The time has almost come! This month will mark the 10th anniversary of Gamescom, the “Heart of Gaming”, being held in Cologne, Germany, and we are very excited to attend it. The event itself is known and anticipated by gamers and gaming professionals from all over the world and surely requires no introduction. Gamescom Congress does, however, as it is the business-oriented part of the overall event, in which games advertisers, publishers, and developers gather and discuss the latest and expected technological and legal trends affecting the industry, among others. This year it will be held on August 22nd.
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What some people from abroad might not know is that many of the congress’ panels are held in German. This is why we decided to compile the ones in English which we believe to be the most relevant for our advertiser and publisher readers. We made a similar recommendation effort last month for AWE and ASE 2018, but if you were not able to visit those events, don’t worry – several of their topics will also be covered during the Gamescom Congress from a games-oriented perspective. Even if you do speak German, these should provide some great value for your business regardless.
So without further ado, here are our top presentation picks:
The Advertising Potential of Holographic Games
Where and when: Track 3 (11:45 – 12:15)
What it’s about: This first Congress panel discusses how the adoption of AI will change gaming and interacting with technology in general. Beyond this, it uses an innovative company’s holographic technology as a way of demonstrating how games will be played in the future.
Why it’s important: There have been many debates about positioning ads within the 3D environments of AR-/VR-supported games, and this looks like the next big step. Indeed, these insights could be very valuable for games advertisers who want to get an idea of how gamers will be targeted in the future.
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IP Cross-Branding Within and Outside of Gaming
Where and when: Track 4 (11:45 – 12:15)
What it’s about: Alternatively, but not less importantly, due to the same time slots, some might prefer to visit another presentation. It deals with the idea of how through cross-branding a company can devise a successful marketing strategy based on the concept of a shared “universe” of different intellectual properties, present on various channels (e.g. films, toys, online series etc.).
Why it’s important: In an industry which is getting more and more saturated and thus competitive, this could be useful for advertisers who are looking to expand into other verticals. At the same time, they would benefit from their familiarity with the associated gaming intellectual property and the knowledge of how it already appeals to certain demographics.
Ensuring Data Privacy Compliance Post-GDPR
Where and when: Track 5 (14:00 – 14:20) & Track 5 (14:20 – 15:00)
What they’re about: Both of these slots tackle the subject of different laws and Regulations, dictating the ways in which data privacy will be handled online. One of them will discuss the most important takeaways and outcomes from the implementation of the GDPR, as well as what is still necessary to ensure a full data compliance. The other will explore upcoming legal and tech-related developments which will only continue to shape the state of said data privacy.
Why they’re important: Both are applicable to any gaming advertiser, website publisher or developer, who would benefit from learning what they could have done or should still do, in order to avoid any accidental privacy breaches and face serious financial repercussions.
The “Cans” and “Can’ts” of In-Game Advertising & Player Incentives
Where and when: Track 5 (15:30 – 16:15)
What it’s about: While the previous two panels have a more general legal perspective, this one specifically goes over the European laws around in-game advertising and purchases, incentivizing tactics and virtual items. It will also provide a guide for what practices should definitely be avoided.
Why it’s important: With the steady growth of free-to-play titles relying on ads and selling items as the main means of monetization, this is a must for any gaming professional.
Broadcasting Revenue Model for eSports
Where and when: Track 5 (16:15 – 16:45)
What it’s about: The next presentation addresses why broadcasting is an important source of revenue for eSports games and how it differs from that of traditional sports.
Why it’s important: As eSports are the big new thing with gamers, we’d recommend any gaming business to familiarize itself with how this form of monetization functions and perhaps form an idea of how they can be utilized for other gaming genres or purposes.
Game Monetization Through Cryptocurrencies
Where and when: Track 3 (17:00 – 17:30)
What it’s about: The final Congress panel in our list covers how cryptocurrencies can be both a beneficial but also a dangerous game monetization method and offers points for improvement or change.
Why it’s important: These insights would obviously be key for any game publishers and advertisers, looking to form a long-term working relationship based on such payout methods. This is especially noteworthy, considering how diverse the cryptocurrency range has become and will continue to become in the future.
If you would like to see the official, full agenda and save it to your schedule, you can do so via this link.
As for a more detailed site plan of the Gamescom Congress (per topic), click here.
We hope to see you in Germany later next week and discuss how we can utilize our extensive games promotion experience to help you get the most out of your future campaigns!
If you’d like to schedule a meeting with us before/during the event, you can do so via [email protected].
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