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gamescom 2020: ‘A strong signal in challenging times’

Published

6 years ago

September 9, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

game draws a positive balance after first all-digital gamescom
More than 2 million people worldwide simultaneously view grand kick-off show ‘gamescom: Opening Night Live’
Federal Minister Andreas Scheuer announces start of major games funding programme at gamescom

gamescom 2020 sends a strong signal in challenging times: the world’s biggest games event was successfully implemented in digital form, despite turmoil in the development plans of numerous games studios due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a comparatively short planning phase. Millions of players worldwide followed gamescom 2020, which took place in parallel on many digital platforms. The digital concept of gamescom 2020, developed in just a few weeks in collaboration with Koelnmesse and the top gamescom exhibitors, shows the great potential of gamescom for the coming years: many companies participated for the first time this year as official partners; in addition, the fair’s international reach has continued to increase significantly. This is the conclusion drawn by game – the German Games Industry Association, the co-organiser of gamescom.

Jens Kosche, game Executive Board member and Managing Director of Electronic Arts for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, says: ‘Even though the use of games has increased in the last several months, the COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge for the international games industry too. Physical events have been cancelled and, in many cases, the development of games also hasn’t continued in the usual manner, with the focus on the safety and health of all involved requiring that thousands of developers work from home. This made it all the more important that gamescom could be held successfully online: it was an anchor in the event calendar and attracted the attention of the community worldwide. I expressly thank all of the partners who, this year especially, have dedicated themselves to the success of gamescom, our most important industry event.’

The special highlight of gamescom 2020 was the show that kicked it off, ‘gamescom: Opening Night Live’. Over two million people viewed the event simultaneously, a fourfold increase from last year’s strong premiere. This makes it one of the top three gaming events worldwide that have taken place online in 2020. The livestreams and events of the approximately 370 official gamescom partners have contributed to its global reach. These included, for example, the ESL One Cologne and the numerous livestreams with influencers from around the world who disseminate the content of gamescom in a wide range of languages. Partnerships with platforms like Twitch and YouTube as well as TikTok and Steam also helped gamescom 2020 reach the community everywhere in the internet.

Felix Falk, Managing Director of game, says: ‘The extraordinary circumstances made gamescom 2020 extremely challenging, yet especially exciting. The digital concept demonstrates how big the international potential of our games event – already the largest in the world – still is. At the same time, however, it has become clear how important the on-site conference, in addition to further digital development, is for the community and the games industry. So, we now have to take our experience from this year and use it to develop the ideal combined on- and offline event for 2021. We’re also especially happy about the political signals that were sent by gamescom 2020. The launch of the major games funding programme announced by Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Andreas Scheuer is historic and marks the start of our race to catch up as a competitive international site for games development. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’s contribution to the gamescom congress, as well as the Debatt(l)e Royale and the participation of over 200 guests in digital tours, show that, this year too, gamescom remains one of the most important platforms for the exchange between policymakers and the digital generation.’

Further information on gamescom 2020 online participation and international audience can be found here

Next year’s gamescom will be held as a hybrid event in Cologne and on the net from Wednesday, 25 August, to Sunday, 29 August 2021.

About gamescom

gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games, as well as Europe’s largest business platform for the games industry. In 2021, gamescom is planned as a hybrid event to be held on-site and digitally, from Wednesday, 25 August, to Sunday, 29 August. gamescom is jointly organised by Koelnmesse and game – the German Games Industry Association.

game – the German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members include developers, publishers and many other games industry actors such as esports event organisers, educational establishments and service providers. As a joint organiser of gamescom, we are responsible for the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. We are an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, and answer questions relating to market development, games culture and media literacy. Our mission is to make Germany the best games location.

Fortune Factory Studios

Games Global and Fortune Factory Studios launch Gold Blitz Fortune Tower Fusion

Published

13 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

games-global-and-fortune-factory-studios-launch-gold-blitz-fortune-tower-fusion

Games Global has launched Gold Blitz Fortune Tower Fusion in collaboration with its exclusive partner Fortune Factory Studios, the companies said on 25th June 2026. The new title expands the Gold Blitz franchise and introduces the Wild Fusion multiplier tower.

In the base game, the slot features bi-directional Pays. The companies said landing a collect icon on reel three alongside Prize Activators triggers the Fortune Tower, awarding prizes up to 15x for purple activators and 1,000x for blue activators.

Games Global said Gold Blitz tokens and wilds are collected in separate pots during base play and can randomly activate one of two bonuses. Landing three bonus symbols triggers a bonus game where players choose between the Gold Blitz Fortune Tower and Wild Fusion Fortune Tower features.

The Gold Blitz Fortune Tower uses the franchise’s Cash Collect mechanic, with Above Reel Interaction awarding prizes from the Fortune Tower. In the Wild Fusion Fortune Tower, cash values convert to multipliers of up to 20x, applying to wins containing wilds.

