Cologne, August 25, 2023: The gamescom congress inspired its audience with a great variety of topics on Thursday, August 24, 2023. More than 100 experts from Germany and abroad showed how video games can drive innovation and contribute to our world of tomorrow in 50 talks, panels and workshops. From artificial intelligence and industrial applications to the use in schools: everyone benefits from the proficiency of the games industry. Around 800 guests attended the conference on site in Cologne. At the same time, more than 170,000 users watched the live stream. Thus, once again gamescom congress has proven its status as Europe’s leading conference about the potential of games.
Whether it’s environmental protection, improvement of our healthcare system, inclusive education or female empowerment: the opportunities offered by games are spotlighted nowhere as broadly as at the gamescom congress. The 15th edition of the conference presented the latest findings in research and exciting insights in various keynotes, panels and workshops. For example, the audience got impulses on strategies for handling the climate crisis through simulation games, on the moderation of hate speech in gaming communities with the help of artificial intelligence, and on how games can contribute to Remembrance Culture in Germany. In the workshops, the role of games, game development and AI in dealing with fake news or in the education of children in need of support was discussed as well as the empowerment of young women in the games industry. The detailed program, information about the speakers and selected sessions are available at www.gamescom-congress.com.
The political highlight at the end of the congress day was again the “Debatt(l)e Royale”. Top politicians answered the questions from games community and took a stand on the most important matters around games and digital policy. Franziska Giffey (SPD), Nathanael Liminski (CDU), Emily Büning (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and Bijan Djir-Sarai (FDP) joined the discussion.
Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association: “Games are the great medium of entertainment of our time and furthermore achieve astonishing things in many areas of society. There is an enormous power in video games to master the challenges of our time better. Whether it’s in schools, sciences and business, environmental protection or social life: games are a driver of innovation on all levels. The gamescom congress 2023 has once again demonstrated impressively these diverse opportunities in exciting talks and debates.”.
“The gamescom congress spurs the conversation between the games industry and experts from sciences, education, politics and other industries. It emphasizes the potential that video games have for all of us, establishing the congress as a marketplace of ideas. Thus, it is an elementary part of what the entire gamescom offers,” says Gerald Böse, Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
