Games Convention Online cancelled

Money issues have led to event firm Leipziger Messe to terminate plans for any future Games Convention Online shows.

This year’s event, booked for 7-8 July, has been cancelled.

Game Convention Online debuted in 2009 as a second-choice venture for Leipziger Messe. Its previous incarnation, known simply as Games Convention, had run from 2002 until 2008 and drew in hundreds of thousands of people.

Yet in 2008, industry consortium BIU announced not it would not back Games Convention for the 2009 event – specifically due to rising complaints about the show running in Leipzig and not a major city.

Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft all instead lent their support to GamesCom, which today is Europe’s leading consumer event for video games. It takes place in Cologne.

Leipziger Messe stuck to Leipzig, and in 2009 launched its first Games Convention Online in the city. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony did not lend their support to the event.

"The day has come for GCO to say goodbye," read a statement today on the Leipziger Messe website.

"Despite your fantastic support over the last two years, we have been unable to put Games Convention Online on a firm financial footing.

“In the end, the show’s idea on its own didn’t suffice to organize an economically successful trade fair and congress.

"The Leipziger Messe will naturally continue to provide a platform for young innovative branches of industry, but this needs to be supported and developed by the majority of the industry concerned.

“Despite all joint efforts, we were still unable to achieve this."