Overall, this year's Gamescom wasn't as impressive as previous years. A lot of publishers were choosing to stay away - to the extent that a few major halls had to stay shut due to a lack of exhibitors, with there also being a lot more wasted space in the halls that were actually open. This in turn resulted in markedly less people attending the event in comparison to the pre-Covid years. How much of this is due to the negative online chatter which surrounds physical gaming events is up for debate, but with the demise of E3 in 2023, the narrative that large scale gaming events don't really work in a post-internet age is certainly gaining credence as more and more gaming companies and consumers believe what is being stated online and choose to stay away.
But at the same time, and with so much of the gaming populace (both industry and gamers) primarily focused on engaging in online spaces, the potential loss of a physical gathering place where industry and gamers can come together will certainly prove to be a sad day - especially as it's these kind of events which allow people to openly express their humanity, whilst maintaining a sense of social cohesion, community, and empathy for each other. Besides, Gamescom is genuinely a fun da...