Games Convention Online 2009

GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE

(31 July - 2 August 2009)

Leipzig, 20 May 2009

Be it in a guild or a clan, as a team or in a league - the majority of online gamers share their hobby with the like-minded and play with them too. On the internet, millions of gamers link up as communities, ready to go into battle together or to build new civilisations. Large numbers of virtual friendships have already emerged from this. The GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is the perfect opportunity to cultivate them in real life. From 31 July to 2 August, communities of all online and mobile games have the opportunity to meet up in Leipzig and to talk face to face about games, tactics and other vital matters.

"The online world lives on its gamer communities who meet on the internet and spend their leisure time together. With its positioning for online and mobile games, the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE is ideal to find out on the one hand about the latest games and on the other, to reinforce friendships on the gamer scene", says Silvana Kürschner, Strategy Director GC Global.

Two Pi Team Takes Over Community Management

The event has the support of the Two Pi Team, a company specialising in community management. They look after wide areas of communication with communities and other interested parties, including on the official forum ( http://forums.wheel-of-games.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1071). The Two Pi Team will accompany the event with a series of radio programmes on the well-known internet radio "MMORPG Radio" from the Gothic Guild, and they are presenting the online event on the internet as well as organising the programme on the community stage, where they will also be the presenters at the event itself.

Gothic Guild Getting Ready for Leipzig

The first port of call for guilds and clans will be the community stage in Hall 3. Scheduled bands will give concerts round the clock here and the latest anime films will also be screened. In between, communities from all over Germany introduce themselves and their particular profile. Those already on the list include the Gothic Guild which, with around 2,000 members, is one of the leading German-speaking guilds in Europe.

"For online gamers, their contact with one another is very important, both online and in the classic way of real life. For the first time ever, we have a central port of call in the shape of the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. In Leipzig, we can organise a major guild meeting and get new members in the process", explains Werner Matthiesen from the Gothic Guild's board.

Meet & Play at the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE

For relaxing chats together, gamers can use a range of community lounges. Of course, there are plenty of gaming competitions in Leipzig too. Several linked gaming zones will be set up in the public gaming area, inviting community teams to play against one another.

The right look is also easy to find. The community market will provide gamers with all the items they need for a successful appearance in the outfits of their avatars. The entire gamer wardrobe will be on offer, from medieval swords to a complete Ork costume. Fans of virtual worlds will also be able to stock up on a range of merchandising articles from their favourite games.

In Search of Online Communities

Parallel to an appearance at the fair, communities can also immortalise themselves with a brief self-description at www.gamesconvention.com and be a part of the online events set to accompany the GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE. The advantage here is that with just a few clicks, visitors to the show can find out in advance what the individual communities are all about and which ones best suit their own gaming habits. There is also an Online Forum for interchange between the communities.

Contact for the Press:

Torsten Anke, Press Officer

Phone: +49 (0) 341 678 8198

Fax: +49 (0) 341 678 8182

E-mail: t.anke@leipziger-messe.de

Internet:

www.gamesconvention.com

www.leipziger-messe.de