14 DAY TRIAL // GC 2006 closed on Sunday evening with a record number of visitors. Over the past four days, a grand total of 183000 people, compared to 134000 in 2005, journeyed to the Leipzig Fair's exhibition center. GC 2006 also clearly hit the headlines with more than 2600 journalists from 38 countries traveling to Leipzig to report on the massive event.
"Success on this scale is unique ever since the Leipzig Fair's new exhibition centre was opened ten years ago. GC has clearly demonstrated that it's the European number one not just among the general public but also in the media and business sector - making it one of the leading events in the industry anywhere in the world," declared Josef Rahmen, CEO of the Leipzig Fair. "We'll sit down with our exhibitors to build up the program further so that next year we can give people even more gaming fun on days with peak numbers of visitors."
Interactive experience combined with gaming, fun and information on media literacy were at the heart of GC family - the entertainment, education and knowledge forum for all the family. A new layout awaited visitors with a 5,000 square meter 3D board game in which they themselves became the pieces on the board.
Dr Karin Wehn from the University of Leipzig commented: "We were both amazed and delighted to see how well Machinima went down, given the stiff competition from all the other exciting things going on in the other exhibition halls. Loads of youngsters derived pleasure from the somewhat calmer atmosphere here and spent a long time watching the films screened. The workshops also proved very popular - and not just with male visitors! In fact half of those attending were women, and all in all the public was very heterogeneous. Those taking part in the workshops included architects, business men and women, historians and film scholars, some of whom came to Leipzig especially from abroad. And it wasn't long before they were developing their own clever films."
This year's GCDC - Europe's leading developer conference - was even bigger and more international than before. From 21-23 August 2006, it was attended by 600 conference participants who met with the stars of the developer scene. "Within the past four years, GCDC has established itself as the industry's most important European platform. The number of participants from both Germany and abroad has risen steadily," explained Project Manager Frank Sliwka. The main topics this year were development, business and science, with a special international keynote devoted to each. The speakers included games guru Bob Bates (Chairman IGDA), Don L. Daglow (President, CEO Stormfront Studios) and Peter Molyneux (Lionhead).