Leipzig conference reports record attendance

First-day attendance at the Leipzig Games Conference has far outdone last year's, Reuters reported. About 28,000 visitors attended the first day of the event open to the public, compared to 16,000 in 2004. Organizers expect more than 110,000 total visitors by the end of the conference this Sunday.

Such burgeoning attendance is raising eyebrows in Germany. Although it is the largest economy in Europe, the country has a games market that lags behind Spain, France, and the UK.

"We have some way to catch up, to put it mildly," said the GC's director, Josef Rahmen, in a news conference. "It's a very important industry, and we shouldn't leave it all to our American, Japanese and English friends." Only one in 10 German households owns a console, compared to one in three in the US, according to the article.

In addition to record attendance, the GC has also attracted more exhibitors, reaching a total of 280 (compared to 255 in 2004). The list of companies showing games at the event includes the European arms of heavy hitters such as Electronic Arts, Microsoft, VU Games, and Nintendo. The event's organizers say that their exhibitors will premiere a total of 189 new products.