Gamescom 2012: The Essential Guide

Heading to Cologne next week? Make sure you’re full prepared with our comprehensive guide to the world’s biggest games show.

The full five-page guide, including maps of Koelnmesse and a full exhibitor list, can be found in this week’s issue of MCV – available to download here. In the meantime, here are the essentials to get you started.

If you haven’t already, check out ‘Are You Ready For Gamescom?’ featuring expert advise on how to survive this busy event.

WHEN & WHERE

Date: Wednesday, August 15th – Sunday, August 19th
Venue: Koelnmesse, Cologne, German
[Wednesday, August 15th is a trade and media-only day]

OPENING TIMES

Business Area (Halls 4 & 5)
Wednesday, August 15th 9am – 7pm
Thursday, August 16th 9am – 8pm
Friday, August 17th 9am – 8pm

Entertainment Area (Halls 6 to 9)
Wednesday, August 15th 9am – 7pm
Thursday, August 16th 9am – 8pm
Friday, August 17th 9am – 8pm
Saturday, August 18th 9am – 8pm
Sunday, August 19th 9am – 6pm

MCV BUYERS LOUNGE
A special area for UK visitors will be free to use within the Business Hall (4.2, stand E040) from Wednesday, August 15th to Friday, August 17th. Called The UK Buyers Lounge: Powered by MCV, this space will be manned by MCV staff and will welcome trade in for meetings and networkings. There will also be copies of the Gamescom edition of MCV available.

BUSINESS AREA
Koelnmesse’s Halls 4 and 5 will once again host Gamescom’s dedicated business area, where the biggest publishers will meet with retailers, distributors and media. Companies with a booth here include:

Hall 4.1
Bethesda, Bigpoint, Capcom, Crytek, GREE, Namco Bandai, Trion Worlds, Wargaming Europe,

Hall 4.2
Avanquest, Creative Distribution, Kalypso Media, Link Distribution, Mad Catz, MCV BUYER’S LOUNGE,UKIE, Valve, Vogue Distribution,

Hall 5.1
Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts,

Hall 5.2
Deep Silver, Konami, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Warner Bros

ENTERTAINMENT AREA
Just short of 500 companies are exhibiting at Gamescom 2012, and hundreds will be reaching out to consumers directly in the entertainment area. These will include:

Hall 6
Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, Kalypso Media, Take-Two Interactive, Trion Worlds

Hall 7
Capcom, Deep Silver, Focus Home Interactive, Konami, Mad Catz, Sony Computer Entertainment, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Valve

Hall 8
Bigpoint,Computec, eSports lounge, Korea Creative Content Agency, NCsoft Europe, Nexon, Turtle Entertainment, Wargaming Europe

Hall 9
1C Softclub, Avanquest, Bethesda, Bohemia Interactive, GREE, Namco Bandai, Razer, Warner Bros

Hall 10
CD Projekt Red, Gala Networks Europe, Inno Games, LG Electronics, Samsung, Steel Series

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Tuesday, August 14th
Capcom press conference – 10am GMT / 11am CET
Electronic Arts press conference – 3pm GMT / 4pm CET
Sony press conference – 6pm GMT / 7pm CET

Wednesday, August 15th
Ubisoft press conference – 2pm GMT / 3pm CET

Friday, August 17th – Sunday, August 19th
Gamescom Festival – a series of musical and entertainment events held around Cologne