Christophe De bont 
29/08/2017For those that are already missing the koelnmesse or didn’t get the chance to check out the Belgian games booth: the official gamescom aftermovie is now live on YouTube! The video (thanks Carrot on a Stick!) gives a glimpse of all 16 participating companies and features interview clips with Pascal Cools of Flanders DC, celebrity gamer William Boeva and our own David Verbruggen. Next to the ton of media coverage our Belgian games received, this video should convince everyone of the importance of attending gamescom.
Now that the fair is officially over, here are some more dazzling numbers. The 2017 edition once again smashed the attendance record with more than 350,000 visitors from 106 different countries. So that’s why you had to wait five hours to get your hands on Far Cry 5.
With 919 participating companies, there were more exhibitors than ever before. The business area was also bustling with activity: 30,700 trade visitors traveled to Cologne to network and strike a deal. Next to the the 16 Belgian start-ups in the Belgian games booth, you could find several Belgian games amidst the madness on the entertainment floor. We told you there would be no escaping the Belgian games industry and we’re pretty sure we delivered on that promise.
© Alessandra van Otterlo
The first feedback from participating studios was so overwhelmingly positive that we’re going to repeat this feat next year. We’re already being contacted by studios that have never been a part of the Belgian games booth before, so this bodes well for gamescom 2018, which will take place from August 21 – August 25. We will see each other sooner (more news on the next FLEGA Cafe soon!), but we hope you’re just as excited as us to turn this global celebration of the Belgian games industry into a yearly happening.