Alexander Monsma, Team Manager, Game Sales at Games Global, said: “Each new iteration of the Gold Blitz franchise aims for subtle differentiation while staying true to its roots. This release pairs two Fortune Tower bonuses and Prize Activators, adding a distinct twist on the Cash Collect mechanic.” Dave Reynolds, Director of Games Strategy and Partner Management at Games Global, added: “Gold Blitz is one of the most versatile and recognisable game brands across the industry, and Fortune Factory continues to find exciting ways to extend its lifecycle. Gold Blitz Fortune Tower Fusion marks another milestone in one of Games Global’s best-performing series.”

The post Games Global and Fortune Factory Studios launch Gold Blitz Fortune Tower Fusion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

affiliate marketing

Toucan report: Casino.org leads AI search visibility among US iGaming affiliates

Published

13 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

toucan-report:-casino.org-leads-ai-search-visibility-among-us-igaming-affiliates

Casino.org ranks as the most visible US-facing iGaming affiliate across major AI platforms, according to a new AI Search Visibility report from Toucan International. The study tested 100 iGaming-related consumer prompts across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity.

Toucan said it ranked 146 affiliates using four measures: the number of times a brand was cited, the number of prompts it was cited in, the total number of times the brand was mentioned, and the number of prompts mentioned in. Casino.org scored 96.8 out of 100, driven by 198 citations across 61 of the 100 prompts—giving it a 19-point lead over BettingUSA.com.

BettingUSA.com placed second with an overall score of 77.6. Toucan noted the affiliate had the most “times mentioned” (27) and “prompts mentioned in” (23), but appeared in fewer “prompts cited in” (50), which the report weighted most heavily. SportsLine ranked third with a score of 74.4, leading the study on “prompts cited in” with 64 and recording 178 total citations.

Covers.com (72.2) and RotoWire (69.8) rounded out the top five. Toucan said the top three affiliates accounted for 37% of citations from a total of 1,755 across the dataset, with the remaining 143 affiliates comprising the rest.

George Webb, Organic Search Director at Toucan International, said: “What the findings reveal is that there is a clear dominance among some of the top affiliates, there is a reasonably broad ecosystem, and dominance isn’t a foregone conclusion.

“We gave the number of prompts a brand is cited in the highest weighting, at 40 per cent, because it’s the best measure of authority in AI Search. Total citations tell you how often a brand shows up, but those can stack up inside a handful of answers. The number of prompts you’re cited in tells you how many different questions the AI trusts you to answer, and that breadth is much harder to earn and much harder for a rival to take off you. It’s also where the commercial value sits: the wider the range of prompts you appear in, the more of the real search demand you’re exposed to.

“Casino.org’s leadership in the report stems almost entirely from citation volume (198) rather than prose mentions (26), meaning it appears as a referenced source rather than a naturally embedded recommendation, whereas BettingUSA.com punches above its citation weight (94) by securing 27 prose mentions, suggesting more organic integration into AI reasoning.

“What I would express to the brands looking to make gains in AI search is that the results are not random and that best practice in terms of how you present onsite content, technical setup and targeting backlinks and coverage from the sources that LLMs are trained on, through Digital PR, can see you improve.”

The post Toucan report: Casino.org leads AI search visibility among US iGaming affiliates appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

game-launch

Kendoo adds 4 Fire Rockets to 4 Pots slot portfolio

Published

13 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

kendoo-adds-4-fire-rockets-to-4-pots-slot-portfolio

Kendoo has launched 4 Fire Rockets, a new slot added to its 4 Pots portfolio, the supplier said on 25th June 2026. The title is now available for demo and real-money play across Kendoo partner platforms.

According to the company, 4 Fire Rockets builds on Hold & Win gameplay with an “upgraded 4 Pots system” and adds a Collect feature, random multipliers, a Life feature and a Double Reels mechanic. The Hold & Win bonus triggers by landing one or more Bonus symbols, locking values while players get a series of respins.

Kendoo said Multiplier symbols can apply 2x, 3x or 5x boosts to Bonus values, while Double Reels duplicates the entire bonus board so play continues across two sets of reels. The Collect symbol can appear during the bonus to gather the values of a specific type of Bonus symbol and remains locked until the round ends.

The Life feature may trigger when respins are running out, adding an extra Bonus symbol and refreshing the counter. Kendoo also highlighted four jackpot tiers from Mini to Grand, with the Grand paying up to 1,000x total bet; with Double Reels active, the company said players can potentially land two Grand Jackpots in a single bonus.

Olga Mugliett, Commercial Director at Kendoo, said: “When we introduced 4 Pots, the response from players showed there was real appetite for a format that offers multiple things to chase at once. With 4 Fire Rockets, we wanted to build on that while making every bonus round feel less predictable.

“The combination of Double Reels, Collect feature, Multiplier feature and the possibility of extending the action through Life creates plenty of moments where a feature can suddenly take a different direction. Those twists are often what players remember most, and that’s something we focused on heavily throughout development.”

The post Kendoo adds 4 Fire Rockets to 4 Pots slot portfolio appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.