it much more exciting than the trade-only style of the E3 Expo. It has been annually held at the Koelnmesse convention centre in Cologne, Germany, since 2009, and usually takes place mid-August.
Wednesday 17th August – Trade and Media only/ Press Conferences & company events
Thursday 18th August to Sunday 21st August – Open to public
Rumoured Press Conferences
Gamescom is all about the games available for fans to play at the 5-day show, so here’s a round-up of the leading exhibitors who have confirmed they will be there! This is just a few as 100’s of exhibitors are expected to be there.
- 1C Company
- 505 games
- Activision
- Amazon
- Anki
- Bandai Namco
- Bethesda
- Blizzard
- Capcom
- CD Projekt
- Crytek
- Deep Silver
- Electronic Arts
- Focus Home Interactive
- Frontier
- Gameloft
- Gigabyte
- GOG
- Harmonix
- Kalypso
- Konami
- Logitech
- Microsoft
- Nintendo
- Nordic Games
- Nvidia
- Oculus VR
- Plantronics
- Razer
- Rebellion
- Sega
- Sennheiser
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Square Enix
- Take-Two
- Team 17
- Turtle Beach
- Ubisoft
- Wargaming
- Warner
Microsoft usually holds a press conference every year at Gamescom, however they have announced that they will not be hosting a streamed Xbox Media Briefing this year, and will host an Xbox FanFest instead throughout the 5-day show. Sony did not do a press conference last year at Gamescom and are expected to do the same this year. In 2015, Sony preferred to do a European Media Briefing for Paris Games Week (PGW) which is held on the 27th October this year, so they could do the same again. Electronic Arts also usually hold press conferences at Gamescom, however they have chosen to differ this year and hold a ‘Grand Opening’ the day before Gamescom begins. So far no other major press conferences have been announced, but keep a look out for any upcoming news!
You may be wondering which games you can look forward to playing at Gamescom if you’re lucky to attend. Here’s just a few of the highlights we expect to be played there:
- Batman: Arkham VR
- Battlefield 1
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Halo Wars 2
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Pokémon Sun and Moon
Virtual/augmented reality and gaming PC’s are expected to take over as the leading hardware at Gamescom 2016, any next-generation consoles seem to be a no-show from the leading companies (Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo). Here’s a few of the hardware products we are looking forward to:
PlayStation VR – it played a huge role at the E3 Expo, and is expected to have a greater presence at Gamescom 2016 as the release date gets even closer.
Oculus Touch – Oculus will use the Gamescom platform to showcase their new games and the Oculus Touch Support feature which is included in some of the games. The Rift headset is expected to be there to be played around with by fans, as the release date is expected towards the end of the year.
Logitech G Range – Logitech are expected to launch some new and innovative G-range accessories, which can be sampled at Gamescom 2016.
Expectedly there is a huge variety of exhibitors and games to look forward to at Gamescom 2016, however there are many anticipated launches which will not be taking place at the massive event. These include:
Microsoft’s Project Scorpio – a next generation games console, which will be launched in 2017.
PlayStation Neo – A special PlayStation event is expected for this release on September 7th.
Nintendo NX – Nintendo does not usually have a major presence at Gamescom 2016, and this year is expected to be no different. They have also hinted that details of the Nintendo NX will be given in a pre-recorded Nintendo Direct video online rather than a games show.
Check out our blog for more information on the exciting Gamescom 2016, and other upcoming tech news.
