Gamescom 2011 draws 275,000

Gamescom organizers certainly haven't had a problem attracting crowds to Cologne, Germany. Into its third year as the successor of the Leipzig Games Convention, Gamescom has once again posted a record number of attendees. Today, event organizer Koelnmesse GmbH said 275,000 people showed up for last week's show, an 8 percent increase over last year.

Gamescom attendance was up 8 percent in 2011.

Along with an uptick in attendance, Gamescom 2011 saw an increase in exhibitors. This year, 557 companies showed up to display their wares, up from 505 in 2010. These companies hailed from 39 different countries, with event organizers specifically calling out China as a new addition. The show also offered looks at more than 300 games.

GDC Europe, which served as a developer-centric preamble to Gamescom, attracted 2,100 attendees from 57 countries. Those attendance figures represent a marked 40 percent increase over the year prior.

Koelnmesse GmbH rounded out its announcement by confirming Gamescom 2012, saying the exhibition will return to Cologne August 15-19, 2012. For more from this year's show, check out GameSpot's full coverage of Gamescom 2011.